I wish I would have known...

What do you wish you would have known about your hospital stay?  What about your first few days home?  My surgery is in a couple weeks and I'm sure a lot of you have great advice. 

I took a pillow for the ride home. I placed the pillow over my tummy under the seat belt. Good luck.

Thanks.  I never thought about the seat belt!

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery!  The only things that I used were my bathrobe and slippers for walking the halls, my toothbrush and paste, hairbrush, and most important pillow as the above poster mentioned. 

My stay was 2 nights. The nurses were great. I asked to be off the pain pump right away as I am a recovering addict. Had reactions to the oral pain meds so I took Percocet for the rest of my stay and 1 day at home. Had my surgery on a Monday and was walking the mall on Friday. I did sleep in a recliner for 4 nights. After that I was in my bed.

I had no problem with getting my fluids in but some do, just keep sipping and walking. I was lucky and only had gas pains for a couple hours after surgery.

Good luck and enjoy the journey! 

I hope my recovery goes as well as yours did.  Thanks for the advice!

Thanks everyone. I haven't had my surgery yet and watching all the posts and the pillow is a great idea!

Like another posted, all I used in the hospital was slippers and the hospital gowns. lol I had NO interest in getting dressed even though I walked the halls hour after hour.  Going home, I put on the same clothes I wore to the hospital and the rest of my suitcase was unused.  Basic toiletries are the only thing you need.

I wish I had paid more attention to the pain meds they gave me.  After a week at home I realized I was on a mix of Percoset and Oxycodone and that I was basically stoned.  Took 2 days to get it out of my system to where I started to feel like my brain was working again.  Off the meds I had a harder time getting all my water in (still do 11 weeks post op) but never felt any real pain.  The whole thing was relatively pain free for me so I guess I was lucky.  But the meds....woo boy...the first week after surgery was such a haze.  I had to ask my hubby to fill me in on what happened!

I should have brought nothing but a long phone charger and a pair of headphones and the clothes I wore in. 

The pillow is a good idea.  The ab muscles were painful first couple days at home.

Hospital stay...walk all you can...I had to get up and pee few times during the night (the IVs of course) and so I would walk the hall each time. The doc sent me home next day after surgery...said if I could walk the middle of the night (yes the nurses told on me lol) then I was good to go.

Do not forget to bring home cell phone and or tablet chargers. I left both of mine at the hospital.  They found them and held them for me til me 1 week post op check....thank goodness I had extra USB at home adn I could charge them on my laptop til I got them.  All I packed was toiletries and clean underwear.  Wore home what I went in.  Might want a couple mags or a book but that's it.

Good Luck!