I’ve been through a few surgeries in my life. Four to be exact, five if you include wisdom teeth (which I don’t, since I was awake and remember the whole thing). And I’m about to undergo another one in a month, this time the most complicated of them all, brain surgery. Yikes!

Here I offer up some ideas of what I’ve learned about what you can do prior to surgery (if you are able) to make your post-op recovery as calm and stress-free as possible.

Clean Your House

If you are physically able to before your surgery, give your house a clean or have someone help you. I’m not talking spring cleaning, but if the dust bunnies are going to drive you nuts, dust the house. Vacuum all rooms. Maybe even mop the kitchen floor if you’re really feeling it. (And it’s ok if you’re not feeling it.) Make sure things are put away as much as they can be so there’s less risk of you tripping over things post-op. (Looking at you, Legos.)

Get the Laundry Done

• Wash your bedding so it’s nice and soft and fluffy.

  

• Do a load of towels. There’s nothing like a shower with fresh, soft towels after surgery once you are able to shower or bathe!
• Make sure all other laundry is done, including any important garments your family might need while you are recuperating.
• If you have kiddos, make sure they have plenty of clean clothes and all uniforms/practice clothes/dance clothes are ready to go.
• Make sure you have plenty of clean pairs of pajamas for yourself to hang out and recover in.

Clean the Bathrooms

I put this one separate in the event you need to do a bowel prep prior to your surgery. Believe me, nothing is going to drive you more crazy during your prolonged time spent on the potty than that pile of dust in the corner.

Pro Tip: Invest in some flushable wet wipes. You’re going to chafe after awhile from even the softest toilet paper.

Meal Prep

If you’re the house cook, consider making a bunch of meals ahead of time that can be frozen and easily thawed at dinner time. You probably don’t want the family to be eating cereal for dinner all through your recovery. Or maybe you do want pizza every night? Go for it! That’s your decision.

If your recovery is going to be prolonged, you may want to ask a friend if they’d be willing to set up a meal train.

Pro Tip: If you freeze meals in freezer bags, don’t forget to write on the bag what it is in addition to the instructions for heating it up!

Transportation

Depending on the surgery, you may not be able to drive for awhile afterwards, and I’m not just talking the day of. Figure out what this means for you.

• Does this mean your partner is going to have to get the kids to where they need to be? Or will you have to rely on another adult to do that? Get it set up ahead of time. You want everyone to be on the same page so you won’t need to worry about how your family members are going to get to where they need to be.
• Do you have follow-up appointments you need to get to? Figure out how you’ll get there before the fact. If your spouse or partner is going to need to take time off work to get you somewhere, the sooner they know about it, the better.

Get Your Nest Ready

Will you be spending a lot of time resting in bed or on the couch? Get your favorite books or activities in place nearby so you don’t need to be trekking all over the house looking for everything you want after the surgery. And don’t forget your charging cords!

Also, consider how you will move around your house. Will you be able to climb stairs? Will you need a mobility device, such as crutches, a walker, wheelchair, or rollator? These will determine where in your house you are able to rest and recover. You may need assistance using these devices at first, so be sure you have someone with you who can help you manage.

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I hope this list will help make your recovery as smooth as possible!

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