Hiring and buying questions

What do the sisters think about hiring a
- perching stool (for kitchen)
- an electric reclining chair
- toilet seat and frame to make it easier to get on and off the throne - or am I going over the top here?

Someone said somewhere that she spent a lot of post-op rest time in the recliner. I passed a shop today which sells and hires this stuff and used them once to get something for my mother and they were very helpful.

Buying -

Nighties for hospital? How many sizes bigger than normal?
knickers - again, sizing? Are Sloggis good?
As you can see I was looking round the discount shops this morning, i want to get things as cheap as poss as I don't plan on wearing them forever!

Thanks for advice
Louise

hi, louise. i think it's great that you're planning for your recovery. i didn't need any of the items you're thinking about renting. had a tah/bso. as for items to buy, it's good to have pajamas for the hospital. i bought some new ones, just to help make myself feel good psychologically. and i wore pajama pants and a undershirt/t-shirt...i liked that i didn't need to get fully undressed when doctors came to check the incision...just pulled the pants down a bit. and, when i was walking in the halls of the hospital - it's important to walk! - i liked having the pajamas, and wore a robe on top. i didn't need anything in bigger sizes....just wore loose sorts of clothes. hope that helps! (and, i'm really curious as to what sloggis are!!!)

by the way, for me, i did LOTS of stocking up....non-perishables in the pantry, kitty litter, cat food, laundry detergent. even after i was well recovered, i still had lots left over!

I think you may be going a little over the top, particularly if you are not having the full abdominal cut surgery. Laproscopic and vaginal surgery is much easier.

However, if you are getting the full abdominal cut, save your money and don't get these items. Spend it on renting two items that are very helpful: a shower chair (which comes in very very handy) and a walker. You won't need the walker to walk, but it helps you to lean on it the first few days when you pull yourself up from the bed, throne or couch. Both those items came in very very handy!!!

Hi Lou,

There really isn't much you need to take to the hospital, mainly chapstick, robe and slippers.

At home, a comfortable place to rest with things like a lamp, phone, remotes and a glass of water nearby.

A couple of areas of this site you may want to look at are: Hints for your hysterectomy and Checkpoints

Scroll to the bottom and you will find ideas for what to pack and how to prepare your at home recovery space (as well as lots of other wonderful and important information.)

s
Jane

Thanks sisters!

I am having a TAH+BSO. I have looked at the recommended bits of this site you recommended - have already gone through them but had these new ideas. The walking frame sounds good- I guess I could practice with my mother's - she has one as she is in a nursing home. Shower chair - would never fit in our bath. You know what they say about British plumbing! Fortunately we have a couple of grab rails fitted, which we had done when my mother used to come and stay with us - when she was in better health, before the nursing home - and they will be pretty useful for getting in an out of the shower.

Joanne - Sloggis are a brand name for these knickers which are I think 96% cotton and 4% lycra, so a bit stretchy. I normally wear 100% cotton ones which I prefer but isn't it better to have the big granny-style knickers so that they don't irritate the incision?

Louise

To Lou49 from Louise48!

My friend purchased a cane for me...one that has a base with four 'feet'... Very stable. It was very helpful when I needed to get up out of a deep chair or when I needed to get out of bed. It only cost $29 US.

I don't think I would rent or buy a recliner just for your surgery. We have a recliner (which is my chair! ) and I didn't really use it until I was feeling much better. I spent probably 3 weeks on the couch. I laid on it during the day (with lots of pillows to prop me how ever I wanted to be) and slept on it during the night. It was more comfortable to me than the recliner, I think because of the support of the back of the couch. I could lay not on my side, but half-way on my side and the back of the couch would support me. That was very comfortable until I felt like I could lay on my side, which took a while.

I used a plastic lawn chair in the shower to sit on the first couple of times. (The molded plastic ones, not the ones that fold up.)

I wore the grannie panties called BarelyThere, they are very soft and stretchy, and I bought them in 1 size bigger. I'm still wearing them, but also ones in my normal size. If you use the cotton/lycra ones, just make sure they aren't very tight. I couldn't stand anything tight around me for quite some time, and I didn't have an abdominal incision.

Good luck! It sounds like you are very well prepared!

It's great that you're getting all ready. I have a very small little shower seat (kind of like a little footstool, but you can make it taller) which was great for the shower. I didn't have much stamina for standing very long at first - so I think the kitchen perch is a great idea - however, let someone else do the cooking, if you can. I prepared a lot of food that I particularly liked before my surgery and froze it, which was WONDERFUL. I spent a lot of time in my "glider" chair that can recline partway. I didn't feel any need for electric riser. Clothes - I bought two pairs of pajamas that just look like comfy clothes (you could almost wear them out on a walk) that I liked wearing (style, etc.) I didn't wear them in the hospital - I had IVs and other stuff hooked up and my hospital had sweet "regular" gowns with sweet "robes" that matched to cover up the drafty back (you know with snaps down the sleeve tops, so they'd accommodate all the paraphenalia. It was so much easier to just use their stuff - and I got a change every day, which felt nice and fresh. I used my regular underwear (I had a vertical incision, and I just let it ride a little lower). Two things that made my stay more enjoyable, especially as I was coming out of anesthesia and my first day - lip chap stick, and lotion for my elbows (I have dry-ish skin that is very sensitive to the "rough" sheets.) My sweet little sister used the lotion to massage my feet one night (divine!) and it had a soothing light lavendar aroma. Oh, yeah, that reminds me - I did bring my little (12x12 inch) lavendar pillow which my nurse was always so kind to put up by my head it if moseyed off when I slept or whatever.

Recovery clues. Drink plenty of water. Rest all you can. Walking a little every hour or so helps keep the kinks out and get's things working again.

Best wishes, you're in our thoughts and prayers.

I did not buy anything special for my surgery. So, I agree with the others, buying chairs, etc. is not necessary.

As for clothing...I did not take anything to the hospital with me, other that a change of underwear. I wore the same clothes coming home that I wore going in and had the hospital "gown" on for the one night I was there. I did not take a robe, nor slippers. They provided me with slipper socks which worked great....they are non-skid.

I did not wear underwear that was any different than normal. I did find, though, while home in bed for sleeping, I tended to rol the top down to allow the banages to be exposed. Did that for the first week or so. I am not one to sleep without underwear on.

Best to you...you'll do great!