What to take to Germany for my Surgery?

[Harrison]

The following information was authored by Alastair to help you if you are traveling to Germany for surgery.
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What to take to Germany for your ADR

If you are flying from the USA it is a long flight, over 12 hours. Go a day early to get over the flight so you are fresh for your Premed examination and surgery

Unlocked Quad band Cell Phone. We purchased a 20 Euro SEMI (ALDI)to put into the phone. Family and friends could call us. All incoming calls to our "German Cell Phone" was no additional cost to us.
Small translation book
Light weight Fleece Blanket
Credit Card with only the 1% Visa or MC exchange fee (Some cards charge an additional 3-4%)
6-8 containers for Ready to Eat Jello
6 containers for Single serve applesauce
A few plastic clothes hangers

Make sure you have Air Con in your hotel if its Summer.

Take your mobile phone, phone calls from Germany and from your hotel are expensive.

Make sure you have "Slip on" shoes as you will not be able to tie your shoe laces after surgery.

If female take(self supporting) stockings not tights, unless you have someone to drag them on you.

Keep as mobile as possible, if you're at the alphaklinik, you will walk back to your room from surgery. The next day you will walk up and down the corridors of the hospital, if it is a minor procedure, you will also walk to the gymnasium.

Drink plenty of water, more than usual.

Do as you are told by the surgeon - - -you might like a break, but you are going for ADR; a holiday is an option but put your recovery first.

Respect your new found painless state.

Take extra cash with you for medical luxuries.

Wear anti DVT stockings for the flight.

Move around a lot on the aircraft both going and coming home.

See if the hospital will give you anti DVT injections before you come home. The AK do automatically.

Germany doesn`t have marmalade, you have to take your own supply.

I hope you like smoked food - -- they eat a lot of it there.

Take your usual medication with you PLUS an additional prescription in another pocket in case your medication gets lost. Plus a note from your doctor to say these drugs are prescribed for you.

Take your usual painkillers no matter if they be aspirin or neurophen, drugs are not expensive but sometimes hard to obtain.

If you are having "Wheelchair assistance" check with your airline as to the procedure.

Best of all take your "Sense of humour" with you, unusual things do happen, laugh at them its a great medicine.

I heard that their outlets are different than ours, in case you wanted to take a hair dryer, etc.

Maybe bring some good funny or positive inspirational books to help keep your thoughts in the right place.

You might want to take a portable cd player to play your favorite music on.

Think of your happy memories often, and remember, we are here for you!

You can buy electrical adapters at the airport. I wish I would have had something like that when we went to Germany. Couldn't charge up the laptop or heat up a curling iron & etc. You will find that very useful.

Make sure you have all of your medications with you. Also make sure you bring the pill bottles too. If security does a random search of your stuff, you want to prove that the narcotics you are on have been prescribed to you.

If you are going to stay in Germany awhile, you may want to consider going to the bakeries there and bring food back to your room. Good food and very cost effective compared to going out to eat every night.
small items to keep myself amused while recovering - books, crossword puzzles, CDs, needle-point project, small stuff mostly - books on tape are also good - you don't have to turn pages or even have a light
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Exchanging Money

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Please click on the link:

http://www.hotel-theresientor.de/english/

There are two hotels in Straubing that have air conditioning, mind you it is not standard American (very cold ) air conditioning, but the present patients are quiet comfortable in these two hotels that I list in my info pack.

They are The ASAM and The Resientor. (Although not all rooms have air conditioning, so you must ask). Although the hospitals are not air conditioned, the nurses work to keep the areas as cool as possible, (low level or no lighting when not needed) I have purchased fans that have made it very comfortable and the windows open wide for air exchange. It is certainly a different system than in the states and being able to open a window in a hospital room is a delight.

Restaurants are not usually air conditioned, but most have very comfortable open air eating under umbrellas on clean cobblestone streets, which is the ultimate European experience.

Best,
Alastair