The first thing is to ask your doctor many questions. It is helpful to write them all down before your doctor’s visit to avoid forgetting important concerns. Questions to ask include estimated recovery time, if there is a mandatory hospital stay and what kind of limitations will you have during recovery.
If you have not had a second opinion consider doing so if your insurance will allow. Research the kind of surgery you are having by looking on the Internet. Remember that recovery times and pain levels vary among patients.
If the doctor tells you that you will be unable to get around for 6 weeks do what you can to plan ahead. Many times even with elective surgery you are not given a choice of when it is scheduled. Once it is scheduled, check your calendar and see what you can do now to prepare for upcoming events such as holidays or birthdays.
If you are the person responsible for car-pooling the kids, make other arrangements for the maximum time that you should be out of commission. If you plan for more time than you will need it will help to eliminate stress.
Today many procedures do not require an overnight stay in the hospital. This is good because it allows you to recuperate in the comfort of your own home. Remember that the first day or two at home you will be tired and will want to rest. If you make and freeze some meals this can be helpful especially if your family usually depends on you for meal preparation.
If you live alone and may need some help, arrange for a friend or family member to come and either stay or stop in frequently to help you out.
Pay or prepare your bills if their due dates with coincide with your recovery period. Remember that you may not feel as well as you would have hoped to. Doing things before your scheduled surgery will help to keep you from falling behind on your bill paying.
Plan ahead for the worst possible scenario. Being prepared will help to make your recovery time smoother. Do not be afraid to take friends and family up on their offers of help. If you will need to go to physical therapy, arrange for someone to drive you.
Having surgery does not need to through your life into complete turmoil if you do some planning. Write a list of everything you can think of and although your healing time may be faster than expected, it is easier to turn away help then to be looking for it when you are feeling miserable.
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/surgery-what-to-expect-topic-overview
