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My digestive system has always been pretty fragile, comes with the neurodivergency and all. The short leg and pelvic tilt that the hip replacement fixed didn't help that any, nor does my spinal cord injury or the abdominal fascia trigger points from my huge tits that choke off my intestines... This is what I'm pretty sure happened yesterday: I'm eating bigger portions than I usually do right now, to get my body the calories it needs to heal. But, I'm following the hospital's constipation prevention methods... and I usually take three times as much Senokot as they had me taking up until yesterday. So, my large intestine was full to capacity. Not blocked or impacted, just not moving. That meant that stuff was hanging around in my small intestine waiting for it's turn to digest. And I added something to that chemical mix that filled my intestines up with gas like an overworked clown making balloon animals. I think it's the chili, but who knows, could be any of the medications I'm on. That meant I had to deal with the distended, too painful to touch belly by first clearing out my large intestine (which took all day yesterday), and then by neutralizing the gas and moving it out of the small and into the large to pass. That took literally all night. I didn't sleep a wink. I also haven't consumed more than water and Miralax in the past 32 hours, so everyone's convinced I'm going to pass out and screw up my hip. The kicker? I waited nine months to get in to see a Gastroenterologist, after dealing with severe constipation all last year. But once I got in the office, they sent me to a Nurse Practitioner who didn't listen to me, never got me a follow-up appointment, prescribed a medication that made me very ill, and then proceeded to drop me when I requested another medication that needed a prior authorization. The prior authorization was submitted in October, they never even followed up the request. And she knew full well I'd be getting my hip replaced and would need special post-op constipation precautions, I wrote her the minute I got my surgery date. So, I fully didn't have to suffer like this if some Nurse Practitioner had decided I was worth some actual care and passed me on to a doctor a few months back. Ain't American healthcare great?

My "Wegovy Bowels" aren't exactly helping here, either, but my mom was so hungry for chili last night, and saved out a bowl for me before any tomatoes or dairy went in... Current peek inside my intestinal tract. I haven't had gas blockages in my intestines this bad in a WHILE. This has honestly been the worst pain of post-op so far, and this has definitely been a very painful post-op. In other news, how the heck am I supposed to wear a sleep bonnet to bed if it's soaked through with sweat within an hour of bedtime?? Update, 4PM: I'm four teaspoons of baking soda down, and just starting to neutralize all this acid in my guts. I don't think I can eat beef anymore...

You know how I said my body is like "give me all the calories, and I want it 100% in sugar carbs!" which is to be expected, because it takes a lot of energy to heal big bone and muscle, and also I have to be off the sugar craving meds right now. This drink is helping to take the edge off the cravings. Mostly because it's packed with what my body is actually craving, so it doesn't want to spiral into comfort eating. Incoming: a new Menu on my recipe blog on how to meal plan for recovering big body trauma stuff, in the next few weeks, at least. I have recommendations now! In other post-op news, I've just taken the last of the most temporary post-op prescriptions, so now I'm looking out at more long term recovery goals from here. I still have a couple of weeks on the Oxy and Robaxin to help with healing the sutures, and after that it's back to my normal pain med routine. Meanwhile, a blizzard just kicked in that's supposed to hang around all weekend, and this mix of gloom and meds and weed and communal tension has me up in grief-nostalgia feels about everything, so I'm gonna mope in bed a lot today.

The number one anterior hip surgery restriction is no bridging your hips. Puts WAY too much pressure on the sutured muscles. Yeah, I did it on accident getting back into bed last night. Trust me, you will not do it for long, or extend it at all. But I didn't make my post-op bruising any better, Oof. All my thigh muscles are more sore than needed right now. Today'll be spent with ice packs. In other news, I'm starting to wonder if these purging sweats are actually emerging night sweats. It has been three weeks off the Pill... Yeah, my sleep wasn't great last night.

I'm talking 3B/C, very fine, highly porous, medium volume hair that has always been too fragile to grow much past my shoulders. I've been in the Natural Hair Care movement since the very beginning (all the way back in 2014...), I grew out my grey hair four years ago, I do not heat style, only steam treat, and I started a caffeinated scalp cleanse & oiling growth journey and chebe length retention journey in August 2025... right before my hip went bed. I'm also a research & FAFO kind of AuDHDist in the Nina Pool kind of way, so I do know what I'm talking about when it comes to fragile hair like mine. After night 2 of sweating out gallons of water, anesthesia leftovers, and extra white blood cells before I could sleep, my hair and sleep bonnets were pretty bad this morning. And I'm still not quite up to a full shower, so here's how I've been tackling retaining my hair health while my body health goes temporarily to shit. I spoke a bit about the prep during the pre-op shower already, but here's the details: I did my normal scalp and hair cleanse with my Kojic acid soap before the Great Safeguard Scrubdown, I did not oil my scalp (better to let the follicles breathe if I'm not attending to my proper cleansing & exfoliating routine), I did apply my usual leave-in conditioner on the strands, but I "slugged" it in with 100% pure vegetable glycerine instead of chebe butter. I'll get back to the chebe in a week or two, when I have the strength to get into my full hair routine again. After that dried, I braided it into medium-tight dutch braid pigtails - tight enough to stay intact through a lot of jostling around, not so tight it causes hair loss. I also secured the ends with small rip-proof hair-tyes, something I don't always do, but again, we're going for longevity and end protection. My silk bonnet went on about the minute I got up to my room for the night and was cognizant of the fact, and it stayed on until I sweat it off Wednesday night. I wore a silk-lined beanie to PT over the braids yesterday, and another bonnet until I ripped it off my sweat-soaked head at around 3am today. So, I finally sat on the end of my bed and addressed my hair today. Here's how I tackled that: The braids were eased out very gently, and I worked out any obvious tangles or shed hairs with my fingers. I sectioned my hair off to give my scalp and roots a healthy spray with HOCL. Once my scalp was damp with the HOCL, I got my fingers under my hair to massage it in and make sure it's well-distributed on my head. That helps get rid of any bacterial growth from the sweat. I then used a detangler/leave-in conditioner to dampen my hair with the product pretty well. Once it was wet through, I combed the product through with a Tangle Teezer brush to remove any leftover snarls or shed hairs (which it does really well, btw). I love this SoCozy Kids detangler (not paid, I just do), but use whichever is your favorite. After the product dried, I used a silk hair-tye to pull my hair into a loose "pineapple" ponytail at the top of my head, and put a clean bonnet over my freshly detangled hair. And when it comes to the internal part of hair care: Electrolytes again ftw. The brand I use is a combo of deep sea minerals, and liquid B vitamin complex, and I have been POUNDING them. I've had two regular doses back on my VitronC (considering my post-op labs showed me as real fucking anemic in favor of the White Blood Cell blast, I wanted to get that corrected ASAP), Buffered Vitamin C, Omega 3-6-9 oils, and Magnesium glycinate. My morning coffee has changed while I'm recovering and doesn't lend well to my usual collagen dosing, but I'm drinking bone broth to keep up there. And just managing my pain and maintaining my caloric intake. My body wants SUGAR, not surprising, I can't take Naltrexone while I'm on the Oxy. I'm glad I stocked up on healthier sweet calorie sources, rather than just binging on any sweets, especially when we still have Christmas cookies in the freezer. And that I did all that meal planning! Moment of truth time, then! Did I lose any length or volume to stress shed during 4.5 days of healing major surgical trauma? Nope. That's half a week of shed. Zero breakage. In other post-op news, the pain is starting to kick in where the muscles were cut and stitched, and just general suture pain. All to be expected, all controlled well enough, all will be gone in a week, I know... but it's not super fun accidentally touching the leg and my body is like "what kind of pain signal are we even supposed to go for here??" The bruising, though, is healing really fast, it's gone from bright red to almost green in just a few days. I'm not complaining! And walking is getting easier, I'm even starting to get some baby follow-through with my steps if I'm on a straight course!

I insist on it. You need to learn how to move in your body after a major change. I have anxiety, I need a professional to tell me what my new safe movements are. My new PT thinks he'll have me off my walker within two weeks, which is fine by me! Obviously, I have a ton of bruising and a foot-long incision that'll take time to heal, and there's definitely pain there. But the implant itself? Made my leg significantly longer, and corrected a pretty nasty pelvic tilt. I have balance issues from my spinal cord injury to begin with, and it's going to take a hot minute for my body to get used to this. Not to mention, I'm working on the least butt padding I've worked with since elementary school, a new hip "bone" in an unusual place on nerves used to a lot more fat padding? My exercises right now are all about learning my body again. It doesn't hurt, it's just very disorienting. But, I did the whole long hall (not a pun, believe it or not, I have a main-level ranch that's arranged on one hall that stretches the full length of the house) with baby step walk-throughs just now, so big progress in just two days!

I'm getting asked this a lot lately, so here's the deal. And TW on pretty much every physical and mental health topic out there. tl;Dr, my genetics are such a bitch (comment where that's from if you know it!) And MeeMaw is Neurodiversity. My first flare happened in 2001, when I was 19 years old. It took me out of dancing and into reiki. And it involved my old hip... my left hip subluxed, and caused a severe muscle spasm in my piriformis muscle to hold it out of place (and shoot sciatic pain down into my toes). This kept happening, both hips, over and over... at first I'd have a few years before flares, then a year, then a few months... until in 2018, the flare was so bad it locked up my entire left leg for nine months. I'm pretty sure this is what ultimately killed the cartilage in my hip. This was after a formal diagnosis of fibromyalgia, central sensitization disorder, and joint hypermobility by a doctor who specializes in fibro. It's not Ehlers Danlos or Marfan, I've been tested for both. I have not been tested for the newly discovered MTFR gene, that links hypermobility to neurodivergences, as well as a whole lot of other physical issues, many of which I and my family members on my dad's side have. Our last name means "The People of Wisdom & the Element of Air" in the Romani language, and considering the suit of Swords in the tarot, which represent wisdom/intelligence and the element of air, has been considered the most representative of neurodivergences for awhile now... I think that MTFR gene runs DEEP. Anyway, between the structural imbalance, the regular severe muscle spasms, and the hour daily (I did recovery days once a week, chill) strength training program I had myself on after the Fibromyalgia Program where I got my formal diagnoses... Once I got to the spine surgeon, I had two fully ruptured discs in two separate spinal areas, one of which had calcified around my sciatica nerve root and caused irreversible damage... hence needing a podiatrist to manage my pedicure, lest I slice into my own nailbeds without knowing or caring. I've needed two surgeries each on both sites, one to try to correct some of the nerve root damage (it didn't really work), and one to remove a tendon that had atrophied around my spinal cord, compressing it hard enough to soften and bruise about half the cord at the pressure point. The injury was bad enough that when it was released, it caused a severe cerebrospinal fluid leak - I mean days on my back with a full-flow IV to keep my brain from resting directly on my skull, and leaving me with chronic migraines. Spinal cord injuries don't heal. Or aren't supposed to heal, I'm still working on full energy flow, why not? I do my own energy work, for free. Physically, though, it's left me with a mild drop foot, a leg tremor, and balance issues that make me walk like a drunken sailor if I don't have a mobility aid to keep me straight, and keeps me a basically permanent fall risk. I'll be glad to be back to that being my "bad leg," it's had to cover for my left hip for a few years now. So far, cartilage & health wise, it's fine. but I hope I don't have to do this again in 5-10 years with that one. This is why we keep records! And then, on top of that, I developed carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands at the age of 12. I finally had it repaired in my right (yes, dominant) hand at the beginning of March 2024... and exactly 3 weeks later I fell hard on it, damaging the nerve right in the sweet spot where you're just going to have a damaged nerve there. I have a cyst growing on the joint that'll need to be removed at some point, too. I still have a lot of lingering CSS-triggered pain in my right hand, but I've managed to keep it strong and functional, at least. I highly recommend kneading bread dough by hand on the regular for that. But it still limits the use of my right thumb. Not great for a professional card shuffler. Hence being a mostly retired professional card shuffler. As for my mental health, I wasn't diagnosed with ADHD (the "u" came later) until I was 40, but I sure have had it all my life. And I was so abused for my differences by the people in my life that my fibro specialist diagnosed the abuse as the root cause of my fibromyalgia and CSS. Being raised in an end times cult, and being told the apocalypse would be starting up any day now, Praise Jesus, didn't help. So, I was one of those deeply depressed, anxious kids with OCD behaviors in the early 90's when absolutely no one wanted to subject their children to the horrors of the psychiatry of the 30's-80's that they grew up with. I didn't realize I had been living in a chronic state of panic until I started Cymbalta for my fibro symptoms in 2016. At 34 years old. Nowadays, understanding why things happened the way they did, and doing the grieving I needed for that realization to happen, and using the drugs I need, my mental health is in probably the best place it's ever been right now. Not perfect... but centered. Yes, even through all of this . Do your drugs, kids. i took the drugs, & the drugs are working Oh, by the way, none of this is enough to qualify for US SSI Disability. March marks six years since my first disability application, and yes I have a lawyer, a good lawyer. He's baffled. But I still need to work off my student loans, after all, I'm too young for this. Kids can get cancer and everyone's fine with that concept, but heaven forbid a 43 year old has genetic, progressive hypermobility. It might cost the government something. Which is why I have exactly a year left on Medicaid, as there's no way someone with All That can manage their health and putting in 40 hours a week for a paycheck, or even 20 hours a week of unpaid volunteer work with an official reporting 501c3 to qualify for the Medicaid I've been on for six years and just paid for my new hip. So... 2026 will be a year of preparation for how I'm going to manage my medical bills without any coverage at all or any income. Just like the pre-ACA days, except I have a lot more health issues now. Oh, and I'm privately un-insurable under the new regulations, because I'm chronically ill. That's what Medicare is for. That you need to access SSI Disability to access. A cheat to the question I opened with, for sticking with me here!

Here's a big ol protip for you: use a good travel mug for your hot drinks while you're recovering. I just dumped hot coffee all over myself, my bed, and my med bottles. I just fucking washed all this bedding. Had to wash it again already because I got "the sweats" last night anyway - my body finally pushed out the last of the anesthesia and extra white blood cells, just like sweating out a fever. But after that, I took my pain meds (which I have put on a schedule so they all get dosed all at once every eight hours, another lil protip for you), and slept for eight hours straight. I never do that, my AuDHD has made me a few hours here, few hours there sleeper all my life. And no, I'm absolutely not washing my bedding myself. This is why you need a caregiver at home, or you get sent to a nursing home for rehab. PT starts today, and it was not scheduled well around my (unknown at the time of scheduling) pain med schedule... so my new PT is getting Weed Auntie today. Here's a secret, tho. I started Canna Fitness back in 2018. Every time I'd take a walk, or do a strength training set, I smoked a small bowl of Sour Diesel right before starting. My body is used to incorporating cannabinoids into fitness and recovery routines. ALL my PT's know me as Weed Auntie, but I don't think they know it. Also, this is why all those snacks and all that meal planning was so important - my body needs all the calories for healing right now. I'm a pretty sparse eater nowadays with my lack of calorie burning and GI issues, but healing the biggest bone in your body? Apparently you need to eat like a pro football player. I'm glad the spare croquettes happened! And finally, my bladder issues are already starting to resolve. Thank GOD. I figured they would, I did a Urodynamic test a few months back, and my bladder is pretty much perfection, as bladders go. Same with my pelvic floor strength.

One of my favorite topics! TW: Corporate capitalism, influencer culture, medical surgery, plastic surgery, hygiene, survival living. Especially since it's been so twisted by corporate capitalism and influencer culture lately. I'm looking at you, TikTok. For instance, I just did a huge act of self care by consenting to a painful major surgery. And it wasn't a BBL just for the lewk, I'm really hoping my right leg sciatica that I've been getting steroid injections for for the past few years, as well as all the urinary and GI issues will resolve now that I don't have a shorter leg and pelvic tilt right over my naturally fused SI joint. That's self care, making sure your body is as healthy as possible. Considering the horror stories I've heard from BBL patients... getting a BBL is not "self care." Quite the opposite. And then there's the "hygiene influencers" who show everyone how to take the 3+ hour "everything shower" with their one of everything from Walmart's personal care aisle and Bath & Body Works, but many women won't soap up their labia or assholes because they were told "the vagina is a self-cleaning oven!" but that same person never bothered to explain what the vagina is, exactly. Meanwhile, actual hygiene definitely involves soap in those places... Are you "making motivational content" with your exercise and meal prep videos, or are you doing these things because you love your body, and want to help other people love their bodies, too? They are not the same thing, babes. One's motivated by money, the other by love. Both are energy vibrations. Money has a very low vibration, while love is the highest vibration of them all. You will get different results doing the exact same things with different motivations. Maybe you'll have the same physical appearance at the end, but you won't have the deep connection to your body to be truly within your body, not matter what, because you feel fully in control of your body. And that, is "self care." And do you know what people forget in our content and commerce driven culture? Rest. I highly recommend doing a deep dive into the work of Tricia Hersey . Not sponcon, I discovered her "Nap Ministry when she first brought it to Instagram probably 10+ years ago now. And, it healed my #girlboss soul. She writes for a Black Woman audience, but absolutely everyone under capitalism should be learning her philosophies. Why? Because creativity and rest go hand in hand. Creativity requires long periods of boredom for the innovation to happen, and more long periods of fucking around and finding out what you can do with that innovation. That takes a lot of down time from survival behaviors. And yet, here we all are, stuck in a social system that gives us no rest time, we need to spend all of our time on survival, and steal crumbs of time here and there, often at the expense of our sleep. No wonder we've been stuck in endless cycles of historical repetition over the past few decades. We're not allowed the time to dream of a future to be able to make a change. And that's exactly where corporate greed wants us, they want the power to dictate the future for us. Creativity is self care. Even if you're dancing in your bedroom with your blinds drawn, or scribbling in a sketchbook you never show anyone. You're putting yourself in the space for self-expression, and that builds up your creativity (and talent!) more and more. The more of us who do this, the closer we get to the Star Trek future. Let's get real about self-care again, and actually love on ourselves, not just follow consumer trends. Do you need to drink more water? Go on a daily walk to get your body moving and your mind right? Cut certain foods or drinks that just aren't worth what they do to your body anymore? Do you have to do some research and be your own medical advocate? Incorporate a bedtime routine to wind down and get better sleep? Set alarms to take your meds or supplements regularly? Set aside at least an hour a day to read or paint or work a puzzle? Take a class? Do a wardrobe refresh, or reset? Schedule regular social time with family and friends? Do it. You only get one body and one mind, and as someone who got the shit end of the stick for both from birth, it's so, so important to come at your physical interface from a place of love and care, not extreme discipline or extreme neglect.

My nurse told me from first bandage inspection that I had some pretty significant bruising at the incision site, which is to be expected. I still saw a bunch of red blotchy stains coming out from under the clear plastic parts of the surgical dressing, but it didn't look like blood exactly to me, more like the post-op drain fluid, but my dressing itself was dry.. It wasn't until they went past the dressing that I realized it's THAT kind of a bruise. All of my cats are mad they can't be on my lap. It's a freaking long incision, from where my hip meets my FUPA to about halfway to my knee, dang. Fresh protip: unless you have a commode next to your bed, don't let your bladder get too full. It takes three times as long to get to the toilet, and I almost peed myself. This makes dyspraxia dangerous, for sure. Other fresh protip - set your med alarms. I know I said I was going to do it yesterday, but the AuDHD took over and I didn't. That meant a VERY painful 3am potty run. Speaking of the toilet... get a riser. I was told I'd likely need one because I'm so tall. Sure enough, first pee home, I got stuck on the regular toilet seat.

I also have two thumbs. Not to brag or anything. Also officially in a decent amount of pain, but I'm home! Just one overnight in the hospital, and I'm home now to manage my own pain meds, hooray! Which means alarms I have to set, although thankfully the shortest dosage time is every six hours, most everything is morning and evening. And now, I move like a tortoise and rest a whole lot until March. And smoke this infused pre-roll. Ayyyy. Things my care team were impressed by: my being so young and not having had an accident to cause me to need aftermarket parts (thanks, hypermobility!), my hip flexor strength (thanks to my main PT's Ben and LeeAnn), my knowledge of safe movement and mobility aid use, my cup/phone holder on my walker (they're sold as stroller accessories, btw), and my skull tattoo (Fred the Dead Head got LOTS of compliments). I'm told Penelope was "absolutely beside herself" last night, and she spent my first hour home avoiding me because I smell wrong and have a scary thing to walk with. Now, she needs the Many Pets, and she missed a whole day and a half's worth.

Packing bags is my specialty, you guys. Anyone who travels with me will tell you I over pack, but also that I'm Boy Scout level prepared for everything up to and including the apocalypse. And that I'm ridiculously organized about it. Old pin. Though, it's extra ID for my bag (everything you bring in will get a sticker or tag linked to the MRN on your hospital bracelet, for ID purposes), it's not incorrect exactly, and I don't mind if I lose it because I could use some updated name & pronoun buttons. To start with, let's talk bags. I got this one a couple of years ago (in the pre-tariff days) from Shein for $10, and it's my favorite small bag. Most hospital packing lists specify to not use hard sided luggage, no matter the size, and to not bring large duffel bags. That strap on the top is supposed to hold a yoga/gym mat, but I like it for carrying around a warm layer like a blanket, robe, or coat in a very conveniently accessible place to get to when you get cold, and that doesn't take up any space in the bag itself. And, of course, I'm saving space using the classic neck pillow around the bag handle travel hack. Another design feature I like - four VERY generous pockets along the outer sides of the bag, to store smaller things you want to have conveniently accessible. Thank you so much, Tracy, for the eye mask, ear plugs, and fidget toy! Like my comfort/distraction items. In addition to the cervical pillow and blanket: A short story collection in physical media. This one happens to have a conversation-starting title, and a conveniently petite/slim size that fits in the pouch. A fidget toy. I'm a sensation seeker, and not always in the best way, so a "Little Ouchies" pain stim toy is the only fidget toy that's really worked for me. This one has multiple moving parts, with click and non-click options, that make it just the best for me, I love it so much. Ear plugs for sleepers (that's the round disc on the butterfly pouch), and a total blackout eye mask. Hospitals are busy places, with lots of alarms going off, and cranky fellow patients screaming expletives at their care team, and lights flashing, and tv's on, and sometimes you just need a sensory break. And for post-op, this will help with daytime sleep, especially in a full household... great for help during recovery, not so great for quiet conditions, ever. Noise cancelling headphones. This particular kind is both Bluetooth and has a jack attachment for corded connection to your media source. And last but certainly not least, I just knew it would be used the most so I wanted it to have the freshest charge, and that's where it was when the rest of the bag was packed... Thank you so much to my friend Deana for gifting me this Mp3 player! An Mp3 player! Blast from the past, huh? It's so much fun to use, the interface even looks and feels retro. Why? So my phone battery can be used for texting loved ones with updates, and checking MyChart. It may look retro, but these new Mp3 players have some very modern features, and this one is recommended for its battery life and storage capacity. It also has Mp3 music file player, FM radio, ebook reader, and alarm clock capacities, so it fills a few functions my phone battery won't need to be used for. Some of the new beds have electrical outlets for charging devices built into the patient interface, but your hospital has to have budgeted to replace their beds to get those, and you really don't know if you'll have one until you're there. Which leads us to: The Charging Pouch. Something I generally keep packed and ready to go in general, but it's been specifically charged recently for the occasion. A battery pack. This one can charge my phone from empty 6-8 times, and can generally get me through a weekend of sparse-ish use. Charging cords for every device I'm bringing. A wall plug USB converter. The corded earbuds that came with my Mp3 player, as backup. The cord jack for the aforementioned analog mode on my noise cancelling headphones. This pouch is in with the essentials: Namely my handicap parking tag (we won't be bringing the car with the disability plate), my lanyard wallet with my ID and insurance card, and (in the main part of the bag) my surgery guide, with my complete daily med list and schedule, and my complete allergy list stapled to the table of contents page for easy reference. This is one of those things they remind you repeatedly that you need to bring on surgery day. Hard to see from above, but a protip: Can you tell I've had this one for awhile? If you wear contacts, wear your eyeglasses in. And if you wear eyeglasses, bring a good case. They do have temp cases, but they're usually just like plastic baggies, so bring your own just in case. As for that pack of wipes in the fourth pocket, it's one of a few packs in an effort to keep me from getting stinky while I'm laid up... Thank you to my mom and my friend Tracy for fitting out my dopp kit! That 100 count antibacterial hand wipes is the pocket pack, and it'll live on my nightstand once I'm back home. You don't always feel great enough to stand there and wash your hands when your whole structure has just been surgically manipulated with. The Neutrogena wipes are for the greasy hospital skin... there's something about the dry air, the stuff they're pumping you full of, and the stress that makes your skin just disgusting. These micellar cloths remove everything. Meanwhile, the Summer's Eve cloths are specially formulated to be used on your genitals for cleansing and deodorizing, and can be used on your armpits and under boobs, too. And I got it to scent match the Summer's Eve all-over deodorant. Yes, I usually make my own, but I prefer to bring something commercially packaged to a hospital or airport setting. The Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap is for if they want me to shower in the hospital. I know full well the shower soap they keep on hand makes me itchy af. And this works as a scalp cleanser that isn't too harsh for my delicate hair, as well. And HOCL is the all-purpose GOAT. I use it on my face for my roseacea, my mobility aid handles as a disinfectant, my underarms as a pre-deodorant antibacterial prep, to disinfect wounds... it's the Swiss Army Knife of disinfectants. And as for my hair (and skincare): Tracy came in clutch with all of this, thank you! Ignore the whole "for kids" thing, that liquid leave-in has lots of water in the recipe, the fatty alcohols for slip that my hair adores, lots of nourishing oils that did not come from nuts or soy, and liquid beeswax to seal it all in, in one product. Perfect for temporary minimal haircare. Especially paired with a Tangle Teezer brush, for gentle detangling. This is the mini version. And as for skincare, an all-purpose, whole body (face included) gentle moisturizer is your best friend in that dry air, once you get the hospital film off. Now, I got a new dopp kit on Black Friday 50% off, and it's the best travel hygiene kit I've ever used. Note, particularly, the Poy-Sian brand camphor & eucalyptus inhaler stick. If you're in a facility with shared rooms, and if your roommate has incontinence issues... you'll thank me for having it in your kit. Everything in the preceding two pictures fits in the above kit with all those things in the pockets. Not to mention... My mom and Tracy are responsible for the dental care products, I believe about 50/50 exactly. Thank you, both!! How perfect is this side pocket? And how perfect are these individually portioned packets of toothpaste and mouthwash? The toothpaste was made specifically with unhoused and outdoor recreation situations in mind, the packaging is 100% biodegradable and made from wood pulp, it'll disintegrate quickly if it's tossed on the side of the road as litter. Unfortunately, the Listerine Cool Mint packets aren't quite so eco-friendly, but they are just as convenient, and the single-serving nature of both keeps the germs going into your mouth in a germy environment at a minimum. As for the brush and sanitary cap, both can get sprayed with HOCL before and after each use to keep them disinfected. The dopp kit has another mesh pocket on the other side, that if I weren't packing for major surgery and were packing for a girl's weekend, I'd toss a couple of tubes of mascara and lip gloss into. Okay, moving on! Thanks for the expensive, bougie AF snacks, mom! I told you I pack for the apocalypse. That means over packing the snacks. My grandma was just inpatient at this particular facility, and she says they have good coffee. We'll see. I'm prepared with the gourmet Korean instant stuff, just in case. And with a creamer I can use, I doubt they keep that on hand, no matter the coffee quality. As well as my usual brand of electrolytes, which will hopefully fast-track me to discharge. Bullion cubes are allowed while you're still on a liquid diet post-op, but all of them have soy, and most have dairy products. Dehydrated bone broth in a stick it is! Dried fruit has been a comfort treat since childhood, plus it's lots of fiber to combat the opioid constipation. And these allergen-free granola bars are a good hold you over while waiting if dietary is backed up getting a meal out. Thank you for the robe, Tracy! It's way too well packed in there to justify taking it out and repacking it for my own picture, but behold the most ingenious robe ever designed for being a surgery patient. They didn't pay me to say that. It's a very soft, light 100% cotton material with a deep dye, and slightly weighted collar so even if it's untied, it'll hang properly. This'll definitely be my spring/summer daily wear after recovery is finished. The ties are sewn to the back of the robe. This does mean you have to tie them up when you go to the toilet, or they'll definitely get peed on. But you'll also never lose the tie. The sleeves come just to the top of the elbow (on my arms, at least), for easy IV access. There are two drain pockets on each side of the robe. And they're fully attached at the top, but only attached to the robe by the corners at the bottom, so you don't look like you're smuggling grenades or something. There's also a very spacious pouch-style outer pocket sewn into the side seam on both sides. It's the hospital recommended knee-length, for the most modesty with the most uninhibited movement. Tucked in next to the robe are the trifecta of intimates: Thanks for the new socks and panties, mom! And the No-hands Slip-on Barefoot shoes! Not seen here, as I explain below. A silk sleep bonnet. I may see if they'll let me wear it under the surgical bonnet. If not, it goes on the minute the surgical bonnet comes off. New, non-cheugy crew socks. My rule with packing socks is to pack double what you think you'll need. I'm wearing a pair in, they'll give me grippy socks, so... one pair. Same rule for underpants - I'm wearing a pair in, and they'll likely put me in disposables right after surgery, so... one pair. Of hi-cuts, to avoid the anterior incision. In black, in case there's any incision leakage. I recommend not wearing any light colors into the hospital, unless you're looking for a blood and other gore stained look. I won't bother with a picture, but there's also a pouch of menstrual pads and disposable absorbent panties in the bag. And that's it! That's what I'm bringing tomorrow, along with my walker. I left my scale at my friend's place a few months ago and haven't retrieved it yet, but I'd guess the bag weight at about 10lbs. Definitely the top end of my current capacity, but I can lift it and carry it short distances. My dad will be doing all the heavy lifting tomorrow, anyway. You're probably wondering where the clothes and shoes are? You wear them in. I'm still kind of undecided as to what will be easiest to get on and off both pre and post-op, pants-wise. Once you get there, you put on a surgical gown (it has it's own temperature control system, it's wild), and they have you in a standard hospital gown before you even come out of anesthesia, and you're in that gown (and your robe and blankie) for the rest of your stay. You'll then put the clothes you wore in back on at discharge. And I can say I'm ready as I'll ever be! Well, after I take the pre-bedtime shower, and drink the drinks.