If you have a chronic illness, chances are you’ve medical bits & bobs you need to carry around with you. I thought it might be helpful for me to share with you what I keep in my medical bag, incase you want to put one of your own together or want ideas of things that are worth including. Your medical bag should be tailored to your personal needs, so some of the things I have in mine won’t be relevant to you, but you’ll need other things instead.
At the moment, I’m using this Leafy & Lovely Cosmetic Bag* from Superdrug. This is super cute & just £1.99. I really like that I can make my medical bag less clinical by using something with a pretty design on it. In addition, it also makes it easier to find in my handbag, because the colour & pattern shows up against the handbag lining. The bigger items that I need to carry with me, like my Epipen for anaphylactic (severe allergy) reactions, as well as my wrist & knee braces are thrown loose into my bag.
Oval-8 Finger Splints
I have one of these for each joint I my fingers. They stop hyperextension of the joints which I experience with my EDS. Because I don’t need to wear the all the time, I carry them round with me so I can use them as & when needed.
Plasters
With my EDS, my skin breaks more easily & I don’t clot as quickly as normal. It’s important for me to keep plasters with me so that I can minimise blood loss should I cut myself. I’m also sensitive to plasters so it’s good to have some with me that I know I won’t react to.
Koban Tape
Koran tape is useful for taping joints up to stop hyperextension. It sticks to itself & is reusable. I usually use this round my thumbs. I’m going to be speaking to my physio about getting some Kinesiology tape, which is like a strong plaster that supports movement & prevents hyperextension. A previous physio used this once on my shoulder to help me get through playing a concert, but she didn’t discus it’s long term use as a management tool with me & I think I would benefit from it. If the physio agrees, my Kinesiology tape will live in my medical bag here too.
Scissors
You never know when a pair of scissors will come in handy! In addition to all the general day-to-day life uses while out & about, I also use my scissors to cut my Koban tape. So it would be silly of me to take the tape & no scissors!
Safety Pins
You never know when your skirt is going to break!
Hair Bands & Bobbi Pins
I find that the heat contributes to my PoTS. Having my hair tied back helps to keep me cool, so I always keep some hairbands & bobbi pins with me.
Makeup Setting Spray
As well as being great for my makeup, a makeup setting spray is also great to help manage my PoTS. It helps to cool me down when I’m hot & if I’m having an excessive sweating moment, it helps me feel fresher. I got this as a sample & have been refilling the bottle with my Urban Decay Chill Me Setting Spray, as it’s such a convenient size!
Paracetamol
The only pain killer I’m able to take at the moment as Dan & I are trying for a baby. I keep these just for when my pain is unbearable, so you’d better believe that they are never far from my reach, just in case!
This Works Turbo Balm
I mostly use this on my cuticles. I’ll usually have a separate lip balm in my bag, but if I don’t this is good to use for that purpose too. It’s great on grazes to speed up the healing process. I don’t think this is made any more unfortunately.
A Mirror
You never know when you’ll need a mirror, so I like to have a little one to hand. Something else I like to have to hand is a pair of tweezers. I used to have some in here, but they seem to have disappeared, so I’ll have to find some to put in my bag.
A Nail File
I’m really funny about broken nails. They annoy me like crazy! These little nail files came with some press on nails & they’re so convenient to pop in my bag!
Moisturiser
Because of my eczema, I like to have some form of moisturiser to hand should I need it. I don’t often reach for this, but I like to know it’s there just in case.
A Hair Product
My hair has a tendency to do it’s own thing, so I like to keep something to sort it out in my medial bag so I can sort it out on the go if I need to (I know hair creme isn’t medical, but it seems a sensible place to keep it). I currently have a sample of the Bumble & Bumble Texture Hair (Un) Dressing Creme.
Do you have a medical bag? What do you keep in yours?
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I think most people can benefit from carrying a little bag of essentials :) I have a lot of the same things as yours, rubber bands, advil, band aids, lip balm, etc. I never thought of carrying around a makeup setting spray! I have a ton of small samples so I will definitely throw one in my bag now. Thanks for the idea :)
Mili | Sharmtoaster
Absolutely! You never know when you’ll need a safety pin or spare hair band! I get so much use out of my setting spray on the go I hope it’s a useful tip for you. Xx
I read lots of post talking about their bags, make up bags, travel bags, beauty bags… but I have never read one like this and I love it!
Thank you so much Raquel, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Xx
Such a good post! I think we spoonies should carry this on and make it as normal as a whats in my bag post that goes around!
You’re a genius Charlotte! First person I tag is you. Xx
When my condition first worsened I wasn’t used to having to carry painkillers around (I tried not to take them, before) so I was forever running out! Eventually I got myself a little bag like this to store them in. I like it too cause it’s a bit more discreet. Yours has all sorts of bits in; puts mine to shame!
Caitlin – Chronically Caitlin
I found I was forgetting to take important things out, so it made sense to set up a bag with everything in. Now I’m more likely to run out of something than forget it, so I try & replace it as soon as I get home so that I’m ready for the next day. Xx
Great post :) I’ve been meaning to get myself a pretty zip pouch to set up my own medical bag and you’ve given me some great ideas. I need to remember to get myself some medical scissors because I like to buy plasters that are on a roll so I can cut them to the size I need and it would be easier to be able to do this when I’m out and about vs cutting a few different sizes to pop into my bag before I set off out.
http://www.raiin-monkey.blogspot.com
Yay! I’m so glad I’ve been able to give you some ideas for your own bag. Scissors are so useful. The number of times mine get used by other people as well as me! I think mine are just nail scissors with a straight edge rather than a curved one. Xx
Having a medical bag is a good advice. I know there are times I need to use my cane. But didn’t bring one with me. Or having a compression sleeve for my calfs and hands would work wonders. I will have to work in making a medical bag to take with me when I leave.
I’ve found it invaluable. I’d never remember everything or be able to find it when I need it, if it weren’t all in one place. It takes some time to get the right combination of the things you need, but it’s definitely worth doing. Xx
I love my makeup setting spray (even though mine is ELF, the cheap-o brand), and I definitely agree with you about its usage!
I haven’t tried the ELF makeup setting spray, I’ll have to look into that. They’re amazing, totally revolutionised my makeup. Xx
This is such a good idea! I always just chuck plasters and tablets in my bag, which probably isn’t the wisest thing to do, because when I need them, I spend ages searching!
Meg | Elmpetra
Thanks! I started throwing things into my bag loose, but could then never find them. This seems to work much better for me. Xx
Do you have issues with your cuticles? My partner has EDS and her cuticles are always breaking and bleeding.
I have dry cuticles that are often ragged & torn. I assume it’s a result of the skin involvement with my EDS, but I can’t be sure. Xx