Hospital & Post-Op Shopping list

I have about 3 weeks left to worry, so I thought I'd ask for any items I should add to my list for at & after the surgery:
Goodies for Nurses
Small pillow
Eye mask
Ear plugs
Gax X
Pain Rx requested at Post-op to get filled BEFORE hospital
Huge elastic pants
Pads
10" wedge for bed
"Grabber" to pick up stuff from floor

I appreciate any other ideas about getting ready for the big day.

Terry

2 things I wish I would've thought of sooner:

1. Go to video store and make list of movies that your family can rent for you while your layed up

2. If you have any length to your hair, get it french braided the day before surgery. Then you won't have to worry about it for a few days (it may be oily but at least it won't be a rats nest)

Hope everything goes well for you!

Vicky

Hi Terry!

You will need lip balm (I like blistex) -- your lips will be very dry from the anesthesia. I also took a backscratcher --- I used it to scratch my legs under the compression socks!

Also make sure you have a tummy pillow --- you'll want something between you and the seatbelt on the way home (also if you need to cough or sneeze --- it provides a cushion and it won't hurt so much!

Also might want to check and see how much extra it would cost to have a private versus semiprivate room (I didn't think of this ahead of time & wish I had!).

s

I do all the shopping in my family, so I also made sure that I had a 4 - 6 week of everything, but perishables (milk, fresh veggies).
This included:
- dog and cat food and cat litter.
- prescription pet medications.
- stuff my hubby could easily cook/warm up.

I had at least two sets of sheets for the bed I was recovering in.

I also had lots of pillow choices so that I could have them supporting my tummy and back when I layed on my side or or under my knees/back when I was sitting up in bed.

I had a bed tray with legs so I could eat in bed if I wanted to.

The hospital gave me a small insulated pitcher that I used for water. I used that a lot.

Good luck with your surgery.

1. I borrowed my sister's CD player/headphones and listened to praise and worship music while I waited and then the doc let me wear them during surgery. Of course, you can choose whatever music soothes you the most but it really helped.

2. I took one of my own gowns with me and my pillow. I liked these things.

3. I bought a gel cap of some kind of gas medicine for when I got home. I would have DIED without this medicine.

4. I took stool softeners starting a week before surgery at my doc's advice. Glad I did because I STILL got constipated.

5. I took massive doses of Vitamin C - 1000 mg with bioflavinoids - 8000 mg's a day because I smoke. I started increasing my vitamin C intake about 3 wks before the surgery and I'm sure it helped because I'm a smoker and didn't get the coughs... barely needed my pillow at all.

6. About 3 wks before surgery, I cut all my hair off. SHORT. It's spikey and too short to curl - easy to fix, cool, and looks really trendy and cool too! Glad I did that!

7. The nurses loved my goody basket and I'm hoping it made up for how HATEFUL I was. Morphine makes me plumb nasty.

I took puzzles and magazines but I didn't even have the presence of mind to look at a magazine until last week. lol I am glad I had them for home though.

Bekki

Dear Terry,

It sounds like you have everything pretty much lined up that are must- haves, all the trouble I went to finding the back scratcher and accidently left it at home, used it the second night even more though.

One thing that I would suggest would be large washcloths, for cleaning up. I also got sick from the unnessary pain-meds I was given in the middle of the night. I asked my angelic nurse to bring me cool washcloths, but the ones in the hospital were too small. I kept having her bring me cool, then warm washcloths, finally had to use a towel, the washcloths were not cutting it. Hopefully you won't get sick but if you do, this will be really helpful. After my yucky experience, I put the entire towel over my head and then under my head with cool water, warm water, just anything to try and help. My roommate was really upset by all this commotion I kept apologizing, but she insisted on being moved out of our room, oh well, I had requested a private room to begin with. I wound up putting my washcloth on ice, because it wouldn't hold the water temp. If you don't need it for that you can always use it in the morning for just washing your face and other parts that will need attention!

This was the ONLY bad part of my experience to date. If I had it to do over again, I would have refused the pain meds, (I already had a pain patch on) all I needed was something to help me sleep.


LSH 7/19 feeling wonderful, you will too!

Terry,

I stocked up on single size drinks for myself: cranberry blends (I love them), frappacino, apple juice, pineapple juice. Although I had larger bottles of the juices which my family fixed for me, if I was alone, I could just grab a small bottle for myself.

Also, I bought a couple of light support panty girdles. Once I put one on, it felt so much better that I washed them by hand so I could wear them every day. As soon as I was able to drive (two weeks), I bought four more and am still wearing them at nearly nine weeks post-op.

You sound very organized, getting all this worked out this far before your surgery. Don't forget to leave a few errands for the last minute--it helps to justify the stress. LOL.

Nancy