Surgery tomorrow and I’m getting nervous

[MeepMeep 96]

My surgery is tomorrow and I’m starting to get nervous. That’s normal, right?

also..what do I need for my overnight bag in the hospital?

[KCgirl061 1,533]

I always tell my surgical patients I'd be worried if you weren't nervous! This is a major surgery after all. Odds are you'll be totally fine, but it is scary being that vulnerable.

I, like many others, overpacked for my hospital stay. I used my own toothpaste and toothbrush, deodorant, hairbrush, chapstick, face moisturizer, phone charger, and pillow. Everything else I brought with me sat unused in my bag. I just wore home the same clothes I wore in.

Many people will suggest you bring your own socks or house slippers for walking in. As an operating room nurse I DO NOT recommend that. Surgeons and PAs walk out of the OR department and up to the floors dragging particles of blood and guts with them. Wear the crummy socks they give you then toss them in the trash when youre discharged.

Edited July 8, 2019 by KCgirl061

[VIKING 0424 1,107]

congrats you will do great u wont need much at hospital at all slippers for walking and your smiling self cheers best of luck to you on your journey

[FluffyChix 17,418]

1 hour ago, KCgirl061 said:

I always tell my surgical patients I'd be worried if you weren't nervous! This is a major surgery after all. Odds are you'll be totally fine, but it is scary being that vulnerable.

I, like many others, overpacked for my hospital stay. I used my own toothpaste and toothbrush, deodorant, hairbrush, chapstick, face moisturizer, phone charger, and pillow. Everything else I brought with me sat unused in my bag. I just wore home the same clothes I wore in.

Many people will suggest you bring your own socks or house slippers for walking in. As an operating room nurse I DO NOT recommend that. Surgeons and PAs walk out of the OR department and up to the floors dragging particles of blood and guts with them. Wear the crummy socks they give you then toss them in the trash when youre discharged.

Ah man. I hate those socks! But about the only thing I brought other than my toothbrush, iphone, and charger was a cheap pair of house shoes that I left in the trash as soon as I was discharged! I should have just done flip flops and wore them into the hospital and out to the car. But I wasn't thinking clearly!

You got this girl!!! It will be over before you know it. Mindset is everything. Be happy and joyful. There will be a learning curve and trials ahead, but in a year you won't recognize how far you've come and how much better you feel!!!

[domi 237]

I wore slip on shoes and left my cell phone at home. You aren't there long and the less you bring, the easier it is to go home.

[Mickeygmg 25]

Totally normal!!! I'd be more concerned for a person who didnt get the jitters at all. I told my husband, on the way to hospital, if we get held up in crazy traffic or an accident, we are going out to Breakfast instead. 😋

Dont bother bringing too much with you to the hospital. I brought my comfortable sleepwear, slippers a brush, toothbrush, my phone and phone cord.

Be confident. Remember all the reasons you chose this path.

Best of luck.

[apiane 174]

I haven't had surgery yet so I can't opine over what to bring besides saying KCGirl is totally right about the socks. But good luck! Embrace the nervousness and turn it into positive thoughts. You're going to be fine, you're going to change your life. You WILL be happier in the long run. Positive affirmations.

[gabybab 696]

I literally wore in the same clothes I went in with home. I wore flip flops, yoga pants a bra and shirt. I never wore the bra coming home from the hospital due to the pain.

I brought my cpap, and phone, although I was kinda out of it to use it.

I brought my purse, for my ID, but my daughter took it home.

I did not shower there or even brush my teeth. I was home the next morning. Couldn't shower for 3 days anyways, because they told me to wait till then.

You don't need much. Good luck tomorrow!

Edited July 8, 2019 by gabybab

[jelos98 6]

Really, all I made use of was:

• Phone (mostly so I could watch stuff online - woot for hospital wifi)
• Phone charger
• Bluetooth Headphones (listened to some music to stay calm before the surgery, but I wound up with a private room after, so not as useful as I'd expected)
• Loose, comfy clothes, that aren't going to suck to wear on the way out (pressure on your abdomen is probably not going to feel nice).
• CPAP

Realistically, most of my time there was spent:

• Drifting off to sleep.
• Being woken up by the nurses/doctor to be poked and prodded.
• Taking walks (the first walk was SOOO pressure relieving internally - felt like a million bucks after it)
• Drifting off to sleep again
• Being constantly woken up by the (@_)($ heart monitor alarm because my sleeping heart rate is super low.
• Drifting off to sleep again
• Being woken up so they could give me a tylenol drip (not even tylenol with hydrocodone.... just straight tylenol, believe it or not).
• Attempting to eat, and getting roughly half a teaspoon of Jello in after 15 minutes.
• Watching a little bit of Games Done Quick, since it was still going while I was there.
• Rinse and repeat until it's time to go the next morning.

Also: people dis the hospital socks, but mine were comfy and super grippy on the bottom. Given how unstable I was when I was first walking, I very much appreciated them.

Edited July 9, 2019 by jelos98