Have a Tip

If you are going to have this surgery, or any surgery, here are some things you might want to consider.

Get to know your nurses. They really do care! I had the greatest nurses ever! (Not to mention the fact that they shared my love for Snoopy and the Peanuts gang!) Seriously- you are going to be with these people for a week. You had better like them. Be kind to them... even little things like saying thank you and not giving them a hard time about all the pain you're in. They're doing their best to make you as comfortable as possible.

Choose the date of the surgery during a month that is not a winter one. I am naturally cold all the time, and winters in Indiana make me shiver uncontrollably. I would tense up and be in extreme pain when outside. Also, I would have frequent muscle spasms. So if possible, I assume that around spring time would be the best. I was also unable to go outside to walk, which is really important to keep up while recovering. Going back and forth between the kitchen and living room gets old pretty quickly!

I mentioned this earlier, but try to have the surgery at a hospital near friends and family so they can come see you. Visitors really make time fly.

Get clothes that are practical for having surgery. I didn't like having a lot touching me like long pants, and sometimes even blankets. But it's different for everyone. One thing that really worked was a tanktop. They are so easy to get on, and then if you get cold, you can just put on a zip-up sweatshirt or something. You're not really going to be able to raise your arms up very easily, so make it as easy and painless as possible.

As I think of more things, I will continue to add to the list of tips.