Nervous wreck

Hello Ladies,

Can someone please tell me how you pass the time till the big day??? My nerves are really on edge today. I have already packed my bag with

toothbrush and toothpaste
slippers
pillow
socks
and a set of pjs

Any helpful things that I have forgotten??
My DD who is 11 is being very helpful and my DS who is 9 doesn't quite understand the whole thing. It just seems like everyday closer to the surgery the more nervous and the more questions I have.

God Bless you all!!!
mskins

Hi,

The best way to pass the time until your big day is to relax and pamper yourself. Go do something ou enjoy, watch a movie, take a candlelight bubble bath (you won't be able to do that for awhile afterward, so enjoy it now), listen to your favorite music, go out to dinner with friends or family, go shopping at the mall, or whatever else you might enjoy. Just spend some "you" time doing whatever helps you relax.

As for your packing list, you might also want to throw in some chapstick, as your lips can be very dry after sugery. Also, depending on your surgery, you may want to take a tummy pillow and some panty liners (unless you don't mind wearing those bulky pads the hospital provides.) A sleep mask also helps a lot with blocking out the light when the nurses come in to check your vitals and invariably leave the light on.

Just hang in there, you'll be on the "better" side looking back before you know it.

s,

Lisa

You've done a great job of sticking to bare essentials, although I would skip the pj's because if you have any drainage it's easier to let it stain their stuff instead of making it your laundry challenge. Also, their gowns are designed to go on around IV's, etc, and most pj's don't snap at the shoulder.

I would add a couple of small items:

deodorant
LIP BALM - you will come out of anesthesia with MAJOR cotton mouth!
hair brush
notebook and pen - great for noting your doc's instructions or writing down questions when the occur to you so you can remember to ask the doc. Also, it's great for jotting down the names of people that take care of you in case you want to write thank-you notes later.
loose-fitting clothes to wear home.

The Castle can provide you a lot of things that you may need for hygiene, but if you don't like the smell of Dial soap or are particular about your shampoo, you might take sample sizes of your favs for your shower. I'm an Herbal Essence gal myself. Also, I'm fussy about hand lotion so I took a little bottle of that and hand sanitizer. That first day or so, when you're groggy and on a catheter, it's nice not to have to get up to wash your hands if you sneeze, or when you're ready to eat.

Some gals pack the little stuff that they want handy from bed in a fanny pack so they can strap it to the side of the bed and not have to reach for it.

Also, if you are a light sleeper, you might want a sleep mask or ear plugs. Personally, I was snoozing so often during my 3 1/2 days there from the pain meds, that I wouldn't have remembered to put on a mask or plugs.

I did take my own bathrobe for walking the halls, just because I didn't want any cheap thrills from a breeze up my backside while walking.

Truth is, most of us don't have enough concentration to finish reading a great novel or work crosswords. You're busy enough with vital signs, visitors, trying to go to the bathroom on your own and walking the halls to work out gas that you don't have time for crafts like knitting or cross stitch.

And, if you skip the make-up you'll get to soak up a lot more "Oh you poor dear" than if you look all vibrant and healthy by putting on your base and blush!

Best wishes to you for an uncomplicated surgery and a comfy recovery time!

In the meantime, do some things to really pamper yourself. Take a long bubble bath - it could be a while after surgery before you get clearance for another. Lotion the heck out of your feet while you can still reach them comfortably. If you are at all a relaxation kind of person, listen to your favorite music while a beauty mask does great things for your skin.

Since you have a couple of weeks, maybe you could make ahead a few casseroles/meat loaf/whatever your family likes in advance and freeze them to make meal prep simple while you recover. Also, take a good look around the room where you plan to spend most of your recovery - your bedroom, the tv room, the living room, the screened in porch - and really look critically. Are there cleaning issues there that will bug you when you can't do anything about them? NOW is the time to get those cobwebs out of the corner or the dust bunnies from under the couch. Also, practice getting in and out of the furniture with the use of your arms, not your abs. Make sure you have a place to set a drink or plate easily without bending or twisting from wherever you'll be propped up. This is the time to rearrange furniture, not right after you get home.

Hope these hints help you. I'm sure there will be others, too.

I passed the time by shopping for goodies that I wanted to use on my recovery time. I bought books, magazines, sweat pants, new undies, DVDs, etc. I shopped for bargains and made it alot of fun.

God bless!

Good luck Mskins!! This thread helped me alot, too!! My surgery is on wednesday 7/14.

I wish you a safe surgery and a speedy recovery!!

good luck on your surgery. i hear you about neves.. i am just about 3/12 weeks away from mine, and i am so nervous now. how will i be the few days before .lol...
:happy:

Thanks for all the great suggestions everyone, as a matter of fact I just got home from a little shopping. My DD found me the cutest pillow, She thought that the smiley face pillow would make me feel better. And I plan on taking a bubble bath tonight.(and every other night till surgery.)

God Bless you,
mskins

My big splurge is that I'm planning to get a massage the week before my surgery. I haven't had one in almost 10 years. They are absolute HEAVEN and I can't wait for it!

I hadn't thought about the lip balm. I hardly ever use it except in the winter, so that was a great suggestion. I'll also bring a roll of Lifesavers for the dry mouth deal.

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE WITH UPCOMING SURGERIES.

I TOO AM A LITTLE NERVOUS AND GOING A LITTLE STIR CRAZY THINKING ABOUT THE SURGERY AND RECOVERY. I THINK I WILL TRY TO TAKE ALL OF YOUR GOOD ADVICE AND SHOP A LITTLE TOMORROW.

LORIAH

I got massages and watched lots of comedies! Calgon baths to relax are nice, also.

I found that most of the things I packed in my bag I did not even need. However, my bare essentials were these.

*Change of clothes.
*Toothbrush and toothpaste (forgot mine, but castle had)
*Hair brush
*Tube of mascara (I felt better on my last day and wanted to look pretty for my dh)
*Magazines
*Lip Balm
*Facial moisturizer
*Small compact with mirror

For showering, the castle had the rest, shampoo, towels, soap, etc. They even let me use their blow-dryer!

As my senses were heightened, I didn't want or need anything with perfume. One of the nurses wore so much that I thought I would be sick when she walked in!

Take care,

Jackie