- What are your travel plans for after surgery? I had a plan A to fly back home and return for post-op and a plan B to stay with family who live a couple hours away. My hospital stay ended up longer than I expected partly due to an abscess. I then realized that my bum hurt too much to sit on a plane or in a car. So I had to make a last-minute plan C to stay near the hospital for a couple weeks. Think through several travel options just in case. If you are flying, request a medical pre-board to get in the front row. That way you can stand or kneel if you can’t sit for long
- I was fortunate to have my mom stay at the hospital with me. If you have someone, consider what they will need to be comfortable too. I called the hospital to see what amenities they had and fortunately there was a family lounge with full kitchen. Otherwise we would have packed a teapot and other things for her comfort. I wish I had thought of noise canceling ear plugs for her so she didn’t get disturbed by nurses all night
- If you aren’t a water drinker, start getting into the habit now. It’s really hard to do if you aren’t used to it. I still haven’t figured it out.
- Research the food restrictions you’ll have after surgery (and maybe forever). If any of your favorites are on the list, indulge now while you can.
- Loose clothing was mentioned - that includes underwear. I bought some cheap ones a couple sizes bigger so I could cut them when needed.
- Recovering from this surgery was the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do - physically, emotionally, in every way. Line up friends and family now who you can call for support and distraction. I didn’t feel like talking to anyone in the beginning but I think the isolation made things harder.
- Movies, music, games...anything to keep your mind occupied. Hospital tv gets old very quickly and staring out of a window all day doesn’t help.
- I always take a heating pad to the hospital for several reasons: hospitals are always cold and heat helps relieve pain but those little disposable packs are useless. My veins are non-existent from years of medical treatments making starting an IV or drawing blood nearly impossible. Heating my arms helps. For this surgery I had a heated throw and a heating pad. Since the room was often cold, my mother used whichever one I didn’t need at the time.
- Spray powder/deodorant. You won’t be able to get up and bathe as much as you would like after laying in bed getting sweaty. Take tons of baby wipes.
- This is probably just me but I always take a bag of candy or treats with me to the hospital. I put them in a bowl in my room by the door with a thank you card/sign for all the nurses, doctors, and other medical staff who help me. They really appreciate it and I secretly think that it gets me more attention. No one forgets or gets too busy to check on me when there are treats. Plus, I also enjoyed having candy to suck on for my dry mouth and sore throat.
Good Luck!