Post LBL patients...any advice would be appreciated!

I am scheduling my date for an LBL tomorrow  and very nervous about the first 2 weeks post-op.  What "tid-bits" of advice could you give me to ease my mind...what would you do differently?  Raised toilet seat?  Recliner vs. lying down? 

I'm 3 days out from anchor cut TT and doing well.  We don't have a recliner so I have just been in bed using lots of pillows to get the degree of slant I want.  I always put one or two pillows under my knees as well.  The hard part is swinging sideways to get out of bed in a recliner you would not have that.  But, I always have someone helping me by pulling against and letting me up/down very slowly.  I am drinking tons of water so I'm up every hour or so to pee and I will walk around the living room a bit each time.  I stayed on my pain medicine every 4 - 6 hours yesterday.  Today going to more it out to 7 - 8 or so.  I'm not doing any lifting and very little bending.  I did not get a raised toilet seat.  I lean on the sink to lower myself down.  I posted before I'm so glad my quad muscles are strong because that has helped a bunch getting off and on the toilet. 

Get stool softeners and take them as soon as you get out of hospital. You do not want to deal with constipation or become impacted.

I did not get a toilet deat raiser, I became the master of squating and it was no issues because I was on stool softeners. I was able to sit on the toilet about 2 weeks post op.

I could not get in or out of the recliner. My best place for sleeping was on  the couch with my butt planted right on the edge between 2 cushions because there was no pulling at all.

I went back to basics as far as eating. I took it easy, stuck to protein and blander foods, and I was walking between bites to ensure there was no gas build up. You will want to be protein loading and ensure you get your vitamins in to help woth healing.

Best of luck with your surgery. I am 7 weeks out and it's gone by fast. The first few weeks were hard but they are already forgotten.

Based on my personal experience, the best advice I can offer you is -- The first month, do NOT get up at 5:30 AM in the morning and sneak into the kitchen to clean the floor just because it really, really bugs you to see it dirty.

Best of luck!

I used a lift recliner and a toilet seat riser which helped me tremendously.  The lift chair lifted me up to almost a standing position so I didn't need any help getting up and down.  I slept in that for a couple of weeks before I got to my bed.  My bed is really high and need help getting up and down from that.  I also used a grabber thingie to help pick up stuff off the floor when no one was around to pick it up for me.

Bev has great advice.  I would also add lip balm.  I don't know what the heck, I never use lip balm, but my lips were so dry they drove me crazy.
Oh, and take your pain meds at least on time if not slightly before they are due.
Best of luck today.
L.