TLH: Any Ideas Guys?

Hello all,
Ok, so my surgery is next wednsday! I have to have a total laparoscopic hysterectomy, and a sigmoid colon resection with possible ostomy... Yeah, it's major surgery... and believe me, I am terrified about it. However, I KNOW that I need stuff pre-op, but I don't have any money right now. I am a divorced mom of 4 children, and money is ALWAYS tight. I need to get that abdominal binder and various other things before the 20th, so I am asking if anyone has any ideas or suggestions or even alternatives to the abd. binders that are here. Like, maybe I could make my own? I am embarrased to admit that I don't have the money, but hey... it's 2010, and I am raising 4 children all by myself with no support from my less than stellar ex husband...

All comments are definitely welcome...

Thanks,
BronzeCaramel

I asked my doc if I should buy a binder, he said if you need or want one they'll get you one in the hospital. So I am opting to wait, to see what is provided to me. Check with your doctor. Other than that what all do you really need? I bought a few things, but nothing really important. I bought some new panties, granny panties. Some new clothes from target in the mens section so they are big & baggy. and button down flannel shirt.

Good Luck.

Just make sure you have some loose fitting clothes. Do you have help coming to take care of the kids? I would make sure you have a bunch of stuff frozen that you can just heat up to make it easier. You can go to the tips for more things you make want to get. I have a list of things I used there. Best wishes to you.

I did Men's track pants from Sam's club & pajamas from a garage sale. Might find other clothes at a garage sale.

My surgery was this past tuesday. I had a TAH. I got my binder while I was in the hospital and just bought it home.

BronzeCaramel, I so know your pain. I only have one child left at home and am divorced with no help from the deadbeat. We haven't even seen him in almost 9 years other than the time he managed to show up in court. Anyway, while I'm off work I will be without income and with this being my son's junior year everyone is coming out of the woodwork wanting us to buy this or that. But he is very responsible and has started looking for a job to help out.

I can't offer you advice medically but I offer you my ear if you need to vent. We have to support each other here.

i didnt buy a single thing before my surgery. who doesnt have a few pairs of baggy sweat pants or some elastic sleeping pants laying around the house? for the first week, i just walked around in a large t shirt and my robe. LOL. im sure you can find some stuff to keep you comfortable while you recover. and wait and see what the hospital will give you if you need a binder. seems like some places will send you home with one. hopefully your children are old enough to give you a hand. as far as food, just try to stock up some easy to make things for them. mac and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, hot dogs, ect.....i guarantee they wont perish or suffer too much if they have to eat that way for a while. good luck with your surgery. and try not to worry too much.

In the hospital I wore the gown and loved it because there was nothing around me. Once home, I wore old "jammy" bottoms and baggy t-shirts. All I spent money on was like others here had mentioned, easy to prepare food...jello, spaghettios, small microwaveable, already prepared soup, the Campbell's "Soup AT Hand", make sure you get small portions as you may not have much of an appetite the first week or so. Since money is tight, before your surgery, spend a little time if you can, making some small portions out of what you already have on hand. Convenient food made a big difference for me. I was happy to be able to amble out of bed and quickly grab something and get horizontal again.

I didn't use a "belly band", wasn't offered one, didn't know they existed. I just walked around with my hand on my belly. Good thing I didn't have one or I would have overdone it even more. The small amount of pain I did have early on was the only thing stopping me from doing something stupid.

I didn't buy anything special for my after-surgery care (didn't have time), but made do with what I had. Since I'm already a Gramma, I had granny panties already. Wore my loose pj's for the first two weeks and sweatpants for a week after that. By the 3rd week I was wearing my pre-surgery jeans during the day and changing into pj's or sweats in the afternoon. I did not have a "belly band" either.

As for food, I didn't have much of an appetite for the first two weeks, so I lived on the lunch sized servings of yogurt, fruit and pudding. I had frozen microwave lunches in the freezer and they were just enough food to fill me up.