What to pack - day trip to NYC

We live within a day trip to New York which is helpful for quick follow up appointments.  I think I have mentioned it before but the train station is about an hour away (without traffic) and the train takes about three and a half hours to get to Midtown.  The train is ok (which I will write all about later), but it seems to be to the best option for us to travel back and forth to the city.  Driving would be incredibly stressful and flying would take just as long if not longer and be more expensive with taxis.   

Depending on my mobility I will travel with a cane or a walker.  If I have the cane I'll use a backpack, and if I have the walker I have a bag that straps onto the front of it.  I wear the same outfit with a few layers, more or less depending on the season.  New Balances, black performance tech pants, black shirt, and no jewelry.  It is comfortable enough to travel in, put together, and minimizes having to undress for x-rays.  Below is what I take along in my bag.

• Accessibility / Mobility
• Cane and / or walker and / or wheelchair
• Often if I have the walker I will still take the cane as I can use the cane as leverage to get into seats or to balance when getting down from a seat.
• Folding step stool
• For getting in and out of taxis, on and off of examination tables, and simply if I need to give my legs / back a quick break
• Travel pillow
• Personal Hygiene / Care
• Change of clothes
• Comb
• Deodorant
• Lip gloss
• Hand held motorized fan in the warmer seasons
• The train and the city can be stuffy during the summer and I am a woman of a certain age.  However, HSS is always cool, even cold depending on where you are in the hospital.
• Adult disposable undergarments
• Keeping it real....  When I was discharged from the hospital there was no way I would have been able to transition to the toilet on the train, the restrooms at Moynihan are inconsistent, and then we have to drive home from New Carrollton.  So I wore a disposable undergarment, it was fine, it worked, no one else knew but B.
• Tech
• Phone charger
• Airpods and airpod case

What to pack - hospital bag

In the hospital I have found I don't need that much, recovery is exhausting and while I thought I would have so much time on my hands while I am there, my capabilities were quite limited.  Space is limited as well, every time a doctor or nurse comes in it is like a game of Tetris readjusting equipment, carts, trays and chairs.

My purse and clothes I wore there B took back to the hotel and brought them when I checked out.  In a cosmetic bag I packed the following:

• Personal Hygiene / Care
• Comb
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Cloth headband
• Noxema face wipes in a snack size plastic bag
• Body wipes in a snack size plastic bag
• Chapstick
• Tech
• 10 foot long phone charger
• Airpods and airpod case
• Entertainment
• Book
• Surgery Une I brought a book but did not have the attention span to read it
• Audible subscription
• Surgery Deux I opted for Audible and it was still hard to focus, but helpful to turn on during long nights
• I listened to Atmosphere which was okay and strange to listen to in and out of sleep
• Paper and colored pencils
• I came across a 100 days of art project / challenge before surgery and I started it on M's birthday to span before, during and after surgery.  With a limited attention span it was nice to doodle when I could.
• NYT Games subscription

Stuck in a Moment

During the work / school week I make breakfast, and for the first time since surgery, today I made breakfast.  It was hard.  Before I could zip around the kitchen and dodge M and the kitties, today everything took longer and I needed little breaks.  I had a little cry and B gave me a little pep talk.  But it was a little point of progress that I tried and I will try again.  

And there have been other little points:

• Transitioning from laying down to sitting to standing has become easier
• Stairs
• Showering
• Focus - able to read books, make plans, create routines, work a little bit on projects, blog
• Stomach - upset stomach seems to be going away and appetite is returning

Surgery was three weeks ago and it seems like so long ago, but the memories of the first week in the hospital and recovering are still so fresh.  I was in the hospital Thursday - Monday and the care at HSS is outstanding but I was so ready to leave on Monday.  The first night I was in a room to myself, but Friday - Monday I had a roommate and she was challenging.  Even with the best care being in a hospital is uncomfortable, and the addition of a challenging roommate made it even more so.  I had little rest or peace.  When we got home our AC wasn't working and my pain medication was pended.  I wasn't able to get my pain medication until Wednesday and our AC wasn't fixed until Thursday.  I wanted to scream WTF every chance I got.  So for your knowledge, my pain medication was pended because it was prescribed from NY to be filled in VA.  It took several phone calls, but once I got the right person all I had to do was explain the circumstances of my surgery and they approved the medication.  I am now off that pain medication, but those few days without it, especially after travelling home were hard with pain that brought me to tears at times.  I'm proud that I got through it and it's another point of progress.

Well, my focus is waning so I'll stop here, but I will try again.