planning post surgery

[withm]

I'm going to be having arthoscopic bone spur removal in my shoulder soon. Since I have never had surgery before, and have a little time to plan ahead - what should I be doing in the 2 weeks beforehand- besides getting lots of sleep, hydrating, getting the house clean, and bringing in a big load of groceries.

Make some casseroles for the freezer? Julia Child's Beouf Bourgingnon? Mmmmmm. Couple loaves of homemade bread

I figure I'll be out of commission for the better part of 1-2 weeks, and while I have a couple of neighbors that might be able to help out a bit for the most part I'm on my own.

I have already talked to my boss about this, and can do some work at home when I'm able, but need to be thinking about how to manage that as well.

Who has gone through this and what tips do you have?

[snapdragen]

When I had my bone spur removed, I slept in a recliner for about a week. If you sleep in your bed, you might want a pillow to hug -- it helps keep your shoulder stable. Don't try to tough out the pain, take your drugs! Even if they make you sleep 20 out of 24 hours, it's worth it. I will not lie, my shoulder surgery hurt worse than my spinal fusion.

My favorite post surgery item was my "adult sippy cup" otherwise known as a Camelbak Better Bottle Made it so much easier to stay hydrated while "lounging".

[ny biker]

I had ankle surgery back in '93 while living alone. I did stay with my parents for a few weeks immediately afterwards, but after that I was back in my 1BR apartment in NYC. A few years before that I had a benign growth chiseled off my shoulder blade when I lived in Chicago, a thousand or so miles away from all my family.

Before the ankle surgery I stocked up on groceries, particularly stuff that was easy to fix. (I'm a lousy cook, so most of what I eat is easy to fix anyway.) I also found it easier to use paper plates and plastic cups so I wouldn't have to worry about cleaning up afterwards. Also make sure you have plenty of non-food items like soap, shampoo, toilet paper and any medications you take.

You'll also want to have clothes that are easy to get in and out of. For your shoulder, you'll probably want tops that button or zip up rather than go over your head.

I could be wrong but I'm assuming you might have limited use of the hand/arm where the surgery is taking place, so you might want to think about putting important things in containers that are easier to open than what they normally come in. Like any medicine that you currently have in child-proof containers or food that you'll want to eat that comes in jars.

You might also want to think about how you'll entertain yourself while you're recovering -- stock up on DVDs, magazines, books, maybe buy a new CD or two to listen to.

Good luck!!

[snapdragen]

ny biker's post reminded me -- I went to Target and bought a large men's shirt, that buttoned up the front. It was perfect for my "going home" clothes. The bandage on your shoulder is liable to be quite bulky, so a too big shirt works great.

When is your surgery?

[withm]

Wow - these are good ideas, esp the large men's shirt- I have so little range of motion right now that I may resort to some of these right now. This thing has escalated to the point that the pain wakes me up every two hours. I had thought a recliner might be useful but sadly, I don't have one. I tried the hugging the pillow technique, and can see that it will be a big help once I find a smaller pillow.

I'll get the dates worked out on Monday. I think I have some help the first couple days (and transportation) worked out - depending on the actual date so that's a big relief.

I'll miss biking and will try to get in a few more short rides before the big day. Riding does not seem to bother it until around 20 miles but I'm sure that after the surgery it will be impossible for some time.

Thanks for the tips
Martha

[staceysue]

If you'll be using pain meds, make sure you have lots of fiber in the house, and maybe a laxative. They're very constipating.

[Kiwi Stoker]

Washing hair. I couldn't get in the shower for 3 weeks because the bandages could get wet (and I found the waterproof ones too itchy). I rang my hairdresser and said could they wash my hair every week.

It was the best thing ever as they have really nice couches to lay back on while they washed my hair and then blowed dried it. Because I went in the day during their quiet time, they had the shampoo girls practise blow drying my hair. And the best thing, they didn't charge me for it. It made my crappy accident just a bit better to have nice clean hair.

Otherwise find some dry, spray on shampoo. That helped in the in-between days.

[ny biker]

Washing hair. I couldn't get in the shower for 3 weeks because the bandages could get wet (and I found the waterproof ones too itchy). I rang my hairdresser and said could they wash my hair every week.

It was the best thing ever as they have really nice couches to lay back on while they washed my hair and then blowed dried it. Because I went in the day during their quiet time, they had the shampoo girls practise blow drying my hair. And the best thing, they didn't charge me for it. It made my crappy accident just a bit better to have nice clean hair.

Otherwise find some dry, spray on shampoo. That helped in the in-between days.

Good point. I was able to wash my hair in the bathroom sink, but I suspect that's much easier to do after ankle surgery.

[withm]

Oh geeze - hadn't thought about that. My kitchen has a separate sprayer but wait - so does my shower. I have had to do it one handed for months anyway - can't raise my arm up to touch my head at all. Should get a haircut before - maybe this is the time to go real short? yikes!

[snapdragen]

I was able to take the bandage off after 2 days and take a shower. Still had to do it one-handed though. I kept small band aids on the sutures, so my clothes wouldn't rub on them.

And the suggestion for lots of fiber or a laxative is a good one. Miralax was recommended to me.

[Dogmama]

I had a cervical fusion several years ago. Here's what I learned:

Don't wait until it hurts to take your pain meds. You want to "stay ahead" of the pain. Being relaxed also helps healing.

Lots of good books, dvd's etc. +1 on the fiber, miralax, etc. Pain meds can be quite constipating. I made sure I had some really nice indulgences, like scented hand cream.

Be good to yourself. Know that healing takes a lot of energy from your body. So, it's OK to sleep & veg out. I watched old Rosanne reruns every day at 2PM. Really looked forward to them too. Life became blissfully simple for awhile.

[newfsmith]

For my husband's recovery I just put the bladder from my camelbak on the bedside table & clipped the hose to his pillowcase with a retractable ID badge holder. It made it easy for him to find.

[twin]

After my partial shoulder replacement I found that big mens t-shirts with the sleeve slit open or the neck so you can get in and out very easy is helpful. Pain medication is important. If you have one of the shoulder machines that raises your arm up and down for hours, I found that a baby blanket that is soft helps where you lay your arm on the machine. When taking a shower I borrowed a shower seat and changed the shower nozzel to the kind that you take down with the cord like thing so you could stay a little more dry. I had to have someone help me wash my hair for maybe a week or so. The best thing I think for showers and I am still having to use one after 3 months are the scrubbers that look like net and are round because it helps you reach the things you can not reach otherwise. Good luck and I hope you have a fast recovery. Do your PT it helps you get back to where you were.

[withm]

When I had my bone spur removed, I slept in a recliner for about a week. If you sleep in your bed, you might want a pillow to hug -- it helps keep your shoulder stable.

This tip alone has already given me many more hours of sleep than I would have had "normally" in the last couple of nights. Who knew a little pillow would make so much difference? I still wake up every 2-3 hours, but at least I'm no longer in tears when I do. Thank you Snap for your wisdom.

My tentative date is 11/23, which relieves me of any obligations to travel over Thanksgiving. However if this pain progresses as much in the next two weeks as it did in the last two weeks, I'm in trouble.

[snapdragen]

This tip alone has already given me many more hours of sleep than I would have had "normally" in the last couple of nights.

Glad I could be of help!

Has your doctor given you anything for the pain?