Home at last!!! I came home yesterday from my LAVH on Tuesday.
I posted a lengthy overview in the Princess story area - so I won't repeat myself, everything went very well, and I thought of a few things that might be helpful to other Ladies in Waiting....
For the hospital:
1. I found that with the drugs, I couldn't concentrate on much of anything. Catalogs were my favorite "reading" material - we get so many of them in the mail that I had DH bring me a big stack and I kept a notepad and pen nearby to jot down stuff that I thought I might want to review later (after the drugs wore off!). Magazines about home and garden are good too - not too many words, but really nice relaxing pictures!
2. Bring your own pillow! Not only is it comforting, you'll have a nice cushion for the ride home to keep the seatbelt from attacking you.
3. Chapstick and hard candies. I cannot tell you enough how DRY your mouth will probably be after anesthesia. I'm sure it took a whole day for me to get rid of the cotton mouth!
4. Oral B makes textured tooth wipes called Brush-Ups. This is great for getting that "Ick" feeling out of your mouth before you feel like getting up and brushing your teeth. They're reasonably cheap and disposable.
5. Have a nurse or DH or someone move a trash can next to your bed. Aside from being a nice touch and helping you to keep your space neat and tidy, if you feel nauseous, it's a comfort to know you aren't going to have to scramble to get up or anything if you need to be sick. I was nauseous after I had to have the catheter put back in, so I was tethered to the bed with the "pee bag", it hurt trying to get up, and there was no trash can in reach. Talk about stress and upsetting. Oy!
At Home:
1. Clean sheets are a really nice thing to come home to - especiallly if your home recovery room is your bedroom you share with DH, the cats, the dogs, etc...
2. If you can't afford the Abnostrain, or didn't think you'd need one - have a scarf, jump rope, or other such thing at hand to tie to the footboard to help you get up. I didn't think I'd need it, but it has made a HUGE difference having that extra help getting to a sitting position. I especially like it for the middle of the night - I don't like waking up DH if I don't have to.
3. A overbed table is a WONDERFUL thing. I got one from Ebay for about 60 bucks (including shipping). It was easy to put together (according to DH) and though not as "deluxe" as the ones in the hospital, perfectly servicable for home meals, laptop use, reading, writing, etc. And has wheels so it can be pushed away easily.
4. Mini Fridge. My DH and I got one of those "desktop" fridges that you can also plug into the cigarette lighter in the car - holds about a 6 pack or so of soda... he plugged it in for me and put it on a stool next to the bed so I can grab a can of lemonade or iced tea or diet sprite whenever I need/want to. I also have water by the bed, but I'm kinda weird in that I don't like my water to be too cold.
5. Speaking of water ... crystal light just came out with their "on the go" packets that you put in a .5L bottle and voila! you have lemonade, iced tea, raspberry something or another.... nice change from plain water and no carbonation.
6. I made some meals ahead of time, and also went grocery shopping for snacks, ingredients to make things DH is good at cooking. To make it easier for us both, I also made a list of what was where, what we had, and marked a couple easy recepies for him. Then when he asks me what I want to eat, I can look at the "menu" of things we have on hand.
Ok... that's all I have for now... time for Vicodin, potty break and a good long nap!
Been there Done That and I got the XXL Tshirt!
I have a pull-out table near my bed so I can place drinks, books, etc., on it, easier for sure.
