One week and counting down to my lbl.
Sounds like you have a pretty good list there. I would also add Paper Tape & chapstick. Paper tape helps hold the pads in place while you pull the garment up. Also, once you start showering, it's helpful to have a long ribbon or something similar to hold the drain tubes so it frees up your hands to wash yourself. I used safety pins to hold them onto a piece of ribbon. Just be careful not to tug on the tubing.
If you have trouble finding unscented pads at the store like I did, check the store brand of your local pharmacy. I found generic unscented thin maxis at Walgreen's. I had a lot of oozing at the sites where they drained fluid and where the drains came out. The pads absorbed enough and didn't soak thru to the compression garment. I only had 2 garments and one day had to wash them both because I wasn't prepared. I tried to be, but couldn't find the unscented prior to surgery. The pads also cost much less than the non-stick bandages.
I had a hard time getting up out of the bed once I did start sleeping in it. If you can put something there like a chair to give you something to grab, it helps. Whenever you are going to be alone, have your wife put things in easy reach for you.
Good luck and I hope your "boys" don't give you too much trouble. :)
Thanks Kat. I picked up both paper tape and chapstick this weekend. My dr. gives patients a lanyard to hold the drains. I have put my wife on the trail for the mais but also bought some absorbing gauze pads. I'll keep your chair tip in mind for when I get back to the bed. For a while it will be all recliner all the time. I'm sure I'll live through the boys issues but geeze, that doesn't sound fun at all.... 4 more days.
I've had a LBL, and wow.. that was an experience. Best thing I ever did. There's nothing like not having to find shirts long enough to cover your tummy.
I eventually had a problem with the adhesive tape. I found I had to find a new place to tape every time I changed my bandage. My skin would just turn red, and you could see where every piece of tape had adherred. I ended up using more and more guaze than I needed just to extend the point where the adhesive would touch my skin. There's some stretch adhesive-free tape that is pretty expensive that I used. You can find it in any store, even Walmart.
If I had to do it again, and I will when I have my revision, I think I'm just going to get a few wide ace-bandages to wrap around my abdomen, over the gauze. I actually think it would be cheaper than the new fangled tape.
Good luck to you
