Easy Ways To Prepare For Surgery
If you know that you have surgery coming up and you are in a position to prepare, then you’re in the right place! We’re here with some basic tips to help you take control, so you are ready for your recovery and don’t feel under any pressure or stress and can just take your time to get better. Surgery takes a big toll on your body, so it’s important that you give it the time it needs to fully recover without stress. So, let’s find out how you can do that with some preparation! Whether you’re having cosmetic surgery Manchester based or a hip replacement in London, preparation is key.
Batch Cook Your Meals
The first thing you can do to prepare for surgery is to batch cook your meals in the run up to it! Say for two weeks before your surgery, batch cook meals that freeze well like soups, chilli, curry, pasta sauces, stews and so on. Then, you can eat your portions as normal and then freeze a couple of portions too. Then, get things like frozen mash, microwave rice or easy to cook pasta, then after you’ve had your surgery, each morning you can simply get a meal out to defrost and then quickly sort a side and you have healthy, nutritious meals ready to go. Eating well as you recover can make such a big difference, so just getting a bit organised before your surgery can make all the difference.
Prepare Your Medication
Another thing that you should be doing to prepare for surgery is to prepare your medication. You don’t want to be trying to worry about getting your prescription for your medication after surgery, so speak to your doctor in advance and get all your recovery medication ready. Some of the medication might depend on how the surgery goes and the pain you’re experiencing, so you might have to sort that out after your surgery with the help of the doctors and nurses. However, speak to your doctor about things that will help to make recovery more comfortable. For example, after having a rhinoplasty, you might get nasal spray to help ease the dryness. You might also be advised to buy a wedge pillow as you will need to sleep upright for a while. All things like this can be prepped in advance so you have one less thing to worry about after your surgery. If you are prescribed blood thinning medication after surgery such as Xarelto, make sure you do not mix Xarelto and alcohol, as this can be harmful to your recovery.
Arrange Your Drop Off and Pick Up
Another thing that you should do to prepare for surgery is to arrange your drop off for and pick up after your surgery. This is a really important part of the preparation, as the last thing you want is to be getting stressed before or after your surgery. So, arrange with a friend, family member or taxi company how you will get to the hospital, and make sure you have a backup too. Then, do the same for your journey home. When you’re coming round from surgery especially, you really don’t want to be stressing about how you’re going to get home. So, make sure that you prep this in advance to make the whole process more straight forward!
Ask Your Surgeon Questions
Last but not least, one of the best things you can do to prepare for surgery is to ask your surgeon questions! They are going to know everything about your case specifically, so are the best people to advise on exactly how you can prepare best for your surgery. Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as needed so you feel comfortable and confident in what is going to happen. If you think of questions, write them down and you could go through the list in person with your surgeon. So many people will do this with their surgeon, so don’t be afraid and go in prepared.
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it! These are the best ways for you to prepare for surgery, and it is important that you do them as your future self will definitely thank you for it! We know that some surgeries are an emergency and you don’t always have the luxury of being able to prepare, however if you are, try to make the most of it. The most important one is to ask your surgeon questions, as they are the best possible people to advise on your case specifically, helping you to stay happy and healthy throughout your recovery. Be kind to yourself throughout the process and allow yourself to heal slowly, and your body will definitely thank you for it!
