There will come a time in one's life where he or she will need to undergo surgery. For some people they may be excited about what the end result will bring, while others will be a nervous wreck.
When it is your time to have surgery performed on your body, bring someone with you to your appointment so that they can also hear what will be expected. Remember to follow the advice of your doctor. Many surgeries require that you fast before they are performed. Find out if that is expected of you. Fasting is the absence of food and water for a period of time. When other's may speak of their surgery experiences, stay positive and remember your experience may be easier, more challenging or be very different from someone else's so let their advice go in one ear and out the other.
Questions You May Want to Ask Your Doctor
Once you have received the news that your surgery date and time are confirmed, be sure to ask your doctor any questions pertaining to the surgery such as “How early should I show up for my appointment?” “Is there anything that I should bring?” “Are family and friends able to be in the room with me while the surgery is being performed?” What will be required of me prior to the surgery?
Have your doctor clarify any procedures you have previously discussed. There may be a time when the doctor may be unable to perform the surgery on the confirmed date, find it if it will be cancelled or will some one else take over. Remember to get the doctor's name that will be replacing yours. You may be able to look the doctor up on the Internet.
Preparing Your Family and Friends with The News
Avoid the temptation to want to talk about your surgery in a melancholy, depressed sounding voice. Some of your family and friends will take your reaction and exaggerate it, making you the topic of bad gossip. This is a time when you want to be a professional actor and keep most of your emotions to yourself. If you have family and friends within the same town, select just a few you may want to be by your side on that day. If you have family and friends that live far away, select just a few to discuss your surgery. These people should be your most positive and supportive team. Since you may be stressed about your upcoming event, don't bother letting everyone know, otherwise you will find yourself on the phone and emailing people the night before, listening to their past experiences, rather than taking it easy.
Making Arrangements for Your Responsibilities
If you have children, remind anyone who is responsible for caring for them what you both discussed. For instance, if Chucky is suppose to take a children's medicine by a certain hour everyday, send a note with your children reminding them of this although you may have already spoken about it. There is nothing wrong with writing down how you care for children and letting everyone who will be dealing with them what you expect.
If you have a business, remind your staff how long you will be out and what they will need to do in your absence. Write everything down, make copies and distribute to the team. You don't need to hear the “I didn't know excuse” when you get back. Do the same thing if you are an employee. Your boss will need to get someone to cover for you while you are absent.
Household Business
You may receive a lot of mail through the week both on and off the computer. Set your email to vacation response so that people will not expect to hear from you for a time. Also, notify relatives that may stay with you about any packages or subscriptions you are expecting and what you would like for them to do when they arrive. Designate someone to care for a pet, if you have any. You may also need trash taken out; dishes washed and put away, laundry done and other tasks. Grass and other landscaping cut. Try to get them done before you leave or assign this task to a trusted relative or friend.
Packing Your Bag The Night Before
Depending on how long your stay will be in the hospital will determine how much to bring. The following is just a list of the basic essentials:
- Copies of any hospital paperwork
- Any medication you currently take.
- Pen and paper for any notes you may want to jot down.
- A robe
- Two to three pairs of warm pajamas
- Two to three pairs of warm socks
- Four to five pairs of underwear
- One pair of slippers
- Hair products (comb, brush, scarf or headband, hair spray, curling iron, etc.)
- Makeup
- Toothpaste and toothbrush
- Mouthwash
- Hand Lotion
- Lip Balm
- Perfume or Cologne
- Razors and Shaving Cream
- Deodorant
- Favorite body wash or soap
- CD player or some other form of entertainment
- One or two books to read and/or magazines
- Light healthy snacks (no junk food.)
Once your bag is packed, have everything waiting by the door. Set your alarm clock and be at the hospital at least an hour before your surgery time. May you have peace through this experience and a speedy recovery!
