big update - request

At the hospital- The typical toothbrush, hairbrush stuff, and- The Fan (A oscillating Fan, not an admirer.) And Chap Stick are tops of My list. Small CD or tape player with headphones And the music that makes you dreamy or happy. Some even suggest ‘ear-plugs’ to block out all of the hospital noise. Baby wipes also head the list as do those- Dental sponges for washing your teeth Withou****er or toothpaste, while you are NPO. (this is only for some) Brush-Ups? And another brand That I can’t remember the product name, But they were great. While you’re at the hospital "snag-up" Some of those little 1oz pill cups they always bring your meds in. Back at home they are instant measuring devices. I also brought a couple of extra pillows from home, Propped them under my arms at the elbows. Don’t think I could have slept, even on the morphine without them. On my last trip to the hospital I had one of those little soft "bean bag pillows" I don’t know the name, but Wal-Mart sells them. They feel wonderful. Go ahead and get a "baby spoon" too. I know it sounds ridiculous, But when you first start having even "cream soups" and yogurt You want to make sure that you are taking insanely small bites And the baby-spoon does help in that. Get the rubber coated baby spoon. Most of them are that type anyway And when just home from surgery, any "metal taste" Will gag you. Everything tasted like old pennies To me when I first started having full liquids. And some of the small Glad disposable Tupperware-like containers for your return home. Once you move to yogurt and cream soups, You won’t be able to use up a full container in a day. I’d just plop a can of tomato soup into the container, Take out the large table spoon of it to put in a bowl, Add the water to the bowl and throw it in the microwave. Put a date on the lid of the Glad Container and pop it in the fridge. That way I wasn’t re-heating the same Thinned down soup again and again. And I also knew what I should eat Before I opened another can of something. Don’t worry about the baby spoon staining. For some reason the soft rubber coated ones, Stain at the touch of tomato soup. Just wa**** with a little baking soda And throw it in with the rest of the dishes. It may look a touch dingy, but it’s clean. Large heating pad was helpful at home. The hospital would not let me use my own, But they provided one. Don’t "stock up" on any food item that you think You will use, because your sense of taste Will be screwed up, and something you think you Like now, may taste like crap Post-Op. There will be that sticky residue from the tape for your IV. I was in the hospital for quite a while, so it became an issue. Those fingernail polish remover pads worked great. Just make sure to wash the site thoroughly after And use some good Moisturizing Lotion, The acetone in fingernail polish remover Can really dry out a patch of skin. I’ve seen people recommend just Baby-oil, But it didn’t do it for me. Could have been the arm hair. Most recent- WD-40! (a Men’s Board addition- experts with tape gum stuck in hairy arms!) The SF Popsicyles were wonderful, So was the SF Jell-O. The most important thing to take to the hospital however, Is an advocate. A spouse or family member Who can see to it that you are getting excellent care. Those poor nurses are run ragged going from room to room, And even when you have the best floor staff in the world, Typically understaffing stretches them thin. Having some one there to ask- "The pain meds for this room were due And were asked for 20 minutes ago, Is there something that could be done to expedite this? "Is the Dr. on the floor yet? "There seems to be some new redness and swelling Around the IV site. Could you come look at this? The bed dressing in this room wasn’t changed This morning as it usually is, is there someone we should call? Someone who is CALM, Rational, And Who loves You! Is the greatest thing to have at the hospital. You will then be more than a blinking light on the panel To a staff member who is already facing a row of them And each case may be a life and death situation. Once home, I was very happy to have rented a large Recliner! Without it I’m not sure I could have slept. Foot Scrub. Yes, An exfoliating Foot scrub lotion/cleanser. My skin was beyond dry once I got home. It was as if my feet were trapped inside of 2 or 3 layers of dead skin. Nothing felt as good as getting all of that dry dead skin off. As the first couple of weeks wore on? A hand exercise, Stress reliever ball. A little "squishy" rubber ball that I would squeeze while watching TV Or anytime. It gave my fore-arms exercise and in fact, These little devils do relieve stress. At night I was thankful for my sleep aids. I had asked my Dr. for something To help me sleep back at the hospital And he had given me Benadryl. It helped me to sleep and it Counteracted the maddening itch caused by the Morphine. Once home, I was able to have a Benadryl At night and fall softly off to sleep. I used a "sports bottle" to get in my sips of water, And I never left it out of my reach for the first 4 months. Oh, ---New battery in the TV remote!