We are just over one week out from surgery date. Prep is key for a good recovery. I took this past weekend to have some friends over for some patio and hot tub time, had dinner with another group of friends the following night, and finished off the weekend with a hike with a good friend and some time at the driving range with my daughter. I felt the need to get all the socializing and outdoor time out of my system before I am out of commission for a bit. We have some not so ideal weather coming this week, so I needed some fresh air.
So let’s talk about prepping for surgery. I tried to up my readiness game to minimize anyone having to run for me or do for me later. Here are a couple suggestions to either get or have handy before your date.
- Front Closure Bras: My right arm will be quite sore for some time. The surgeon said that I will wake up in recovery with a surgical bra on. I am certain the one they will give me at the hospital will be just as attractive as the post-delivery underwear they provide. I definitely wanted other ones I could change into post-surgery as I imagine my incisions will drain and may leak outside the gauze and bandages. I can recommend this 3-pack of front closure bras from Amazon. They are soft yet supportive and have an easy zipper up. They are also true to size.
- Boob Sized Ice Packs: I don’t believe these ice packs are specifically made for “boobs”, but these are similar to what they gave me to take home after the biopsy, so I stocked up on several so that I can rotate them through the freezer. They are small so they don’t stay cold long. Having several is helpful.
- Gauze and Medical Tape: You will have to change out your bandages periodically, especially since I will be able to shower relatively soon after surgery. The sutures will be internal, so no need for stitches removal later and I can get it wet the next day. I would suggest looking for non-stick gauze and medical tape that is good for sensitive skin since this will be under your boob and armpit where it can get a bit musty when you aren’t moving much.
- Medicine: I was told most of my pain can likely be managed by rotating Tylenol and Motrin so replenish your supplies of these. I snagged two large bottles of the Extra Strength version.
- Antibacterial Soap: This was advised to be used the week prior to surgery as well to make sure all lotions and deodorants are no longer present at surgery. This medical grade soap can be used post-surgery as well to ward off infection.
- Button Down or Zip Up Shirts: No links here as I already had plenty of button downs and zip up hoodies. Make sure you have these as lifting your arm will be painful for some time. This also makes it easier to swap out bandages as well.
- Food: I know that many kind folks will likely show up with food/snacks etc. I also have teenagers that can pick up food, but I felt better prepping some myself and freezing it in advance just so I knew I would have a quick grab meal if needed. Since it’s frozen, we can always save it for a later time if we are blessed with fresh meals. Nothing goes to waste here. Below are some links to some suggested meals I made in bulk.
These are just some of the go-to items I plan to have handy and centralized for my arrival home. I also recommend taking care of any chores that would otherwise be too tempting for you after surgery. Sometimes we think we are recovering faster than we are and we push ourselves to do things too soon. I took a spin around the house and took care of things like the checking the hot tub chemicals, filling the water softener with salt, deep cleaning the house, swapping the air filter for the HVAC, and catching up on laundry. These are thing things that would risk luring me off the couch prematurely. Good prepping also helps reduce anxiety on surgery day and allows you prep for a good sleep!
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