How to Mentally Approach Surgical Recovery?

[vth]

In roughly two weeks I head in to have an intestinal hernia repaired (just above the belly button kind). It's a surgery I am having by choice, and it's my first major surgery.

The doc has warned me that things are going to be very, very painful for one to two weeks after the procedure. I'll be on strong pain meds and muscle relaxers. I'll have help taking care of me at home.

I am looking for guidance on the recovery aspect - specifically how to mentally approach it. I'm going to completely stop working - I just don't know how I should spend my time otherwise. I'll probably spend most of the first week in bed.

Normally I avoid getting sucked into the consumerism of season after season of trash TV or a time sucking video game - but I am wondering if this is a time to purposefully head down that rabbit hole just to distract from the pain?

Anyone have any guidance?

 

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[Red]

Anyone have any guidance?

Sounds like a great time to catch up on reading (or audio books) & start planning out things you want to do/get out of life. Put pen to paper & create some timelines on the things you want to accomplish, etc. So few of us ever really sit down & assess what we want/need in this life. This sounds like a great time to really solidify the things that are important to you in this life.

Also, have your plan mapped out to wean yourself off pain meds. They're addictive as F*ck. Seriously, plan your transition off of them & stick to that plan.

 

[WestCoast]

My perspective is this, only from fairly routine ACL repair surgery:

- ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS!
The doctors do this surgery all the time. It's routine for them, so they don't really think a ton about it. This is your first (and hopefully only time). Ask. If you have a concern, ASK. Don't be shy.

I was way too quiet when I had surgery, and it was so routine for them... I ended up not doing nearly all the things I should have done for a speedy recovery. While the docs did nothing wrong, I just wasn't prepared.


- Have meals pre-made. My friends and family helped a bit here, but they had lasagne, and other stuff made for me and frozen. So, I was eating real food, pretty healthy, as my appetite allowed.


- Research Research Research. (this is related to my first point) Read how other people who had similar surgery did. What they tried that worked and didn't. Don't just take the doctors at their word, be informed, ask, and get lots of opinions.


- Pain meds - they made me feel worse than the pain, so I stopped after 48 hours. As noted above, that stuff is terrible, so, I would plan as soon as you are physically able, get rid of them and just deal with it yourself. I was much better off being in pain, than I was high on medication.


Good luck!