Must haves.....

As I prepare for surgery I am curious as to what you consider to be the top five things you had ready and waiting for you once you returned home from surgery.  Meaning those little or big things that made a world of difference in you comfort and recovery.

SF popsicles

Different samples of proteins - including good quality unflavored

Decaf coffee (so I could make my drinks less sweet)

Vegies or chicken broth

Benadryl and  benadryl cream (for later - the incisions itch) (i took benadryl with my pain pills to help with nausea and itch from narcotics - ask a doc if that is OK) 

Sugar free popcicles saved the day

Good slippers.  My doc recommended 10 min of walking every hour.  I paced the halls.

Like others said, a variety of protein powders.  Some didn't work as well for me after surgery.

A tervis tumbler.  It made it easier (maybe this was in my head) to sip without air getting in.

Good luck!!!

1.  lots of pillows on the bed  2. a recliner to nap in  3.  prescription strength liquid Tylenol  4.  my DH to be there just in case something goes wrong  5.  pantry and frig stocked with all the things to eat/drink the first few days 

One thing I did was get my kitchen organized. I also threw away all of the crap in the house. I think one of my best buys was a new set of measuring cups and spoons. Tine plate are good to. I did buy little spoons and forks.

Best wishes on your surgery. 

• Sugar free popsicles (only Popsicle brand - most store brands have sorbitol which did a number on my stomach)
• A step stool to get in and out of bed (never realized how high my bed was...)
• Ready to drink protein drinks in assorted flavors
• Mini 3 oz. throw away plastic cups (helped me track how many ounces of fluid)
• Miralax (pain meds cause major constipation, best to stay ahead of it)  ask your doc though...

Good luck!

I wish I had Unjury chicken broth. I do much better with warm liquids now and I had a great deal if broth, but wish I had the protein boost from this product. 

When's your date?  I am 2 weeks post op today...doing really good!  I had been having diarrhea in mornings since like fourth day post op but dr said it usually goes away n today so far doing great!  A bit excited I get to add lean deli meats today ...not been hungry at all...drink two shakes a day n eat like 4 T of oatmeal for breakfast, scrambled egg for lip inch,4T Greek yogurt supper...or oatmeal again.  I am down 16.2 pounds as of today...and feel good.  I'm going to try and walk today on treadmill or outside n see how I do..never been an exerciser..bought a new treadmill over weekend...so we shall see.  Good luck...keep me posted.  Five things I had...protein shakes,sf jello,sf Popsicles,my own pillow,and pain meds which I weened myself off of by week one.  Seriously, I feel good not even hungry...I did take a cup to measure water in...my biggest challenge...drinking water..so far I'm doing it up to 45-50 oz a day.  Best wishes...n my staples never itched...lol...keep thinking of stuff.  😉

A protein shake you actually like. This made the difference in whether I could actually get my protein in or not. Luckily my hubby had surgery 2 weeks after me so we had a big, varied supply on hand.

Lots of smooth (chunk-free) Greek yogurt if you're allowed to have it. This was part of the liquid phase for me and made a nice alternative to protein shakes.

Your prescription for pain meds filled ahead of time.

All the chewable vitamins you'll need for the first month post-op so you don't have to think about buying them while you're recovering.

A trusted individual to help out for a week or two with childcare, dishes, cleaning, walking the dog, scooping the litter box, etc.

Thanks for posting this! The answers are really helpful!