Getting Prepared (May 30)

Hello ladies,
I have my tummy binder ordered, my cold packs ready to go and I'm planning to make a stack of magazines and catalogs + a list of Netflix movies I've been wanting to watch.
What am I NOT thinking about? I want to be prepared as I can to recover comfortably and peacefully.

Any advice would be appreciated. THANKS!

Jo

I'm 3 weeks post-op and my only suggestion (beside some really good books) is to make sure you have the following:

some very comfortable undies with some tummy support (but not too tight)

several pairs of loose fitting pants (I found that yoga pants were/are my fave but a size bigger than I would normally wear)

GAS X - Extra strength right next to your bed at all times!!!! On that note, you'll want a nice big area for drinks (staying hydrated post op is helpful for many different reasons), and meds and your books, etc.

I have lots of other recommendations but these would be my top 3ish.

You have the RIGHT IDEA!!! REST, RELAXATION AND PEACE are all you really need to heal quickly.

Best of luck!

I've been stocking up my Kindle as well. If I haven't actually bought the book, I've at least added it to a wish list.

I also enjoy genealogy so I've been keeping a stack of things so that I can research them on Ancestry when I am up to it.

I've also been holding off on watching some things i've DVR'd, as well as filling up my Netflix que.

Like some of the other posts I've read, get your "space" ready too. Is the side table close enough to the bed and big enough to hold what you want? Stuff like that.

I've gotten a few new nightshirts, a new light robe, and some new yoga pants for when I feel up to getting more dressed than a nightshirt and robe.

Today I also picked up some new full coverage briefs (not my preferred style) but I'm thinking may be more comfy.

Another thing I did was get my hair cut. My hair can be unruly, and it was getting long so even more out of control. A local salon was doing a fundraiser for domestic violence prevention / rape counseling so I went and got a few inches cut off the length a couple weeks ago. My surgery isnt' until July, so I'll likely have it cut a little shorter just before surgery. I just know I won't feel like messing with the mop on top of my head while recovering.

You both reminded me of some things I thought about last week & then quickly forgot! A haircut and granny panties! OH, and the all-important gas meds. I heard that was the most unexpected problem in recovery, next to swelling. (My husband thanks you for THAT reminder!)

I also have a huge genealogy project I've been working on for my family (all sides) so I look forward to devoting some time to that.

Last November I had surgery for endometriosis and recovered for a few days at home. That minor surgery experience taught me I will not be wearing pants. I've purchased some cute, loose fitting in the middle cotton dresses to wear for my first few weeks.

I also bought some dry shampoo tonight in case I don't feel like washing my hair for the first few days. Mine takes forever to blow dry, so if I'm feeling less than great, I'm not going to want to go through all that.

THANKS SO MUCH!!

Bendy straws! And a cup with a lid.

I'm 10 days away and working on my list, too. I expect to be recovering more on our sofa bed than in my bed, so will have plenty of space for visitors and my stuff. The DVR is almost full, and my Netflix queue is long (including several seasons of Friday Night Lights!).

Good idea on the dry shampoo. When my hair was super long back in high school I never blowed it dry, I would wash it at night, then put it in two little girl braids (wet) overnight. I'd undo it in the morning, and stil be a smidge damp but had pretty waves and not all crazy like now.

I had ordered some new nightshirts, this is the 2nd go around with the catalog folks. First time they delivered sleeveless (ick), so filled out the form and sent them back...replacements showed up today - guess what - SLEEVELESS again. Let's hope 3rd time is a charm. At this rate I MAY have them in time for my castle stay in July.

I also need to make sure to clean the aquarium good shortly before mine. I surely won't want to look at all sorts of fish crud!

I think I may also pull some of my favorite DVDs up from under the tv storage. Because it may not be easy to bend over to get to them, that means surely I'll want to watch one of them.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by Grace72 Hello ladies, I have my tummy binder ordered, my cold packs ready to go and I'm planning to make a stack of magazines and catalogs + a list of Netflix movies I've been wanting to watch. What am I NOT thinking about? I want to be prepared as I can to recover comfortably and peacefully. Any advice would be appreciated. THANKS! Jo

I had friends bring meals to my family, for about 4 weeks, 5 days a week. So thankful for that!

CareCalendar is the tool we used to organize the meals.

If you use a fitted sheet on your mattress, make sure it is not one that will pop up after constant tossing and turning if you lounge in or on the bed the first few days. The last thing you are going to want/be able to do is tug to put it back on the mattress.

I also kept a dish pan with my medicine, thermometer, snacks, lip chap, and a couple of ziplock bags to place opened snacks in because I could never eat all of it. My family laughed at me because of the combination of items I kept in my pan and the pan would sit at the dinner table with me so I could take my meds and put them back in my pan. It helped me not misplace items I continuously used.

I also kept a mini pillow pet in the car for between the seat belt and a regular size one that slept with, rubbed for comfort, sat on at the table, and hugged on when I coughed (can you tell I loved my pillow). I also loved my heating pad.

Good Luck
knottoday

Just remembered -- I made 3 weeks of prepared meals and froze them so my husband could just thaw and pop in the oven -- being the only female in the house, I had to make sure they were all (5 of them) taken care of. If you need recipes, hit me up.

I also got a laptop desk so I could stay in touch with friends and family and my hyster sisters. Just remember not to check in at WORK!!!

Oh my goodness! I had not even considered food for my family! After reading these posts, i started thinking...My 16 yr old son wants to be a chef so maybe this would be a good time for him to take over the kitchen & my cookbooks. My husband would eat burgers every day if I'd let him.

I have been shopping for loose dresses on eBay this week. Im concerned about clothes pressing on my belly, even weeks postop.

I set up a basket on my bedside table: Chapstick, lotion, meds I already take, tums, books, nail file, earbuds, heating pad.

I also have a "Chillow" in case I get hot flashes. I know I'm losing my left ovary, but my right one only gets to stay if it is free of cysts & endometriosis. If you don't have a chillow, they are amazing!