by Artisttia Yarns

Created on: May 18, 2009

The best way to recover post-surgically is to begin planning your recovery prior to the surgical event. Think about the tasks you do daily basis. See what can be done before the start of your recovery. Can you pay bills in advance or set up automatic payments? Is it possible to have your paycheck or disability check automatically deposited? Do you need to make arrangements for pets while you are in the hospital and the immediate post-operative period? Consider stopping your mail for a short while during your hospital stay and for the first several days you are home. Get the house ready; pick up throw rugs (due to risk of falls), stock refrigerators and freezers with nutritious food and beverages, and have friends and relatives on standby to help via your return from the hospital. Having help at home after surgery to help with tasks of everyday living from bring the mail in from the mailbox to answering the doorbell, are all items friends and family can do. Having these things in place will give you peace of mind and help to keep you from overdoing it when you come home from the hospital. Overdoing it is a major cause of setbacks when trying to recover post operatively.

In a less than ideal world, there is no time for planning for post-surgical recovery. Surgery is thrust upon you, like the knife of the surgeon that operates. Surgery takes a toll on you physically and emotionally. If you didn't have time to put plans into place prior to surgery or feel unready for discharge, don't panic. Speak out; tell the nurse and physician. Hospitals have discharge planners that can talk with your doctors, nurses, physical and occupational therapists and work with the nursing team at the insurance company (yes, there is a nursing team on your side at the insurance company), to help plan for a safe and smooth transition home. As a former nurse, insurance discharge planner, and former patient trust that my past experiences can help you. No insurance company wants to risk a lawsuit from premature discharged if a safe discharge plan is not place. If you are a Medicare patient, and don't feel ready for discharge you can appeal a discharge order. Your hospital is required by law to help you do this. Usually, buys at least one extra day if not more. Having a safe discharge plan is the first key to post surgical recovery at home.

The second key to post-surgical recovery is while still at the hospital, make certain that there is a plan in place to have your post-surgical prescriptions

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