What to buy or arrange to have for when I return home?

Hi - I'm trying to look through all these forum posts, but it is overwhelming. I'm looking for a list of things I should plan to have on hand for coming home from the hospital.

I will stay one night in the hospital and my surgery is DaVinci supercervical hysterectomy, anterior and posterior repair (cystocele and rectocele), and there is a possible perineoplasty on the list.

I just read a thread about a body pillow and am going to order one or find the old half-pillow I had from pregnancy if that is still around.

What else should I plan to pick up or order?

I don't need to worry too much about meals, etc. because my husband will do our cooking and my mom will bring us meals. I plan to clean my bedroom and get my phone chargers and laptop arranged before I leave on Tuesday morning so I can watch movies and surf the internet on my computer and when I return.

I'm going to set out comfy clothes so I don't have to reach up to my closet shelf when I get dressed.

I assume I'll need pads at home too.

Thanks for the tips!

Good Luck on your upcoming visit to the Castle. Putting everything in easy reach before you leave will make things easier for the first couple days. After that, you should be able to spend time in the livingroom and the bedroom, both.

You might find a small pillow useful for protecting your stomach from the seatbelt on the way home, using it as support when you cough, etc. As far as clothes, I lived in my pjs the first couple days (gave me an excuse to buy new ones before surgery). I am now 12 days post op and live in long sweaters and either yoga pants or leggins.

I had stool softener (gel caps) ready when I got home and started taking them as soon as I walked in the door. I didn't go have my first BM until post op day 4, but it sure made it easier than it could have.

I also had a water container, like the ones you take to the gym. It has a freezable insert that helped keep the water cold and I kept that beside my bed.

I'm sure other sisters will offer you their help too.

Thanks! I found another recent thread (not sure how I missed that!) but I know different surgery types necessitate different things. I was thinking about a tray for my laptop so that it won't rest right on my stomach or lap area while I'm in bed or on the couch.

I am six weeks post op and these are the things I relied on for the first couple of weeks:

• hard sweets for when you want to surpress a cough - water doesn't do it for me
• A heating pad - it saved me, took the pain right away and was comforting on my belly
• Water by the bed
• A bedside light that's easy to reach
• lots of pillows so you can arrange yourself comfortably while you need support
• my phone and ipad charger was next to my pillow
• I have a high bed so I had a small stool next to it I could rest my feet on as I got in an out
• my drugs all lined up neatly
• snacks - good for the middle of the night if you're up and don't want to disturb anyone. Your appetite will be all over the place for a few days
• Hand cream - one that smells nice and makes you smile when you put it on
• A pet - a cat is good!

Good luck, make sure you're not a martyr and take all the pain meds they give you.

Good luck! I posted some tips elsewhere on the site, but here they are:
Here are some things that I found helpful to do BEFORE surgery.

My best advice for a comfy recovery:

• Stock your cupboards with the healthiest foods of every kind, knowing that your taste buds might be weird after the surgery. I wanted only bland things.
• Not every anti-inflammatory will work, so I recommend having them all on hand: acetominophen, ibuprofen, naprosyn. Stool softeners. Also natural remedies with lactobacillus.
• Ask your doctor to order the scrips BEFORE surgery: one fewer thing to think about post hoc.
• Order a bunch of loose fitting clothes in soft fabrics that button in the front.
• Buy a bra that’s wider than your usual size. You’re bloated after surgery, which I hear is worse on the laparoscopic procedures. I’m usually a 32 but a 34 was much more comfortable.
• Have some shoes that it’s easy to slip into: I couldn’t tie my shoelaces till week 5!
• Anywhere in your home where you will need things—food, clothes, toiletries—make sure that these are easily reachable without reaching too far up (or worse, too far down!)
• Eat as healthy as you can before surgery and get as much exercise as is comfortable for you.
• I am about 10-15 lbs. overweight and I lost 5 lbs. before the surgery, which I think was helpful.
• Develop some arm strength if you can: getting out of bed is the hardest thing. It was very helpful to push against the headboard to hoist myself up.
• If you’re not sure you can do something, don’t do it.
• Try one of those free trials so you can watch movies/TV on a laptop
• I know this sounds obvious in theory but it’s hard in practice: **Allow the people who care about you to help you**
Do not be hard on yourself for not feeling better faster.