Prior to and post surgery plans
Ways to take care of yourself, physically and mentally.
Laura Herrera
Mar 3, 2021· 7 min read
Photo by Ashley Batz on Unsplash
You may be finding yourself soon planning for a surgery to come. This can be emotionally overwhelming for anyone, including those that have had a surgery or multiple surgeries before. Just like this picture above, you may feel like you are about to enter a maze- knowing you have to enter, but not knowing all the twists, turns, and directions the healing process will take you. If this is you, I understand from personal experience how daunting, overwhelming, lonely, and stressful it can be. Going through a chronic disease for 11 years- it had me in and out of hospitals, doctor’s offices, endless appointments, countless tests and multiple surgeries. The last three surgeries took place within less than a 2-year time frame and two of them had me out of work recouping for a month and a half each. Through the pain of recovering, I had many other obstacles to go through not only mentally but physically as well. Some of the obstacles I wish I would have planned for, so that the duration of time would have been better spent for me emotionally and physically. With each surgery, it felt like I was starting all over. Being mindful on how I would have done things differently and the things that did help me, I have been able to assist others while prepping for surgery and planning for post-surgery care. Here are a few:
PRIOR TO SURGERY:
· Look into your insurance
-Call your insurance and get an idea of how much the surgery will cost you. This will help you, so that you don’t feel overwhelmed when the bills come in.
-Side note: You may have to work with your doctor’s office to find out what kind of procedure you will be having and the codes you will need to give to the insurance.
· Have a list of questions with you for your pre-op appointment with your doctor so that you are prepared for many of the ins and outs of the surgery.
FEW QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE SURGERY:
· How long will I have to stay in the hospital?
· What will be my limitations on mobility and how long can I expect these afterward?
· How long before I can drive again?
· How often will I be doing follow-up appointments? Weekly, monthly?
· Once I’m healed, how often will I need to see you? 1x a year etc?
· Are there any equipment or items I should purchase or request from my insurance that will help my healing process?
· How long before I can exercise again?
· What kind of exercises do you suggest I do to start off with based on my healing process?
FEW QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF:
· Who can assist me during my healing process?
· How long can they assist me?
· If they have a time restraint, who can I have as a backup in case I need additional help after they no longer can assist?
· How can I best recoup in my own house? Will I need to move to another area or room of the house for a small duration during the beginning part of the healing to ease mobility restraints?
· Do I need to stay at another friend or family member’s house while recouping for the first part of my healing process?
· If I have kids- What is the plan for another to help me with the everyday tasks? Meals, school work, taking back and forth to school, extracurricular or hobbies after school, etc.
· If I have pets and live alone- What is my plan for taking care of the daily needs of my pet?
· If I do need to make a plan for others assisting me with my kids or pets- What are some things I can write or type out now that will help whoever is going to be helping me? Once you have this in place walk the person through the list and show them where things are placed in the house for some of the daily tasks and needs on the list. (This will alleviate stress once you do start recouping so you don’t have to be in the moment of figuring out how to help those helping you. This can also help others from having to wake you if you are resting and sleeping while they are needing questions answered.)
I can’t stress this enough. The healing process is different for everyone. This is based on your type of surgery, where it is located, how the surgery was done, and the biggest one of all- how your individual body takes to the surgery and heals through it. Friends do not compare your healing process to anyone else’s. Even if you know someone that went through the same surgery as yourself. Our bodies are masterpieces and intricately made and individual to us. How your body heals and will heal will be dependent on many factors- some that you do have control over and some that you don’t. The best advice I can give to you is to ALLOW YOURSELF TO HEAL AND TO NOT RUSH THE PROCESS. Listen to your body. Pushing yourself farther than what it needs to go- can hurt you in the long run. You know your individual body. If you do anything that starts to feel too much or is hindering you- listen to your body. Talk to your doctor about these things. Only a doctor can best provide advice on how to listen to your body and allow it to heal properly.
For some of those that are used to being a go-go person, having to take a pause in life can feel overwhelming. It can make you feel like your independence is being taken away. It can be humbling or embarrassing to have to rely on others to assist you. It can make you feel frustrated at yourself that you can’t do the things you were just able to do- even if it is for a short amount of time. Your mental health can become turbulent if you don’t put a few things in place before surgery to help.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF FOR PREPPING FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH DURING RECOVERY:
· What are a few things that I can have in the house to help with the downtime?
· What brings me joy when I’m bored that I can do taking the mobility restrictions into account?
· What are stress relievers for me? Puzzles, knitting, writing, gaming etc.
· What are a few good books I have or can purchase to read?
· What are a few funny movies/sitcoms I want to watch?
· What are a few things I’ve wanted to research or have been interested in, but haven’t had the time to do yet?
· What are a few things that I have been wanting to do that can be done during the downtime taking the mobility restrictions into account?
· If I have a family-What are a few ways that we can spend time as a family that works well with my mobility restrictions? Does that mean games at the table? Reading stories together or acting them out in my room? The list is endless here :)
· Are there any stress triggers that I am aware of for myself that I need to eliminate during this duration of time?
· Will being on social media affect me mentally where I wish I was out doing or seeing things like others? Will it affect me seeing the news around the world day in and day out while recouping? Do certain social media people/ influencers trigger me to make me feel bad about myself? If so, plan to limit access to any of those triggers.
· Do I want a journal to write my thoughts and feelings during the healing process?
· Who are a few people I would love to call to catch up that I’ve been meaning to?
POST SURGERY CARE ALONGSIDE YOUR DOCTOR:
This is all about you now. As stated above remember do not compare your healing process to anyone else’s. Your body deserves to heal in the way that it individually needs to heal.
· Go to ALL of your doctor’s appointments.
· In between your appointments if you are having questions or concerns about your healing- do not be afraid of calling your doctor’s office.
· Before each appointment- make a list of questions or concerns about your healing process.
Take your time during healing. Love yourself during the healing. Allow yourself to feel emotions. It is so important to work through emotions. Talk to others if you are feeling down. Keep the list of things that bring you joy in front of you when you are bored so you can switch up to different things on the list. There is only one you-please take care of yourself physically and mentally. This is not the time to take care of everyone else but you.
Take care of yourself- YOU DESERVE IT.