Good luck, quite normal to be anxious.
First off, the packing list for the hospital stay:
o Overnight travel bag with toothpaste, brushes, combs, etc. I do a lot of business travel and mine is ready to grab.
o Cell phone and charger. I am in the US, and if a relative calls the phone in my hospital room then they see a $20 charge on their phone bill!
o Netbook computer. The hospitals I was at all had wifi and I could pass the time using the netbook to surf the net. It is smaller and much easier to handle around the bed than a laptop. Palmtops are too small and if you are on meds your eyesight may not be great.
o Book(s) to read. Another way to pass the time. I don't surf many websites on the internet and run out in a short time.
o Beware of television in the room. You DO NOT want to see commercials with pizza or cheeseburgers or other fast food while you are recovering on a restricted diet. Some hospitals charge for the TV.
o Anything you may need to sleep comfortable. It can be an uncomfortable night sleep, especially with IVs dangling from your arms. Sometimes the hospital room can be too cool or too warm at night. Warm clothes, light clothes, whatever.
o If you like it dark when you sleep, bring eyeshades to block out the light. Some hospitals don't want the door completely closed and the hall light will shine in. If you have a roommate, prepare for any sleep interruptions during the night.
o PJ bottoms, socks for sleeping. You have to wear the gown in bed, so the only shirts that work are really loose fitting short sleeve shirts. In the hospital you will get many shots and IVs.
o Make sure your shirts are expendable in case of nausea.
o plenty of underwear, especially following surgery. Boxers are really comfortable in hospital beds.
o Street clothes and dress for the weather when you are discharged.
Hospital stays can vary depending on recovery. Normally it is a few days, mine was longer because of complications. Watch for blockage (vomiting), this tends to be normal following surgery.
After discharge from the hospital, rest and walk as much as you can but don't do any heavy lifting. Those incisioned abdominal muscles will take weeks to heal. I was on disability for eight weeks. Simple things requiring the abs like getting out of bed will be hard, even coughing or sneezing will hurt. You'll need to support yourself to lift from a squat to the floor.
Here's a tip: apply liberal amounts of
Cocoa butter to the scar(s) every day. Wear expendable clothing, the butter will stain. This helps the skin to heal. I had six incisions on my abdomen, today other than the scar in my navel there is zero scar tissue on the belly and only a faded red line with the "big cut" is.
. By yhr esy, I was scared and I would say that is normal. Best to yoiu
