May surgeries coming up-need some vets

 I know I have seen the posting on what you need to have ready for when you come home from surgery, but I have gone back 20 pages and cannot locate the items.  Can some of you let us know what all we need to have prepared and what was the best item(s) that was a life saver for you.  My surgery is one month from today!

I'll jump in!
I suggest portioned protein foods easily prepared and add to your protein consumption for healing.
Many recommend the recliner or extra pillows in bed.
Take pain meds regularly to avoid major pain that can become unbearable.
Wipes were always my new best friend not just for toileting but small spills.
Help at home-keep water and other sundry items in your main places thst you will hang out.
I hope this helps.
Mikimi in Israel

You didn't say what type of plastics you are getting. If you are getting a LBL or TT, the recliner is very helpful. I got one from rent a center for I think 120 a month or thereabouts, plus 250 deposit. Also an area set up right by where you'll be spending time that has things you need to reach easily like water, meds, remote, snacks, electronics, lotions, reading material, phone, etc.

You should get up and walk around a lot, and make sure you do not sit in one position or you'll end up with a pressure wound like me! But it's helpful to have things all in one place so you can get up when you are ready, not just because you don't have things on hand.

 I had things set out that I would need on the counter. Like blender, cups and plates ect... You probably want comfy yoga pants, slip on shoes, some use a fanny pack for your drains, I used the pockets in my robe or zip up sweatshirt. Im sure I will think of more to add later. 

Jennifer

I rented a medical recliner and am so glad to have it.

Clean linens, a clean house were great to come home to.

Having soft foods and some soups on hand was helpful, as well as crackers .. Something to take with my pain meds.

Right next to my recliner, I have a bowl (in case of nausea), I have all of meds and a notepad to keep track of the times I took stuff.

Lip balm, Kleenex within reach.

I also have a hiking stick, and used it for the first few days to help me stand up.

Oh yea, I want to second what the above posters said. Have things you need in a place where you won't have to bend over, and get your house really clean as you might not be able to clean for a while. Also I made sure a lot of my bills and paperwork were taken care of as much as possible. While this is a morbid thought, a living will or will would be a prudent thing to have in place.

A recliner and a grabber to pick up things off the floor was my lifesaver items.  Good Luck!

Thanks everybody for all the great suggestions.  I am having a Fleur de lis tummy tuck with muscle repair and double hernia repair.  I am renting me a lift chair from Rent A Center and I already have a raised toliet seat chair.  I know a lot of people say that they walked stooped over for the first few days.  Did you need a walker to get around with and were you able to use a heating pad on your back for the pain of being bent over for so long?

I dod not have a problem with standing up straight.

The first day, my husband stood straight in front of me and sort of pulled me out of the chair.

The next day, I raised the recliner and used my walking stick to get my balance and help me walk. I had no problems walking around the house.

I ate very lightly for 3 days before surgery and took my ducolax ... I wanted to be cleaned out and not have to poop for a few days.

I had no problem with squatting ... Going to the bathroom was no problem post op.

If your family is used to home cooking, you might want to stock the freezer before your surgery.

It is just me and my husband and he is totally self-sufficient, so I only stocked up on soft foods for myself for a few days.

I second the idea of keeping a pad & pen around to note when you take your meds - it's easy to forget otherwise.  Get up and move around a lot.  The problem with sleeping in the recliner is you stay on your back the entire time and that causes fluids to pool.  I would wake up about every 3 hours or so due to discomfort from being in one position.  I'd walk around as much as possible, then take another pain pill, walk some more and go back to sleep for a while.   The first couple of nights though, I still had to get some help from my husband to get up and down.

In my case I had the breast implants along with a full body lift and tummy tuck.  My surgeon wanted me to keep my lower abs "soft" which meant not standing up straight and tighening the skin or muscles.  However, because of the incision all the way around, I couldn't lean too far without pulling on the rear stitches.   Hence the need for walking hunched or bent over. 

Try to have someone there to help you for at least the better part of a week.   My two must haves were the lift recliner and raised toilet seat.  Have a long shoestring or something that you can tie up your drain bags with while you shower so they don't hang and pull.   Pain meds are your friends, don't wait until you're really hurting to take them, try to stay ahead of the pain.  

I kept my iPhone and ear buds by my side and would listen to healing meditations every time I was ready to sleep.  I have about 8-10 and would put them on shuffle and typically slept through them all but it also helped me to sleep.  Once I stopped taking the pain meds I was able to focus more and did a lot of reading.  

My husband was amazing.  When I hopped in the shower, he would toss my towels in the dryer so they'd be warm for me when I was done.  Before I'd get in the recliner, he would do the same with my blanket and then tuck me in.  Oh, even with the recliner, it does help to still have a pillow under your knees.   And we bought a twin size foam mattress pad for it and covered it with a sheet as well.   I don't know if it was the pain meds or what, but I frequently woke up with night sweats so I didn't have to worry about damaging the chair. 

I got very good at grabbing things with my toes instead of bending over when I dropped things.  And since you've got a month left, I really, really, really recommend working out several times a week focusing on your legs & abs.  It'll make it so much easier for you to get up and down if you don't have to use your arms as much. 

Good luck.  The first couple of weeks I really wondered why the heck I put myself through it all, but now at nearly 7 weeks, I'm very happy with the results. 

tg