What is the least expected item I will need right after surgery or in the hospital?

[Cassy 0]

Any advice for someone who is travelling for surgery?

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Will you be staying in the hotel for a few days to recover?

[cindersnaz 0]

I'm interested in this too!! My hospital is over three hours away and I'll be staying at my daughter's (same area) for a few days til I can drive home. I will be bringing all my drinks, etc - but anything else anyone can suggest would be helpful.

Thanks in advance!!!

[RestlessMonkey 7]

A pillow to hold over your torso (support when coughing etc)...comfortable shoes, comfy loose clothes, if in a hotel, a room with a refrigerator for liquids, liquid tylenol (for adults...for in case you don't want the heavy duty pain med your doc prescribes) something to read, some lip moisturizer. (this plus the normal stuff like toothbrush/paste, comb, brush, deodorant...but not on day of surgery, and no hairspray on surgery day either...shampoo etc)

My doc wouldn't let us shower until day 2 and by then man you want to wash everything! :omg_smile:

And any meds you are taking and must take post op, see if you can get them in liquid form, or check with your pharmacist to see if they can be split (buy a little pill splitter...very cheap) or dissolved in Water and taken that way.

[Totallytater 1]

Cassy,

Hi. I flew to Dr K for surgery too. He is great!! I flew out the morning after my surgery, but I should have stayed 2 nights. You should stay 2 nights after surgery. Stay somewhere with a recliner. You will need it. My surgery was in Aurora and I stayed at the Best Western Gateway. They have recliners. They also have a refrigerator for your medicine and a microwave to warm up some broth. Let me know if you have any questions.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Remember wherever you are to not sleep the day away. Of course get a good night's sleep! But walk frequently. It's important for preventing blood clots and also helps keep your lungs clear. Post op patients who stay in bed too much are at increased risk for clots and "atelectasis" (which can be a precursor to pneumonia)

If you aren't walking because it hurts, take your prescribed pain med and WALK! :omg_smile:

Oh and lots of people swear by Gas X. It didn't help me; walking did, but some suffer with trapped gas.

[themis 0]

A pillow to hold over your torso (support when coughing etc)...comfortable shoes, comfy loose clothes, if in a hotel, a room with a refrigerator for liquids, liquid tylenol (for adults...for in case you don't want the heavy duty pain med your doc prescribes) something to read, some lip moisturizer. (this plus the normal stuff like toothbrush/paste, comb, brush, deodorant...but not on day of surgery, and no hairspray on surgery day either...shampoo etc)

My doc wouldn't let us shower until day 2 and by then man you want to wash everything!

And any meds you are taking and must take post op, see if you can get them in liquid form, or check with your pharmacist to see if they can be split (buy a little pill splitter...very cheap) or dissolved in Water and taken that way.

I actually got a pill crusher instead of a splitter. I have to have excedrin... my doc knows. LOL! He just laughed. Everything RM mentioned is perfect, also it doesn't hurt to have some 'personal cleansing cloths' or baby wipes, to make clean up easier.

I was actually allowed to take a shower that morning and the next day, and did. It helps! Oh yeah, lip moisturizer, definitely! If you're staying at the hospital you may want socks with tread, they gave me some to walk around in before I went home.. but they are not designed for comfort if you're there for more than a few hours. Yep, a pillow for the travel will help allot!

[themis 0]

Remember wherever you are to not sleep the day away. Of course get a good night's sleep! But walk frequently. It's important for preventing blood clots and also helps keep your lungs clear. Post op patients who stay in bed too much are at increased risk for clots and "atelectasis" (which can be a precursor to pneumonia)

If you aren't walking because it hurts, take your prescribed pain med and WALK!

Oh and lots of people swear by Gas X. It didn't help me; walking did, but some suffer with trapped gas.

I would personally keep all meds on the other side of the house to force myself to get up and walk.

I definitely needed and used gas X! It helped me a great deal! Better to have it and not use it, rather than need it and not have it.

[cindersnaz 0]

Wow - GREAT ideas!! Thanks everyone - I'm taking notes.

[food expert 1]

No one mentioned this (or maybe I missed it), but I was really glad that I brought a loose shirt that hid the fact I wasn't wearing a bra. Slip-on shoes was also brilliant. I wore shorts with an elastic band that slipped on and off. Basically, wear easy clothes. My DH had to dress me top to bottom (including panties) because bending was limited.

[AprilAnne 0]

Most people say to take a robe to wear when you are out in the halls walking, but with the IV in your arm it was impossible to put the robe on. my solution was to bring a bathing suit wrap--an over sized sarong large enough to wear as a dress. So i looked really CUTE walking down the halls. i got lots of complements. also not as bulky as a robe in your suitcase.

Also i would bring a leai-- the flower necklace. WHen my husband was in the hospital i got him one and he wore it all over the hospital. it made people laugh and smile. and in the hospital please do not forget to bring your SENSE OF HUMOR! things will go wrong, you will have forgotten something, your skirt may fall off in teh middle of the hall:wub: but this is the first step in your new life... LAUGH, SMILE. Give praise and ENJOY!

[IRC 0]

Don't know if you'll experience any nausea (I did). I couldn't drink anything for the first few days because of nausea. The only thing I could tolerate was Gatorade. It kept me from getting dehydrated. Sipped on Gatorade for a few days, I think it kept me from having to go back to the hospital to get an IV for dehydration.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

I wore my bra as soon as they let me dress....and they didn't make me walk the halls because I got up and used the restroom and then got to go home. I did take a larger bra so it wouldn't be too tight around my ribcage, but I'm large chested and it was actually uncomfortable until I got the girls up and off my torso and suture sites. So if you're a bra wearer, take a comfy one.

[Cassy 0]

I'm staying in a hotel for 4 days afterward and then going home. I wanted to make sure all was well before I went home.

[AAA022414 13]

i was dying for CHAPSTICK right after surgery and for the next couple of days!!