Hi Jen,
My "Hell Week" just officially ended today, so here are my tips:
*Buy extra toilet paper, in case you have several days of diarrhea.
*Buy baby wipes (the large thick kind) for help wiping the hiney. (Don't flush!)
*Definitely have Kleenex on hand. (I've been crying all week.)
*Apologize to your friends/family before the surgery even happens, and let them know you won't be yourself. And apologize several times during the week.
*Be prepared to turn into a real *itch. I'm one week out, and still snapping at my DH and DS. My beloved cats have gotten yelled at quite a few times as well.
*Buy a digital thermometer (cheap, about $10) to take your temperature when you get home.
*Buy a couple of cheap shot glasses. Until you learn to sip smaller amounts without thinking about it, these are great for portion control with water/liquids.
*Try sleeping in a recliner. I've been doing this all week.
*Buy a back scratcher. You'll be itchy for a few days and you won't be able to twist normally. It's a side effect of the anethesia wearing off. I took mine to the hospital with me.
*Tivo your favorite shows in advance. It's easy to skip through the commercials.
*Buy a few 1/2 cup plastic containers or ramekins beforehand. I know I can eat 1/4 of a cup at a meal, so I just fill these half-full.
*Buy a bottle of adult's liquid Tylenol. Very handy to have once you stop the prescribed pain medication.
*Stock up on feminine supplies. Aunt Flo will probably visit you after surgery even though she's not invited.
BTW, the physical manueverings to get a tampon in/out are difficult at first. Pads are much easier.
*Buy a Magic Bullet blender. They're the best thing since sliced bread. The generic ones suck...I bought one and took it back. I used a 20% coupon for Linens n' Things to get my MB.
*Another handy thing is a 1 cup mini chopper, like this:
Amazon.com: Proctor Silex Mini Food Chopper [ Model 72500R ]: Home & Garden I already had one, but I believe they're only about $10 at Wally World.
*If you don't have an icemaker, buy a bag of ice beforehand. Then you won't have to yell at everyone else for losing the "recipe" to make it. Plus the smaller cube blend up easier in the MB for your protein shakes.
*Get a small notebook, and note everytime you take your pain medicine, take your temperature, empty your JP drain, etc. Trust me, it's easy to forget when you last took your pain medicine.
*If you take allergy medication, ask your doc if it's okay to continue it when you get home. I have seasonal allergies, and I know that a sneeze would hurt severly right now. I have no problem taking my tiny Zyrtec pill, but it comes in liquid too I think.
*Use a small pillow to gently press again your stomach when the gas pains comes (and then walk them off). I have a squishy neck pillow that has been working perfectly.
*For the ride home, pack a regular bed pillow in the car to hold against your stomach. It helps when your driver hits bumps, stops or starts too quickly, etc.
*Use a kitchen timer. When you reach Phase II, you should be taking approximately 20 minutes to finish your meals. Plus, you have to stop drinking 30 minutes before and 30 minutes afterwards (this varies depending on your doc).
*Buy a pack of the long skinny baby spoons. This really helps for taking super small bites.
*Pay all of your bills in advance, so you won't have to worry about it the first week or two.
*Shop in advance for things you'll need, but buy small quantities in case your tastes change.
That's all I can think of at the moment. Just remember that everyday gets easier than the day before.
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