What should we take with us if we have to go to Emergency Room?

Having unexpectedly found myself at the Mayo Clinic Rochester ER recently for two different issues – one of which unexpectedly led to an admission – I can support a lot of these recommendations and add a bit more...
*IF you have a portable power bank and cord to charge it (sample picture below) – TAKE IT WITH YOU. Even if your charger runs out of juice you can recharge it at the ER if they have the proper outlets for your cord (more on this below).
*Nutritious snacks that don't need heating or cooling.
*A sweater, jacket, hat, whatever, in case the ER gets too cold for you. (Heated towels, if available, will not stay heated forever and may not be available when you could really use one or two.)
*And – whether one is there alone or with a relative or companion or not – your whole CPAP setup (if you use one) in the event you find yourself being admitted to the hospital.
BASIS⤵️
I found myself at MAYO Rochester ER recently at 6am, in high distress, not knowing what exactly what was wrong, and by myself. I had no idea how long I'd be there and it hadn't crossed my mind that I'd be admitted. Welp, I was there for a long time and, to my shock, was admitted. I'd gotten pretty cold whilst in the waiting room, my cell phone ran out of juice while my portable charger and cord were back at my hotel room. Sheesh.
I was really grateful the staff was able to keep my phone charged for me given the seriousness of my situation and that I was all by myself. And, as night approached in my hospital room, I realized I didn't have my CPAP. Thankfully, the staff were able to put one together for me. I was so grateful. And those on my ward who were attending to me were able to keep my phone charged as well so I could communicate with my husband who was out of state.
So, that's my (very recently lived) experience on the value of these three offerings about what things would be helpful to take to the emergency room if you can.
SIDEBAR – the staff was wonderful – very professional and capable, nice and kind...all while attending to the business at hand. Even the young volunteer gal who came to my hospital room offering to polish my nails was sweet and kind 🤗. What a lovely, thoughtful, spirit lifting offer to a gal who'd had a super tough day!

All of the above if you need records, a cozy sweater for sure, Altoids mints, and I toss an Aquaphor healing balm stick in my ER tote - works for dry lips, skin, etc.

Arrange for someone who has your medical history and access to your medical records to respond to your phone call to come to the hospital, emergency room, clinic at any hour to be a clear thinking level-headed advocate for you in that moment. Don’t blindly trust that strangers will always know what you need, think or feel at the time of high stress and confusion. FWIW

For years I've made my own medical summary, I put in a computer document and print ONLY ONE PAGE front/back.....you can adjust font size, bold/underline important items, and carry extra copies.....doctors and nurses always want a copy (they love it and you won't forget something important when under stress, medical personnel always ask same questions, and you'll always forget an item)
Patient name (nickname), address, phone, date of birth, single/married/spouse's name,
Emergency contact- name, phone, relationship,
Medical insurance plan #, member # (self or policy holder's name), employer/occupation/address/phone
Current medications/over counter/supplements,
Allergies- medications/foods/substances,
Vaccinations (which and when),
List with dates of medical issues - current, last 5, brief one or two words, dates List of hospital admissions, diagnoses,
List of chronic conditions with inception dates
List of surgeries, dates, implants
Brief Family history
Parents, Siblings, grandparents (alive, current age or DOD cause of death, important medical conditions)
Finished (date)/Pending Procedures that need to be done ......dexascan, vaccinations, mammogram, colonoscopy, etc

@westwoman3698 Even if you are going for a minor procedure, bring someone to answer for you when you get stressed and don’t answer fully. The nurses and the anesthesiologist will be asking questions so they can prepare you.