Hi, Grace.
Welcome to the forum!
Inpatient EEG. Not fun - boring. You will be confined to be sitting on your tush for a very long time. Some places let you out of bed to use the restroom, some don't. Hello bedpans, hello padded rails. It's a safety issue. If they withdraw you from your meds they don't want you to seize halfway to the bathroom door and hurt yourself.
Anyway, wearing shirts that button up the front is very useful. It means you'll get a clean shirt on every day. This is a good time to mention you will not get a shower until after the electrodes are taken off.
First they'll wire you up. Mine kinda hurt. They scrubbed my scalp with this sandy stuff and I had a headache. Ouch. It wasn't too bad, though.
A bed basket or bed bag with your essential stuff really helps. There isn't enough room for it on the bedside table or the rolling dinner tray table. Everybody is different in what they need for their stay - like books - I don't bring them, only e-readers because I need big print books.
Every hospitals neuro unit has different ameneties. My local hospital doesn't have a frig and the rooms were small, but they did have a couple of movies on demand and online game play, plus pretty speedy wi-fi. You have to call the unit you will stay in directly to find out what your they have - refrigerator for juice and snacks? Exercise bicycle? Free Wi-Fi? Movies?
Anyway, here's a list of things I was grateful to have:
- The telephone numbers for pizza and Chinese food delivery
- Cell phone
- My own pillow (put a colored pillowcase on so the hosp. doesn't mistake it for theirs)
- A favorite fuzzy warm blanket. Hospitals can be really cold.
- My own slippers (I refuse to put my feet on the dirty germy floor and then get back into bed)
- Computer and/or tablet
- Downloaded ebooks (or bring paper ones)
- A chocolate surprise, or several chocolate surprises
- Snacks
- A small paper tablet & pen
- Baby wipes
- Power strip with multiple outlets and power cords for phone, computer, tablet, etc. They would only let me charge my devices out in the bathroom (so it wouldn't interfere with the equipment). There was only one outlet in the bathroom, so a family member brought me a power strip to plug them all in at once to charge during the night.
- A scarf to throw over my head when visitors arrive, especially kids. Seriously, the wires scared one of my kid visitors. Adults are chickens but they should be okay with it.
I WISHED I had isometric bands to keep my muscles strong. Just one week in bed and I was incredibly weak. It also drove me crazy not to move around. Bands would have helped.
When it's time to go home some technicians are really great. They use the acetone stuff and get all the glue out for you. Some technicians aren't so great. If they leave the glue in, you'll have to get it out yourself.
To get the glue out, use about a cup or more of oil. Baby oil, olive oil, crankshaft oil, whatever. I used plain old cooking oil. Bring it with you to the hospital because they won't have it there for you. Don't get your hair wet. Put the oil in your hair and work it through, then take a little more oil and work it into the lumps - work the lumps between your fingers until they break up. When you think you have it licked, then wash your hair. This whole step took me about half an hour.
Wait. There's more. If you dry your hair now it will look like you have the worst case of dandruff ever. That's the glue you didn't get out, which flakes up when it gets wet. If you add more oil after washing, work it in, run a brush or wide comb through your hair, then wash again, you should be good.
Encourage visitors to come see you. It really helps.
Think of it like a meditation retreat. A chance to rest, reflect, and sleep all you want. Unless they keep you busy with brain teasers, tests, and such. Good luck - it'll be okay.
