Those of you who have had top surgery--what's the one piece of advice you wish you'd been given before your surgery? Could be about preparation, the surgery itself, recovery, whatever.
Thanks!
I've got 2 for ya, Clever!
1) Bring something to distract you the day of surgery - there's actually a lot of waiting involved. I just had my surgery yesterday and I checked in at 8:45, waited about 25 minutes, went back to the photo room to get changed and given instructions by a nurse, waited another 30 minutes for the anesthesiologist to go over my medical history again, then waited another 45 minutes until the doctor came in and did my marks. I would have been going totally crazy if just left to my ticker box brain during these moments! Bring a book (not just your phone, something to KEEP your attention) or a game or whatever - if you're at all into comics, these are great for not having to pay TOO much attention, but being absorbed. Something light and fun and funny is best. I took the book copy of Hyperbole and a Half and it was AWESOME - made the time fly by, could read along with my partner snuggled up on my shoulder, and made us both laugh until we cried. Exactly the spirits you want to be in
2) I was taking zinc, echinacea, and vitamin C up to the surgery to improve my immune system, and when I ran all these by the nurse in my pre-op she ok'ed them all, but when I spoke to the Dr. last night after surgery he said definitely to NOT take echinacea specifically, as it can worsen bleeding. It was definitely good to take all three in the weeks before to keep me healthy (also ate really healthy during this time) - I was TERRIFIED I'd get a cold (which I get rather easily... and have a 1.5 year old niece in daycare...) and wouldn't be able to have the surgery on time, so it also just made me feel emotionally more reassured. BUT I wish I'd known to dx them two weeks before.
Hope these are helpful and good luck! Lots of good stuff over in the stickied recovery update section too
Also, some kind of neck wrap that you can heat - this has been a lifesaver the past two days as I've had to sleep upright and it's totally killing my neck.
Honestly the biggest thing I regret not having was a neck pillow. They were 10 dollars at Marshalls and 30 at the airport. So I decided not to get one when I got to the location of my surgery. But if you're sleeping in a recliner that neck pillow will be your best friend I'm sure.
It was like the first on the list of things to get and I ignored it lol
I'd have been better prepared for the sleeping issue; instead, I just got lucky.
Personally, I could not sleep flat on my back or on my sides at all--the back position was super uncomfortable and the sides were just an impossibility due to the drains--so I felt like **** for the first day. Thankfully, my fiancée asked a neighbor to borrow this really awesome back support pillow she'd bought herself for one of her previous surgeries.
http://www.bedlounge.com/bedlounge/back-support-pillow?utm_source=merchantcenter&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=%7Bkeyword%7D&utm_campaign=BackSupportPillow&mkwid=scGwvpcns&crid=94515185885&mp_kw=&mp_mt=
It was the only way I could sleep until I got my drains out. If our neighbor hadn't had that thing... man, that would've been a rough week and a half.
Get a foam wedge and then you can use a pillow behind small of back and under your knees to be really comfortable.
Shave your chest before surgery.
I had to do it in the morning right before surgery, and nurses gave me a disposable razor with only two razors. Not only took it half an hour to get ready but I got acne some places, and it's still visible after 3 months. Never again.