Surgery & Immediate Post-Surgery Recovery
- Preparation H (in case you have hemorrhoid flare up or irritating around the anus)
- Dulcolax to prevent constipation. Take this and the docusate together.
- Arnica tablets. These reduce swelling, bruising and stiffness immediately after your surgery. Start 3 days before surgery and continue 7 days after your surgery. take 4 tablets, 4 times daily, under the tongue and allow them to dissolve. You will need 3 boxes of 60 tablets. You can buy them at your local Target store.
- Docusate - Stool softener. Use this if you're taking narcotic pain relievers such as percoset, vicodin, morphine or dilaudid, etc.
- Depends pullups. DO NOT get the kind with the adhesive tabs, they are a hassle and won't stay up very well.
- Long/wide maxipads (No wing tabs. Get the thick kind.) Try to find a package that has more in it for less money. The more you buy the cheaper they are. Then take half with you. You'll need these for heavy post-surgery bleeding because the bleeding will go right through the diaper. These will absorb all of the blood and let your diapers last longer.
- Wet Wipes. Most any type of wet wipes are fine, just make sure they are alcohol free.
- Rite-Aid Bed Pads (or comparable brand). You'll use these to sleep on and dilate on after surgery so you don't bleed on the bed.
- Anti-bacterial Body Wash (you'll need this to wash with the morning of your surgery before you report to the hospital).
- One box of sterile gloves (100 count). You'll want these to dilate, to empty your foley catheter bag, to empty drains and to wipe your vagina, and anus with. Lot's of yucky bodily fluids you'll be dealing with and you don't want to get an infection or bacteria in any of those areas.
- Hand Mirror. This is so you can see to put your dilator(s) in. Make sure to pack it in your luggage and wrap it in a towel or hoodie or thick cloth material so it doesn't break in transit to and from, if you have to travel.
- Plastic drinking cup w/ handle and measurable markers. The reason I say to bring this kind of cup is for a couple reasons. One, you can keep track of your water intake as it has the ounce markers on the side of the cup. It's very easy to get dehydrated following surgery. Your appetite isn't as good, your body is under the effects of anesthesia still, you're taking narcotics which cause constipation and hard stool. Additionally, you're laying on your back in the hospital and much of the time in your recovery facility and/or at home so it's easier to drink through the straw while on your back with the lid on. Just very very useful all in one, multi-purpose drinking cup. You can find them on amazon (search for Hospital Thermo Mug) or you can pick one up here for way less than the ones on Amazon.
- Plastic shower cap - to put your hair up when you shower so you don't have to get it wet each time.
Packing List
- Sweatpants/gym pants (like adidas warm up pants or similar)
- loose fitting gym/running shorts
- t-shirts
- hoodie or sweatshirt (if you get cold)
- wool socks for your feet (they WILL get cold!)
- laptop and external hd full of movies (or bring a tablet instead)
- VGA to HDMI cable (or apple to HDMI cable) to watch movies from your laptop on the HDTV (if your facility has one. Nothing was on the cable channels). Can stream Netflix.
- reading book(s) or magazines
- phone and phone charger
- couple pairs of underwear
- couple pairs of regular white socks
Hygiene Bag
- Shaving razor
- Shampoo/Conditioner
- Body Wash
- Brand new lofa (for your body scrub w/ anti-bacterial body wash the morning before your surgery.
- shaving cream
- medications (for AFTER your surgery)
- a few hair ties
- 1 large hair clip
- plastic shower
- nail clippers
- hair brush
- flat iron
- hair dryer
- toothbrush
- toothpaste
- travel size mouthwash
- dental floss
Post Surgery Recovery at Home
You will need everything listed above
- Bed pads
- Depends pull ups
- Prepartion H
- Sterile gloves
- Dolculax
- Docusate
- Paper towels
- Toilet Paper
- Kleenex
- Hand Mirror
- Neosporin (only use if directed by your surgeon or their staff.)
- Water based lubricating jelly. This is the best bang for the buck. 12 tubes for $14. These will last you about 6-8 weeks. In comparison, KY Jelly is $5.00 per 4 oz bottle at Wal-Mart. This is also what my surgeon gave me to dilate with. Take a tube with you for your surgery for dilating right afterwards.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZQFQP08/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- Maxi Pads. After you get past the post-bleeding following surgery, you will be fine to get Maxipads that are thin and long. These will provide ample protection for any dripping of lube and bodily fluids and the minor bleeding you will do as well as elongating the life of your diapers and making them last longer so you don't have to buy as many.
- Summer's Eve Medicated Douches (Medicated has the iodine in them).
1-2x a week for the first month following surgery. Then once or twice a month as needed after that up to the 6 month point. After that, it's solely up to you whether to use them or not. Do NOT use the douches that have vinegar in them. These will dry you up and make your vagina itch and burn. The medicated douches help the surgery areas heal up and they also help flush all the surgery debris, blood, dried blood, lube and what not out. Don't worry about pH the first 6 months, because your vagina is still healing and you won't have a stable pH until everything is completely 100% healed and that takes 6 months at least.
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