In preparation for this, I did a lot of Googling. I wanted to find out what other people experienced going into surgery. I wanted to find out if it worked. I wanted to know what the recovery was like. I found several YouTube videos from others who had the surgery. Some of them were helpful, some not so much. But they did them for the same reasons: They wanted more personal stories, advice, etc. And so did I.
So I'm adding to the internet noise and adding my advice and experiences when preparing and recovering from this kind of surgery. First thing first: It's a painful surgery. And by that I mean recovery. With an osteotomy they are literally rearranging your bones. And that fucking hurts. One YouTuber said he was off the prescription pain killers and on to Tylenol after two days. Well, good for him. This is day seven for me and its the first one for me without Percocet. Because holy shit does it hurt.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Pre-op Surgery Prep
The doctor's office will give you a list of things you can and cannot do, eating schedules, etc. I'm talking about other stuff, things you will need afterwards. Some things I knew I'd need beforehand, some I figured out along the way.
Pillows. I knew I'd need to keep my arm elevated, so I bought two new bed pillows. My pillows are generally kind of old and gross. So new ones meant they were clean. but what ended up more important? They were soft. I needed to keep my arm elevated for 48-72 hours for the swelling, but I continued to use the pillows because they were soft and comfortable one the sutures.
A Cane. When my arthritis was at it's worst, I bought a couple of canes. One was foldable and something I could carry with me. The other was an old fashioned wooden old-man cane. It was the same kind my grandpa had. I would use it when I'd get out of bed because that is when my knees hurt the worst and when I was at my most unstable. I haven't had to use it for a couple of years. But after surgery, in the post anesthesia haze? That cane was invaluable. It allowed me to walk around, to stand up, to be mobile. Also, because of the curved handle, after I sat down after being exhausted by brushing my teeth, I could still grab things or even move stuff with the curved handle. Seriously, buy a can.
A Person. My mom came out to help me. I wanted her here for a couple of reasons. The first and most important: She's my mom and sometimes you just need your mom. She can keep me calm, she can help me manage my anxieties. But she's also a nurse, granted she's a (retired) psych nurse, but she's still a nurse. After surgery you need to have someone stay with you for 24 hours; it's required. I would push that to 48 hours. Those first two days were a blur. Your body is still getting rid of the anesthesia. I was still wobbly after two days. I don't know what I would've done without her.
Food and Juice. The directions said bland food and liquids post surgery. They weren't kidding. I had some red lentil soup after I got home and it tasted so very good. It didn't taste as good coming back up. Projectile vomiting is a thing. I don't know if it was because of the food or just a normal reaction to anesthesia, I don't care. After that, I moved to white grape juice and a simple veggie broth/soup. Mom made me a soup that was mostly broth, white rice, and celery. Sometimes she'd add green beans. This combo got me through the first 24-36 hours.
Face Wipes. The first night I was home I wanted to brush my teeth and wash my face. I have an electric toothbrush, so brushing my teeth wasn't too difficult. But washing my face was a different matter. I had thought and prepared for so many daily functions: I had plenty of toilet paper, I figured out how to make coffee one-handed (I grind my own and use a french press), ear plugs I could put in one handed (I had to take out all jewelry, my earplugs took too hands to put in and secure), washing my hair (go to the local cosmetology school)... But I hadn't thought about washing my face. I wish I'd bought some of those face cleaning wipes. I figured out how to wash my face one-handed, but still, the wipes would've been easier.
Insulated Cups and Straws. I have two insulated cups and a set of metal straws. I used one for juice and one for water. I live in the Pacific Northwest, everyone has multiple re-usable cups and straws. If you don't have them, buy them. As you drift in an out of sleep, they will keep your liquids cold.
A Place to Sit/Sleep. You're gonna be sitting and napping a lot. Make yourself someplace comfortable to spend your time. If you have a comfy recliner, consider yourself lucky. A friend of mine does and for the first 24 hours I was jealous of her recliner. I set up a footstool, pillows, a shoulder wrap (which I bought the day before surgery and was a solid investment), a TV tray, and a phone charger. It wasn't fancy, but it was comfy. (But, don't forget, get up and move. Walk. Stand. If you don't, you run the risk of blood clots.)
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| My Post-Surgery Set Up |
That's it for today. My doctor said I could do some typing in recovery, but most of this was done using one hand, and I'm tired. And I want to make some lunch, and go for a walk. Next blog will focus on the things I hadn't expected.....
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