How did you prepare for coming home?

Well, the date is fast approaching (less than a week away), so how did you prepare yourself and home for your return home?

I am started making out a grocery list for foods for the hubby, but there are going to be things like broth and juice that I will need.

What about sleeping arrangements, did you have to sleep on the couch for the first night or two or did you use a whole bunch of pillos to sleep in bed?

All advice will help. Thanks!

My first night home was just fine. I slept in my own bed on my left side. I couldn't go on my right side cause it hurt to much. Other than that, its been a very smooth transition for me. The foods that I had here were broth, jello, SF popsicles which btw are a lifesaver!!! I has Premier chocolate rtd protein shakes from Costco. I am just 2 weeks post op so still learning what works and what doesn't...

Oh for your hospital stay... Make sure to have chapstick and biotene dry mouth spray!! Best thing ever!!

Good luck on your journey!! See you on the other side!!

A couple things I can think of.
I wanted to come home to a clean house, so I cleaned.
I had heard my tastes would change after surgery (and they did), so I had a plethora of different protein powders and RTD shakes on hand (still do).
I bought lots of broth, and I had lot of tea on hand. Warm liquids were much easier for me right after surgery.
I bought disposable medicine cups, each 1oz. I think I bought 100 of them for a couple dollars, and these really came in handy. Right after surgery I had to sip really slowly, and it was easier to keep track of fluids this way. I also had to crush my pills after surgery, and my husband would put them with some SF applesauce in one of these cups, it was the only way I could stomach them.
On that note, if you take medication regularly, you may want to find out if your doc will allow whole pills when you are discharged, and if not you might invest in a pill crusher.
Do you have a food scale? That is probably the single most used item in my kitchen, it will be very handy later on.  
The sleep thing you will probably get many different answers on, I slept in my recliner for quite a while, just couldn't get comfortable in bed with any amount of pillows. I'm a back/side sleeper.
That's about all I can think of now, I'll edit later if I think of more.

Things for the hospital:
Slippers or socks with tread on the bottom
Chapstick
baby wipes or face wipes
hair brush
hair ties
change of clothes to come home in
shoes that dont have to be tied and can slip on while you are standing.
possibly a button front sleep set or sleep shirt
dry shampoo

Things for home:
extra pillows for the bed
popsicles
jello
broth
measuring spoons for liquid meds if needed
protein shots

Don't take much to the hospital it wont get used and is at risk of disappearing. Clean the house and do the laundry then make sure you are stocked on things for the house so you don't have to run out for toilet paper or shampoo.

I made sure the house was clean, the laundry was done, and the fridge was stocked for both my husband and son and for myself. I had several kinds of broth, a selection of sample-sized protein powders, ready-to-drink shakes, Isopure protein drinks, and flavorings for water. Also made protein Popsicles out of Syntrax Nectar Carribean Cooler and Roadside Lemonade flavors. The medicine cup idea for tracking your water is a good idea. Hydration is your big focus at first. I slept in bed with lots of pillows. Good luck to you!

for the first week I had to sleep on the couch with alot of pillows (almost like sleeping sitting up) because my stomach hurt to lay back and sit up out of bed. As i recovered it got better. I would ask for an abdominal wrap in the hospital (if your DR allows you to wear one) It def. helped w the discomfort for me. And they are free at the hospital! and can get expensive at the store. hope this helps!

I couldn't lie down for the first few days at home.  I think it was around day 4 (actually night 4) that I was able to lay down for a very short period of time and sleep.  Otherwise, I was sitting up.  I had a drain and that also made it uncomfortable to lay down -- I'm a side/back sleeper.  Once the drain came out (after a week) I was able to sleep much more comfortably in bed.   

I sleep alone, so sleeping in my own bed was amazing. Getting out of bed was near impossible. I wanted something to pull myself up on. A bedside table would have been great.

I got my Hamilton beach smoothie blender. I bought broth and it was terrible. It was more like chicken stock. The best was OXO cup of soup. I bought ramickens to use as dishes. I also kept LOTS of beverage choices in the fridge.

I wish I had more than one pair of yoga pants. I lived in them.

I had 3 weeks between booking my surgery and heading south for it. I spent most of that time cleaning, chucking stuff out and rearranging our bedroom to include a sewing corner for myself. (I would need to sew a bridesmaid dress shortly after getting home)

I also shopped for broth (Better Than Buillon is your friend), tea and an assortment of protein drinks. I bought incredibly cute and teeny dishes, ****tail forks and spoons. I froze small portions of cooked chicken and homemade soups. I LOVE my wee cutlery and use it every day to help me keep my bites small.

Unlike many people I was sleeping curled up on my side by 2 days after my surgery. It was a little bit awkward wriggling onto my side, but not actually painful. When we got home I had no trouble at all sleeping in our own bed. There's a bit of a knack to lying down and getting up from bed without using your stomach muscles, but I learned it years ago. (2 babies by c-section and a hernia repair)

I'm one of the lucky ones. Although I had several bouts of pain and nausea during my first 3 days after surgery, the nurses dealt with it quickly every time. Once Dr Campos gave me meds for a large gas bubble and pulled out my drain (felt a bit odd but didn't hurt at all) all of my pain and nausea were over. Goofily, I asked for pain meds on discharge not because I was in pain, but because I was afraid I *would* be. I never had any incisional or gas pain past that point. I did TIRE easily for the first couple of weeks, but that was all.

Once we were back in San Diego we rested, then called a cab and went shopping. The next day we skipped the cab and walked the few blocks to the bus stop and headed off for more shopping. The following evening was our last and we went for a lovely long walk along the waterfront. (we stayed on Shelter Island) I'm sure all of the walking was a big part of me feeling so well. (and it sure got that gas moving out!)

Something worth knowing. Your tastes change temporarily after surgery. A big shock for me was finding Crystal Light purely vile. (tastes fine now) Since hydration is your MOST important priority after surgery, have lots of options available. One of the few things that tasted ok was filtered water with a little unsweetened fruit juice added. (maybe 1/2 cup in a standard water bottle)