Inqueery

From the shell

The song of the sea

Neither quiet nor calm

Searching for love again

These are things you’re going to want to build for yourself if you’re chronically ill. When you go out, you need to be prepared in case something goes wrong, to at least help yourself until professional help arrives or you can get to a safe space. 

If you are a regular hospital visitor, you need to make an emergency overnight bag. You either grab it as the ambulance is arriving or you tell a loved one “I need X bag in X location” so that nobody has to scramble around for things and wasting time.

My Travel Bag (Purchased here)

If I leave the house, this bag does not leave my side. 

It is big enough to contain (aside from my keys, wallet, and phone)

First Aid kit (grey cosmetics bag) 

Water

Umbrella

Deodorant

Wheelchair gloves

eReader

Emergency phone charger

That charger lives with you. It does not leave your bag. If you need help and your phone is dead, you’re probably not gonna be able to easily get to a working phone or remember numbers, or potentially know your location if you need to call an ambulance. Make sure your phone is charged. 

My First Aid Kit (Purchased here)

(Top) Medication, gels (heat/ice/anti-inflammatory)

(Middle) Tissues, bandaids (a wheelchair shreds your hands when you’re learning), and disinfectant

(Bottom) Vomit bag, wet wipes, mints (for nausea), more bandaids, inhaler, disposable heat pack, disposable ice pack, stim cube, migrastick (for headaches), ear plugs, jellybabies

The Hospital Bag

Ordinary gym bag. 

Contains:

Change of clothes

Pyjamas

Sock

Bras

Underwear

Old running shoes

Thongs (flip flops you Americans)

Toiletries - tiny shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, toothbrush/toothpaste

Art book and pencils (hospitals are boring af) 

Pack old clothes. Hospitals can be gross. I’ve bled all over mine, sweated etc. Not a fashion show. Old clothes you don’t mind getting ruined. 

Things need to be loose. My jeans are jeggings (stretchy waist) because if I can’t wear normal pants from pain. You need things that allow doctors access (shirts easily moved for needles or what have you.) 

Pack shoes for the shower (if you can shower.) Floors can be unsanitary and the last thing you want is a fungal infection.

Toiletries - tiny shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, toothbrush/toothpaste, baby wipes and hair treatment (if you can’t shower), moisturiser (cold hospital air dries out your skin), and lipbalm

Apps

ICE (In Case of Emergency) Card - lists your name, weight, height, emergency contacts, diseases, allergies, medication, and personal notes for paramedics. Can send out alarm calls or messages and is available on your home screen (if you want to set it up that way)

Medisafe - track your medication and set reminders. You can set it up to automatically text someone if you skip a dose. 

FibroMapp - tracks chronic pain and sleep, and helps you illustrate pain levels, times, triggers, and relief

Emergency+ (Australian) - gives your exact location and surrounding streets to give to paramedics. You can call from this app. 

First Aid (Australian) - gives you step by step instructions to help yourself or someone else