Surgery top ten creature comfort hints

Ok I admit it, I am a controlling control freak planner listmaker. I am a dispatcher and those dispatchers out there will know exactly who I am!

Can people share their top ten (or one) creature comforts for hospital stay and return home. I have earplugs, sleep mask and new pillows and sheets but what else should I be getting together? I am coming home to my home and will have someone all day and night to help for the first day or so and then I have help coming for an hour in the am and an hour in the evening(mainly because I live alone and like it that way) to help me out and to walk the dog. What was the best thing that helped after surgery short term?

I don't see your surgery date but will assume it's soon

Here are some links to information you may find helpful:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/articles/photographing-your-weigh t-loss-surgery-journey

http://www.obesityhelp.com/articles/weight-loss-surgery-hosp tial-stay-what-to-pack

http://www.obesityhelp.com/articles/four-on-the-floor-self-c are-after-weight-loss-surgery

We can't wait to hear from you post-op!

I see the surgeon later this month and then anywhere from two weeks to two months! Thanks for the resources.

Here's my list. Honestly, I was pretty miserable for the first week, so not much "comfort" to be had!

• Pain meds
• Water bottle
• Lots of water flavors (crystal light, Mio, etc.)
• Gas-X
• More pain meds
• Warm fuzzy socks
• A grab bar for the shower (once I was cleared to wash up)
• A body pillow to hang onto as I rolled myself out of bed
• A mumuu that didn't rub on my incisions the way pajama pants did
• Did I mention pain meds?

But what about pain meds? lol thanks

I live alone also, I don't have a recliner in my home, so I bring one of my outside anti-gravity recliners inside, throw a fuzzy blanket on it and use that as one of my alternate places to hang out. Can't stand being in one place, plus can elevate my feet.

I use travel mugs for my fluids to keep them hot or cold longer, and I have a Contigo that doesn't leak, and has a push button to open a small hole for drinking....so I can drink from it when semi-reclining.

I have a medical cane someone gave me once, I don't actually walk with it, but it is helpful with getting from sitting to standing to have some leverage.

For clear liquids I always like to get a quart of chicken broth from the chinese restaurant. Just a different flavor and tastes like chinese food.

Tic tacs were my friend post surgery. I had lots of nausea, and just letting one melt in my mouth the mint helped.

Also SF Popsicles, never ate them before in my life, but right after surgery they are refreshing, and something solid that counts as a liquid.

Try different temp liquids, what everyone finds easier is different. You can heat premier protein to be a hot chocolate if that is tastier. Or people use the vanilla as creamer.

Great hints. I actually might now have living room furniture at the time of surgery and I never even thought of that. I guess I will keep one of the old armchairs before the new stuff arrives. I did not think of warming a shake but the chinese broth is such a great idea!

If you end up having a tube-type of drain after your surgery, and you can find it, Glad Press n Seal placed over your drain bandages ( that you have to change frequently) was so super easy and useful to have. The nurses in the hospital showed me that trick. I would change my bandage, rip off a nice big piece of Press n Seal-big enough to cover bandage and skin around it, and just seal up the bandage underneath the stuff. It holds the gauze/pads/bandages in place and keeps it totally covered.

Having to use medical tape multiple times a day for days on end makes for very painful skin. The Press n Seal seals everything up nicely, and even made showering with my drain easier the first couple of days. My skin was a little itchy and slightly irritated by the time my drain was pulled, but I am pretty sure it would have been much worse with medical tape on my bandages.

I was fine on day two. I was in the hospital overnight and home by 2 pm day after surgery. That day I slept a lot. I didn't use any pain meds after that. I cooked dinner for my family on Night 1 home. Really. I would have someone walk the dog for you because of possible pulling, but I have a 60 pound border collie who likes to herd things. Other than that, I wish my family had left me alone.

Thanks hope mine goes as smoothly. The dog is only a wee sheltie but she is lame and needs to be carried up and down stairs so I actually have worried more about her needs than mine!