I had surgery for bladder cancer again last week, so I thought I would share a few things that I’m learning about prepping for surgery and recovering from it as well. I wanted to write this because I am the kind of person who wants good things to come from bad—I think many of us are. We love a redemption arc, don’t we?
I thought it might help to share some insight on preparing for surgery day and the recovery time that follows. I know everybody has a different experience, different hospitals, different support systems. However, whatever your circumstances, I hope that if you come to the unfortunate need for insight, this can help somehow. So here we go…
Stay hydrated. Many of these suggestions will seem like no-brainers. However, in the haze that can occur leading up to surgery day, these simple things really do bear stating. Something as easy as being well-hydrated will help immensely. Just the fact that being well-hydrated should make it easier for the nurses to find a vein for blood draws, and inserting IVs should be enough motivation.
Breathing exercises for nerves and lung strength. Intubation is a bitch. I do 4-4-8 box breathing almost daily to help with nervous system regulation. Challenging your lungs with prolonged deep breaths is a simple way to build up a little extra lung strength if you aren’t up to or able to do any serious cardio.
Exercise. Work out those nerves and keep up your strength for the challenges that come with surgery and recovery. If you already have a regular exercise routine, having that routine to turn to can be a reliable comfort. Make sure whatever you are doing aligns with your current capabilities and doctor’s recommendations.
Clean house. My house is rarely clean on the regular. If yours is, congratulations (no, seriously. What’s your secret?). Since mine isn’t, I make it a priority to get the house spic and span leading up to surgery day. With the house clean, my mind is calmer, and I don’t have to fight the urge to clean while I should be convalescing.
Prep food. I don’t know how others respond to the stresses of surgery, but I know that for me, not eating for 18 hours, intubation, anesthesia, IVs, catheters, pre-op prep… will drain you like nothing else can. My usual high-protein, nutrient-dense diet goes right out the window, and my mission for several days after surgery is to get as much easily digestible, calorie-dense food into me as possible. It absolutely confounds me how, in the days following surgery, I can do nothing other than sleep, eat, and sleep some more, and still wake up absolutely ravenous again. I have to work very hard to put my food guilt and issues aside and give myself carte blanche to eat all the Poptarts and ice cream right alongside the more nutrient-dense foods, as I can re-introduce them.
Give yourself a gift. I’m not joking. I like to give my anxious self a little reward for doing big-girl adulting things like running errands and getting my mammogram done. Yes, I would like a Coke Zero on the way home from grocery shopping, thank you very much! So it goes without saying that if I’m going to do the work to hold down my anxiety and follow through with a full-on surgery, then yes, I want a gift. I needed a new mascara, so I bought myself a Clinique gift set and have been feeling very pampered putting on the eye cream and face lotion that I usually would not splash out on.
Be patient. This time around, I hit the patience wall about three days into recovery. I was tired of sleeping. I was tired of feeling fuzzy. With the fuzziness, I couldn’t concentrate well enough to read or do much of anything. It’s very frustrating. However, there is very little that you can do about it. It’s just part of the process. Get some sunshine, put on a movie that you don’t mind falling asleep to halfway through, drink some more fluids, and just do your best. It will pass, I promise.
Take a damn shower. I cannot overstate how nice it is to take a shower and clean up after surgery day. Whatever you’re able to do according to your post-op instructions, whether that’s a full-on shower or just a sponge bath… do it (supervised, please. We don’t need anyone falling in the shower). Wash your face, brush your hair, and put on some fresh PJs. You’ll start to feel human again. It will be wonderful.
Get some fresh air. Again, I know this seems so simple. However, once you’ve been rotting in bed for a few days and you’re ten seasons deep into Bob’s Burgers, it may not occur to you to just get outside and get some sun. Put on your nicest robe and slippers for the neighbors to witness and stand out in your yard with your face to the sun like a Victorian orphan enjoying the warmth of the seaside for the very first time.
That’s all I have for now. I hope you never need any of this advice. But if you do, I hope some of it helps. I’m off to find another Poptart.
Stay classy, friends.
-Jeannette
So That Was Fun 