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Post by helpinghand on Jan 1, 2010 17:45:20 GMT -5
What were your top most helpful things that were done post operation?
My GF is going in for surgery in a week and I have no idea what to do for her now,emotionally and physically, while shes in surgery and for her in the two weeks she has off to recover. Its her first operation and were both nervous. Recovery seems to be a less discussed topic due to the anxity, stress, unsertanty, and fear associated with waiting for a surgery. So I would like to ask all who have large and small tips and tricks on what to do to prepair for the post-op recovery time. Food that works, activities that she/we can do, clothing to have available, etc. The answers may widely very but one or two small things could help us, the family, friends, boyfriends, husbands, alike, to make the recovery as comfortable and successful as possible. If you would, list off the things that were helpful for you post-op. Thanks a ton and Happy New Year.
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Post by hellsbells on Jan 1, 2010 18:40:51 GMT -5
Hello, nice to see a bloke on here! You haven't said what the op is - can you give us more info?
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Post by Karen on Jan 1, 2010 19:27:58 GMT -5
Hey, welcome to the board! A man!! First off, you already get brownie points for asking. And it's a good question! I'm with atherhel - can you give some more details on what she's going in for? I'm assuming a laparoscopy for endo/suspected endo since that's the type of forum you're on, but any other info would be good. A few things she/you can do before the surgery is to prep her house. Do all the stuff that needs to be done before hand (dishes, laundry, pick up, etc.) so it doesn't have to be done when she's not feeling well. Put on clean sheets, too! They may or may not tell her after the surgery what they found - they may have her wait until her post-op appointment. If you get a chance to talk to the doc/nurse afterward while she's recovering, ask what they found/did - and take notes so you can tell her (and remember) when she's more alert. As for food, unless her doc says otherwise, regular foods should be fine, but some women have scratchy throats afterward for a day or two because of the breathing tube. Something soothing and non-scratchy might help that, like warm tea, soup, you get the idea. Super comfy clothes, especially comfy pants are a must! A lot of women are swollen a bit after surgery and jeans might not fit for a bit, nor would they be rather comfy. Stuff that's easy to get on would be helpful, too. Oh, and maybe some movies to watch. It can get very boring just laying around. And even though she'll likely be moving around within a few days, make her take it easy. Most women feel a lot better within a few days and think they can get right back to what they used to do but find out afterward that they overdid it and are tired/sore/achy/crabby because of it. Recovery can really vary from girl to girl, but hope that helps! Oh, and if you REALLY want brownie points, I heard of people getting recovery gift baskets - comfy clothes/socks, books, dvds, gift cards for take-out food, you get the idea. Edited to add: If she's having a hard time getting out of bed, someone once suggested taking a bed sheet and kind of folding it up and tucking it under the mattress right about where her hands hit when she's lying down. That way, she can grab the sheet and use it to help her up. Otherwise, I had good success with rolling over on my side and sliding off that way.
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Post by cherry on Jan 2, 2010 6:05:15 GMT -5
Hi welcome to the board, it's considerate of you to take the initiative to find things out on your girlfriend's behalf. Karen's made some great points and so I'll add on my advice in addition to hers. Peppermint - women will often experience pain from gas used during the op, so it's a good idea to have mints (sugar free or classic whichever is preferred) or peppermint tea. A good backrub may also help dispell gas that's causing pain, a bit like burping a baby. Careful driving - try to avoid speedbump-ed areas or bumpy roads if driving your lady round after surgery, especially when taking her home from the op. It can be unbelievably painful to go through a bumpy car journey even if she seems to feel ok. Time off - if you can, get some time off to spend with her, or arrange for early finishes and someone to spend time with her. Even if it's just time enough to get her up in the morning, it'll help her to be set up for the day, and that makes all the difference, to have everything set out in easy reach and to be bathed and feel fresh whilst there's someone there in case you need a hand. Set up a sofa - she may get bored with being in bed after a day, so if you set up the sofa in the living room with a blanket, cushions and a pillow, it's probably easier to reach things and get up from a sofa too. Poo - You may want to keep high fibre food on hand, as sometimes post-op it can be painful to go to the loo, so generally, the softer the better. Sorry if it's tmi, it's just that the last thing you want is your lady nearly crying with the pain of a simple little task like that.
I agree with Karen, a little gift basket would be super sweet.
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Post by JC on Jan 2, 2010 10:21:07 GMT -5
Hello! I'll throw my 5 cents in! 1. REST AS LONG AS YOU CAN! Like Karen said above, you start feeling better pretty quickly and figure out the hard way that you've done too much. There is a lot that went on behind those tiny incisions and that should always be remembered.
2. A small pillow to hold over the abdomen while moving around was my best friend. Like the decorative pillows on couches are good. I had one of those cashew shaped pillows you use on airplanes to hold over my stomach when I tried to sit up or walk and it was GREAT! Bring it to the hospital so when she goes home she can use it to walk/sit/stand. Seriously, it's a necessity.
3. Nobody told me this but she'll NEED PADS! She will have some vaginal bleeding after and if she's a tampon woman she wont have any in supply. Sorry buddy to be graphic but I found myself stranded without them after my surgery and it sucked the big one.
4. I agree with Cherry on the fiber thing. For some reason the anesthesia backs you up and it takes a long ass time before you get to go poo again. It can be quite painful but if you take care of it early and start consuming fiber then maybe she can avoid that drama.
5. Have a very easily accesible table right next to the bed with her medications, water, phone, whatever you can think of. Have it in arms reach to make it easy on her. I had these face wipe thingies from oil of olay and they were awesome! I could just reach over and wipe my face clean without even leaving the bed. It was very refreshing especially after laying in bed all day feeling nasty.
Hope this helps! I applaud you for taking care of her.!!!
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Post by hellsbells on Jan 2, 2010 12:49:20 GMT -5
Hi again - everything the girls have told you.........plus, I only had mine about 10 days ago. Even straight home from the hospital I carried my little suitcase upstairs. Thought there was nothing wrong me. WRONG!!!!!!!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, no matter how well she says she feels, for at least two weeks do anything for her that needs doing, take away as much of her bending over (oo-errr missus - that'll be off the cards for a while!), stretching, twisting etc. Do the housework, she won't want to sit around in a mess. Just do as much as you can and stop her doing as much as you can. She will need time to heal.
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Post by hellsbells on Jan 2, 2010 12:49:50 GMT -5
Oh, and make sure there's a good supply of decent painkillers around........
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Post by JC on Jan 2, 2010 18:08:12 GMT -5
Rub her feet, stand with a giant palm leaf and fan her, clean her house... cater to her every need. LOL I bet he's regretting asking us. HAHAHAA! We're just messing with ya buddy. lol
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Post by helpinghand on Jan 4, 2010 18:08:47 GMT -5
Thank you ladies, your tips are great. She is having laparoscopy for endo/suspected endo in two days. After the surgery she'll be staying at her parents house for three days or so, where there will be plenty of help and comfy space to rest. Then she'll return home, where Ill be rubbing her feet, fanning her with a giant palm leaf while feeding her hand peeled grapes, wait no! grape skins on for added fiber, and doing all the other things that you all have mentioned and need to be done.
Thank you all for you added input, graphic and fun alike, it all helps.
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Post by Karen on Jan 4, 2010 19:18:42 GMT -5
Hey, if she's not already a member, feel free to send her over her for info/advice/support/fun! Glad we could help out. It's a great question! She's quite lucky to have such a thoughtful boyfriend.
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Post by sunshine78 on Jan 4, 2010 20:12:07 GMT -5
If you have a barf bucket or a large bowl, that might come in quite handy, too. For about 24 hours, every time I got up, I was severely nauseous. For that matter, have a cool, damp cloth on hand, too. It helps with the nausea.
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Post by cherry on Jan 5, 2010 10:01:08 GMT -5
I agree with sunshine, I was the same, so no food for the first 24 hours if she seems to puking a lot after the op, it could be the morphine or the anaesthetic and will take a while to clear out before she can keep food down. The nurses may hook her up to a drip for hydration, don't be freaked out by that it's nothing to worry about. A nice little sit bath may be good too. I think I was naughty for having humungous hot baths after my ops as the incisions are best kept away from direct contact with water BUT a shower may be too tiring at first, so nice little baths that are deep enough that the water goes over the thighs so she can splash about and get clean may be a happy medium. I also suggest lots of magazines, maybe TiVo a series for her to watch/buy a favourite boxset (I lived on Lord of the Rings after my first surgery!) and maybe some craft stuff if she's inclined. If you're nervous and not allowed to stay at the hospital, maybe go home and scrub that house top to bottom. Nothing more irritating than a spot you've missed and having to sit on the couch looking at it because you feel too rubbish to clean it and don't want to be a shrew asking someone to hoover under the couch 'properly'. Be armed with information and knowledge, be stoic but sympathetic, it will give you all some strength to deal with whatever results you get from the op, and remember we're here to help if either of you need any support and advice
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Post by Heather on Dec 2, 2010 17:07:02 GMT -5
After my surgery I just didn't wash for 2 days. Too tired to stand up in a shower and was told not to take a bath, so I told Sam he just had to deal with me being smelly. He's always been a good sport though.
I slept for almost 2 days straight, so don't be alarmed if she seems almost comatose. I got up to pee and eat, that's it. Kept the phone by my bed so I could call Sam's cell if I needed him. There's nothing worse than needing help and not being able to go get the person or even yell for them because your throat's so sore.
Mine was done on a Thursday, so Sam took that day and Friday off, and then had the weekend to look after me too. By Monday I could get up and feed myself, though I was still going down the stairs on my butt.
Definitely ask the doctor or pharmacist before hand what painkillers can be taken with your prescription drugs, and have plenty on hand. I ran out of my prescribed drugs before my pain was fully gone, and it was a b!itch to walk around the damn drug store when it feels like taking 5 steps is an eternity.
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Post by alana273 on Mar 21, 2011 9:42:59 GMT -5
Omg this is making me so nervous, I'm getting a laprascopy soon too, and I was wondering how long it would take for recovery time, etc. How long before you all returned to work? Is it really bad?
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Post by JC on Mar 21, 2011 9:45:35 GMT -5
LOL ok don't freak too much! We were having a lot of fun with the original poster because he was a guy here for his girlfriend. I think a lot of us exaggerated a little just to mess with him so that he'd take extra special care of his girlfriend. It really isn't all that bad. You're uncomfortable and the soreness I felt was kinda like I had done 100 sit ups.
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