Pre-op shopping list: helpful things you may not think of

Hi all (newbies especially)! I was thinking about "stuff I wished I'd have known before surgery" and I thought I'd toss it out in case those who are still doing their homework might find it useful.

Most of us try to figure out what to take to the hospital with us, and there are obvious things you'll need at home for recovery (blender, protein powder, etc.) but I found a lot of things that I sent my husband out to fetch in the days after I got home from the hospital. You might find these useful. All totally optional, of course, but worth thinking about!

* Plastic box for meds: It's helpful to have a spot to keep your painkillers, blood thinners (if prescribed), thermometer, laxatives/gas-x, and other medical stuff together.

* Muumuu: Yeah, it looks ridiculous, but you will look silly anyway. Having a big fuzzy housedress or caftan that doesn't rub against your incisions is a HUGE help! I got one at Ross for $8, and even though my Sainted Husband calls it "the single least sexy garment known to man," it was the best thing I bought pre-op.

* Body pillow: If you're a stomach or side sleeper, this will keep you from rolling onto your incisions while you nap. You can hug it while you sleep and ALMOST end up in your normal position!

* Shower bar: I was unsteady on my feet for at least a week, which made me nervous about falling down in the slippery shower. I found a sturdy suction-cup grab bar at the drugstore, and it made it TONS easier to get in and out and steady myself while I got cleaned up.

* Dixie cups: The little paper bathroom cups hold 3oz and were SUPER useful for measuring ou****er and broth in small quantities when I couldn't sip much at first. Sipping half of a teeny cup seems a lot more manageable than staring down a big water bottle when you're swollen and feeling like death!

* Extra blankets: When I got home, I was FREEZING-- and I live in Arizona! Make sure you've got extra blankets around, not to mention extra socks for your cold toes!

* Drinks in VARIETY: After surgery, you have no idea what will taste good, so stock up on lots of different things. Multiple flavors of jello, chicken/beef/veggie broth, several flavors of kool-aid/crystal light, different kinds of SF popsicles, whatever your surgeon allows in your "stage 1" diet for clear and/or full liquids. What tasted good pre-op may turn your stomach when you get home!

* Ice pack: The entire right side of my abdomen was super sore for 3 or 4 days post-op. The discharge nurse suggested ice, and it really worked! You can use a bag of frozen veggies, a freezer bag of ice cubes, or a fancy gel-pack, whichever you happen to have on hand.

Hope this helps! :)

Thanks for the tips! You don't mind if I c&p this?  Thanks Linda

Please do! :)

Thank you!  I'm going in on may 21st. Thank you so much for this.

I don't think I would have thought of the small Dixie cups or a shower grab bar.

I saw one youtube video where a woman ate her greek yogurt out of a pretty shot glass.

Thank you for the reference, I really appreciate it. 

7 days until surgery 😃

The countdown begins! Hang in there as you enter the final stretch, you can do it! :-D

Single least sexy thing known to man I freaken love it. Marriage is so different then dating. We sleep in much different clothes after being together a while don't we?lol

LOL maybe! My husband and I have always been the type to pick "lounge around the house in our PJ pants with a bottle of diet Coke and the Xbox" over getting dolled up for dinner and a movie, but I will certainly admit that I'm looking forward to buying something other than plain white granny panties now :-p

Yeah I can imagine. I was excited to be able to buy pants at walmart and never want to go back to Casual Male ever again. Although I will have an interview soon so I will need to get a new outfit. I will most likely get that at Vanity Fair.