Based on my experience of being in the main part of the hospital as well as the ICU, I recommend that if you are going to be there a few days, ask someone to bring you the following:

Phone and phone charger: this is a must. You need to be able to keep in touch with people, and your phone is the best way to do that. Plus it can be a source of other information and entertainment.

(If you are conscious and not in too much pain, you will find the hospital very boring. Also the one time I did not have my phone I was left in a hallway and unable to move for over an hour until a porter came and got me. It sucked big time. You want to avoid that.)

Earplugs / noise reduction headphones / headphones: it is hard to get rest in the hospital. Even in the middle of the night it is a busy place, and staff are always about and not quiet. Earplugs and noise reducing headphones can help you defeat that noise.

Also, headphones (noise reducing or no) mean you can listen to your phone for entertainment and news.

Sleep mask: it can be hard to sleep in the hospital. Especially in the ICU, nurses are waking you all the time for checks and tests, which means you need to grab some sleep any time you can. Sometimes the best time to sleep is between breakfast and lunch. A mask can help you sleep any time of day.

Toothbrush, hairbrush and grooming supplies: unless you don’t care how you look, being able to take care of yourself can make you feel a bit better. I was able to have a shower after 5 days in the ICU and being able to clean up and brush my hair and look better made me feel better about my current state.

Blanket and pillows: if you can, have someone bring you a comforting pillow and blanket…maybe a nice sweater. Such things can make you feel good and even help you sleep and get more rest. You’ll need that, and you aren’t going to get too much comfort from the bedclothes the hospital provides. (Also if you are cold, you can ask the nurses for more blankets.)

Water bottle: it can be dry in the hospital. Having a source of water you can drink any time helps with that (assuming you can drink water). It can also help with coughing and if you have meds to swallow, having water can help with that.

Snacks: Often you may not want to eat the hospital food. Having acceptable snacks to eat mean you won’t have to deal with being hungry on top of everything else.

Other tips:

• Go vegetarian: while I am not a vegetarian, I found going with a vegetarian diet helped. The food tended to be more flavourful and less disgusting than the meat dishes I was initially eating.
• Move around: if you can, move around. Even getting out of the bed and walking around the room was a big lift for me. Have someone accompany you as you got down the hallway. I got to go to the shopping area in Sunnybrook after being in the ICU and ward for seven days, and it was delightful. Don’t let the bed trap you.
• Always ask for more: don’t settle for what is provided. Ask if you can move around. Ask if people can bring you food. Ask the nurses for more food if you are hungry. Ask if you can go to the bathroom by yourself. Ask to see the doctor. Ask when you can go home. Don’t accept the status quo. Everyone in the hospital is busy or preoccupied. If you don’t ask, you may be unnecessarily making things worse for yourself.
• Ask different nurses for advice: Once I was lucky to get a nurse who offered me different treatment than the other nurses and that improved my condition and my stay immensely. Don’t forget: every nurse is different. Some have a better bed side manner, others are technically better…occasionally you may get one who should take up a different profession. Regardless, don’t assume they are all the same.
• Know your medication schedule and track it: a few times in the hospital I didn’t get the medication I needed when I needed it and I was too unsure to ask, and that led to needless suffering. Know when you should get your meds, especially those for pain relief, and ring the nurses if they are late. (They may be late because they are busy but they just may have lost track of time.)
• If the medication doesn’t seem to be working, say so: don’t assume you don’t have options. If the medication isn’t helping you, ask if there alternatives and ask for the pros and cons of them.
• Be appreciative of those who are helping you: it is difficult for them too, even if you are the one who is ill. Do what you can to make it easier for them and make sure they know how thankful you are for what they are doing for you, whatever it is. This also goes for the staff. Healthcare can be a hard job: you can make it easier for the people working in the hospital by being kind.