For those of you who don’t know me, you might find reading my first takeover helpful! Now it’s time for my second takeover….

What is in my A&E bag?!  

 Here are the things I take with me to A&E in my bag!

  1. Pillow: I always make sure to bring a fluffy pillow with me when I go to A&E. This may sound random but you are likely to be there for some time…so settle in! I have a pillow I can squish into my bag so I can travel light but still be comfy while sitting in boring NHS waiting rooms for hours on end!
  2. Charger: Sitting in A&E for a long time means you will probably end up using your phone a lot more than you think! I use my phone to play games or chat with friends while I wait which helps make the time fly a little bit faster. Because of this I always bring a charger with me to make sure my phone won’t die and I won’t be bored!
  3. Earphones: I ALWAYS listen to music. I find listening to music both enjoyable and calming. A&E can also be noisy, especially in a children’s hospital where there are often lots of children and babies playing and crying. To be respectful to everyone around me I bring earphones (remember to bring a charger for your earphones if they are wireless). Listening to music helps me feel a lot more relaxed and makes long stints in A&E more comfortable.
  4. Change of comfy clothes: I always take a change of clothing with me in my A&E bag. I do this because I can never quite know if I am going to be admitted or not, to be on the safe side I will want to have a spare set of clothes with me for the next day. I usually bring leggings and a t-shirt because it is easy to pack and is very comfy to wear. The other reason I bring a spare set of clothes is because I may get dirty – hospitals can be messy places! If I accidentally get some blood or something on my clothes I don’t want to sit in that all day.
  5. List of essential details:  When I go to A&E, the doctors that know my case inside out will not be there! In fact, because Great Ormond Street Hospital does not have an A&E I always go to different hospitals for emergencies where I will have to chat with a triage nurse and on-call doctors. Because my medical history is unusual, they usually do not want to treat me before talking to one of my regular doctors. To speed the process up I have a list of my doctors with their departments and extension numbers. I also have a summary of my health issues on hand to minimise risk. My doctors actually provided me with a short summary of my history to help the on-call doctors.
  6. Pen and paper: You never know when you need pen and paper. Sometimes playing noughts and crosses or the box game on paper can be a break from all the screens for my eyes.
  7. Bring a soft toy: Sometimes when you’re away from your home comforts a soft toy can make you feel a little brighter. My Camp Simcha Simi the monkey is my go-to soft toy! He makes me feel more comfortable and reminds me of all the happy memories that Camp Simcha has given me.