Tuesday, January 12, 2010

1 Week Prep

So this time next week I'll be doing my last minute prep work, getting all my post-op care stuff organized and counting down the minutes! The doctor's office called last week with a not-so-informative last minute pre-op talk. They didn't give me a lot of suggestions on what to expect or how to prepare. My nurse explained that I will go home with drains & return to the doctor probably five days after surgery to have them removed and inspected. I've been ordered to wear some sort of track suit or comfortable clothing that zips/buttons in the front. The worst order is that I can't have any herbal tea for two weeks :(....tea is my saviour at work and throughout the day. I think I'm going to start thinking of all junk food as being banned from the doctor because it has been an effective way of keeping me away from temptation!

So, for the sake of having everything that I think I will need for after surgery, I'm relying on message boards, blogs, and other plastic surgery websites to give me the lowdown on how to prepare. One of my favorite sites for everything tummy tuck is tuckthattummy.com. They have great guides for recovery, preparing, grocery/must have lists, and even information on the post-operation blues & the highs and lows. It's been a huge help!

So, from all my research, here's my list:

Groceries: Yogurt, Protein Shakes, Crackers (low sodium to prevent too much swelling), Gatorade, Pudding/Jello, Fruit juice, lemon (to cut down on swelling), string cheese, and lots of soup.

I keep hearing about "swell hell" and want to avoid any foods that may contribute. I also hear about the joys of constipation post-op....there will be a big ol' box of Fibre One bars to help with that.

My other prep list/buy list consists of the following:
Granny Panties two sizes too big to fit the drains in, heating pad, comfy robe, baby wipes for the days I can't shower and want to feel somewhat clean, hand sanitizer for handling drains, taraseptic wash for showering night before and morning of surgery. I've also been looking for a small breakfast in bed type tray for my laptop so I can lay in bed & not place my laptop on my stomach....no luck so far.

I've paid for the anesthesia, I'll call on the day before my surgery to get my time to go in, and yeah....I think i'm good to go. I don't feel mentally prepared yet. The date is coming up very fast & not that i'm having second thoughts, but I'm starting to get last minute jitters. I've been reading through message boards every morning and night to hear peoples experiences pre/post-op. It has been very useful but also has made me realize that the next few weeks will not be easy. I'm thankful that I have a busy week ahead of me to keep my mind off the countdown & to keep me active.

I shall post in one more week for my last entry before going under the knife.

K

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