TAH: Where's this hysterectomy shopping list I keep reading about?

Hi Ladies!

I keep seeing mention of a shopping list for home before, during hospital; stay and home afterwards, however, I can't find that thread. Could somebody kindly post a link to it if you have it or can locate it please. In addition to the shopping list - if there is a thread about preparing yourself and the house for your recovery period - that will also be nice I saw stuff like cooking and freezing meals, putting stuff I need at wiast level, etc... I'd love more great tips like that.

Thanks!!

Click under pre op on the main page and you should find things. There is not an actual shopping list, but things that are suggested for home and at the hospital.

Try What to Take to the Hospital for Hysterectomy

Also if you go to the Pre-Op Hysterectomy Articles and scroll down to the P's, there are five articles on various sorts of preparation for a hysterectomy. I found "Preparing Your Home for Hysterectomy Recovery" and "Preparing Your Spot for Hysterectomy Recovery" to be particularly useful.

Do *not* underestimate the importance of preparing a well-feathered "spot" or "nest" for your recovery. I found mine to be really comforting. It doesn't have to be in your bedroom, even if that's where you sleep at night. Mine was in my living room because my bedroom's fairly dark, while my living room gets lots of natural light and has my plants in it.

There is also a sub forum called hints from members. It is located with the pre op forum .

Thanks so much ladies!!1 My job has been uber crazy the past few months so i havent been doing the research i would have liked by now. I'm hoping to spend a lot more time here regularly over the next few weeks to try to be as informed and learn as much as I can. going to check it out now....

Surprised in NB - i started typing a response to u and then crashed mid sentence lol, i was exhausted. the nest suggestion was huge for me - like you, my bedroom is very dark and my living room, even guestroom across the hall has a lot of natural light, large windows/sliding doors, with a view to my pool and gardens. it never even occured to me that i could make my recovery area outside of the bedroom. im prone to depression so i really think being cooped up in my dark room for weeks would have been bad for me. thanks for the great suggestion. over the next few weeks i think im going to transition every thing i need to the guest room.

Ah, we're sisters in more ways than one. :-) I live with chronic depression. Natural light, spending time outdoors and physical activity are all ways I manage the depression. I planned my hysterectomy recovery accordingly.

Don't be shy of going outdoors to spend time in those gardens if you feel up to it! I got home from the hospital three days after surgery and by Day 4, was outside going for short, slow walks in my immediate neighbourhood. (I live in a small city.) When the sun was out, I toted pillows outside so that I could sit in the sun reading, sewing and playing with my cats. These things made a huge different for me. Despite a bit of physical discomfort, psychologically my recovery period turned into a relaxing vacation!