Question about recovery

[MitchB]

Hello,

I am about a month out from surgery and I was curious if there is anything I need to invest in for sleeping, sitting and things like that post surgery. Did any of you need to get a bed that has an adjustable base or a lift chair or anything like that? Any tips, tricks or info you guys have would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Elidh]

I had itty-bitty incisions with very little discomfort (no pain, really). I was able to sleep in my bed right away and had no trouble getting out of a chair. Only took OTC Tylenol post-op. But experiences differ widely.

 

[Roni]

Most incisions are small. The hospital staff will help instruct you about how to stand and sit after surgery. I know that the one thing that I cherished is my commode over sitting on lower toilet seat. A lot less effort and chair arms to help stand.

 

[Kcuster83]

I think you will be fine. I slept in my recliner for I think 3 days just because it was more comfortable. I am a side sleeper and laying on my side wasn't painful but wasn't comfortable either so I opted for the recliner. After that I was fine in bed. I have an adjustable bed but didn't use it, laid flat.

 

[GardenB]

i really enjoyed my abdominal binder. not only did it help with the healing process, but it saved me from tremendous pain if the bus suddenly jerked & tossed me around. i actually still have two brand new binders I use to make sure i keep my spine straight while working.

oh, one other thing: I never in my life had diarrhea until after surgery. I had the occasional soft BM but I'm talking about something more on the level of that little girl from The Exorcist. Whooooo! I had no idea stool could get that liquid or all the other gross details i'm going to leave out before i make you sick.

however. please take a fiber laxative starting a week or so before the surgery and continuing after. it's not chemical. It contains dietary fiber, necessart for moving stool along. you can count it toward water consumption.

When I had chemo I alternated between what I called fire diarrhea and extreme constipation. Eventually I worked out a routine of stool softeners/fiber lax that made it manageable. Sometimes it just takes awhile to sort out what your body is going to do and how to manage it.

 

[Kcuster83]

oh, no, it was nothing as dramatic as that. you're talking about literally putting poison in your body TO kill cancer cells. Post-op stool softeners and laxatives are generally very effective and gentle. people should never equate this common surgery with something as drastic as cancer. it's really more like going to the dentist for a root canal.

I am scared to death of the dentist! I had my first cavity at the age 32 and I about died. If someone told me this was like going to the dentist I probably would have backed out. hahah

 

[Kcuster83]

oh, we could swap evil dentist stories all day. but i go to a dentist who always uses gas. so no pain, no fear. you shoulda seen the dentist in the small town where i grew up. he had to connect two belts together in order to get around his belly, and that meant it was always bumping your little kid body. he prefered to pull teeth to crowns or fillings, so all 10 people in my house had some level of denture. then he'd give you 26 cents to go to the Rexall drug and buy. a milkshake.

I was too fat for gas or office tranquilizers. LOL I had to have my wisdom tooth pulled and I FREAKED OUT... hysterical. I was sent to a oral surgeon who had me admitted to the hospital for "dental surgery" just to put me under general anesthesia and pulled them all so I didn't have to go thru it all again.

 

[Kcuster83]

did you know that dentists used to also be barbers? there's some old tale about that little red white and blue barber pole and dentists but unfortunately, i'm too senile to remember it!

Nope, never heard it.

 

[GardenB]

oh, no, it was nothing as dramatic as that. you're talking about literally putting poison in your body TO kill cancer cells. Post-op stool softeners and laxatives are generally very effective and gentle. people should never equate this common surgery with something as drastic as cancer. it's really more like going to the dentist for a root canal.

hooray for no fire diarrhea!!!!!!!

 

[KAT in PA]

Hello,

I am about a month out from surgery and I was curious if there is anything I need to invest in for sleeping, sitting and things like that post surgery. Did any of you need to get a bed that has an adjustable base or a lift chair or anything like that? Any tips, tricks or info you guys have would be greatly appreciated.

I invested in a small bedrail, about 12-18" and it served as a helpful grab bar for getting out of bed and turning from side to side. I used it for about the first month. I was able to get in/out of bed from the day after surgery with some discomfort, but I did go back and forth to the recliner for a few nights. It can be a little tricky getting out of a chair, but if you sit in one with arms, just leverage yourself so that your arms push you up when your abs are still so sore.

 

[rjbj]

hooray for no fire diarrhea!!!!!!!

The preferred term is fire-arreah.

Re: dentists and barbers: in the days before medical societies, anyone who wanted to hang a shingle out could call themselves a doctor or a dentist. In fact, I've been researching a traveling quack who put on a medicine show, attracting a crowd with a free professional show and then selling them his "herb pads" and medicines. Her also pulled teeth. On stage. In fact, some of these traveling dentist types would advertise themselves in the local newspapers as "Painless Pete" or whatever name they chose. Now, their procedure was NOT painless, but they had a trick to make people think they had extracted teeth without pain. The patient would come up onto the stage and sit in a chair. The dentist would get them ready and just before starting he'd give his brass band a cue and they'd start playing--drowning out any noise. Then, I swear to god, the quack would surreptitiously jab the patient in the throat so they could not scream, yank the tooth out, and jam gauze into their mouths. "How was that?" he'd ask. "Gr frf yrserf," they'd complain through the gauze. "ANOTHER SATISFIED CUSTOMER!" he'd declare.

Researching this stuff is my job. My actual job. They pay me to find this stuff out. LOL

 

[Thin2be]

one thing I have found that I use everyday is my heating pad. I even too it to the hospital with me. It definitely helped with the post op gas pains.

 

[LTMR]

Hello,

I am about a month out from surgery and I was curious if there is anything I need to invest in for sleeping, sitting and things like that post surgery. Did any of you need to get a bed that has an adjustable base or a lift chair or anything like that? Any tips, tricks or info you guys have would be greatly appreciated.

Hello, Iam a side sleeper and I used a long bolster pillow to sort of prop under my stomach. After a couple of days, I was fine. You will be okay, just remember to walk around and don't lift anything heavy. Best of luck!

 

[Ange6012]

I stayed in my recliner for about a week. Mine lift you to standing so that first week it really helped but then I wanted my bed.
It was uncomfortable getting in and out and moving but I would save my pain meds to use to get in bed. I never took them otger than to assist with getting into bed.
I had and every so often still have some tenderness on my left side, I find a pillow so I'm not up in the air while on my side helps so much

 

[Brennanfan]

I have placed a exercise stepper next to my bed and this makes it so much easier to get into bed. I use a small travel pillow against my stomach and that seems to help. I can lay on my right side left still a bit tender. 5 days post op.

 

[Ange6012]

I have placed a exercise stepper next to my bed and this makes it so much easier to get into bed. I use a small travel pillow against my stomach and that seems to help. I can lay on my right side left still a bit tender. 5 days post op.

I also found my left side tender for a while. I am almost 11 weeks post op and Left side no longer is tender.

I think many of us have left sided tenderness for a bit longer than the right. Give it a few weeks you won't even realize the tenderness subside.

Good luck and feel free to reach out!!