Write down (or have your caregiver write down) when you take your meds. You will probably be on more
than one kind of medication (pain killer and antibiotics). When you are groggy, it's hard to keep track of when you took your last pill.
Take your pills at the exact prescribed intervals for the first few
days. Don't try to be tough and stretch out times between pain pills.
If you let the pain get ahead of you the pills will not be as
effective.
Particularly if you have more than one caregiver (which you should, if possible) this will be important. Have a message board, chalk board, or dry erase board designated to this task.
Wear extra roomy t-shirts, elastic-waisted pants, and slip-on shoes, but not flip-flop type sandles.
Clean and dress your site according to your doctor's schedule and instructions, and only if he has told you that you are supposed to do it.
If he directs you to use Peroxide:
- Pour a small amount into a clean container (like a medicine cup or ramekin).
- Dip a cotton swab into the peroxide ONLY ONCE.
- Clean by swiping ONCE over the cleanest part of the site.
- Throw that swab away.
- Repeat with a fresh swab for each dip and each swipe working from the cleanest areas to the dirtiest areas.
- (Peroxide must be washed off with water, not allowed to sit on the skin. --srhd)
If you are directed to use water, use the same instructions given for peroxide.
A bottle of Normal Saline from the pharmacy or regular bottled, distilled water is preferable to tap water if possible.
--srhd
Anethesia and narcotic painkillers can be constipating. Docusate Sodium is a recommended as a stool softener. Bulk forming laxatives like Metamucil or Fiber-con are an alternative. Avoid "stimulant" laxatives. Always drink plenty of water when using a bulk-forming laxative or stool softener.
A recliner makes an excellent comfy spot, or place to sleep, after surgery. You can
prop your arm up on a bunch of pillows stacked on one of the arms and
you can adjust the chair different ways to try to get comfy.
Use a terry cloth robe rather than a towel after a shower or bath. (Shower only if your doc permits!) You can slip it on and let the robe absorb the water. Makes drying
your back much easier.
Use pump top bottles for shampoo, conditioner, body wash etc.
Also give your caregiver permission to wake you in order to take your pills on time at least for the first 48 hours. It may seem silly, but you must stay in front of the pain. --srhd
Contributed by Lydia Kedzierski
Reminders of what you learned pre-op
Do not hesitate to call your doctor with even the most trivial of questions or concerns if you feel like you need to ask him or his office. Don't be surprised if you communicate with him through a nurse instead of speaking to him directly. It doesn't mean you're not important. If he trusts his staff, so should you.
If you must wear make-up, figure out what one item makes the most difference and use only it.
Make a Chores list and assign jobs to anyone who walks in.
Place a small trashcan near your comfy spot for the first couple of days. Some pain meds can cause nausea. If you get nauseated and it persists, CALL and get a different prescription, but Do Not stop taking the old one until you have the new one in hand unless you're specifically told to stop.
(However, if your mouth, tongue, or throat begin to swell or you begin to have difficulty breathing, race immediately to the emergency room. Do not take the time to call your doctor first. Call him from the car or let the emergency room staff do it for you. These are symptoms of a life-threatening reaction. If necessary, call an ambulance.)
If you have one, use a "breakfast-in-bed tray" or lap desk as a desk or impromptu table for dinner, as long as the things on it aren't terribly hot or likely to spill.
Sharing a bed with another person may be uncomfortable for both of you. Try to make alternate arrangements.
Have some Neosporin (triple antibiotic ointment) on hand, but don't expect to need it. If you do need an antibiotic cream, always apply from the tube to the sterile dressing. Never use the tube to apply the antibiotic directly to the skin. Bacteria may settle on the lip of the tube and spread to anything it touches. Similarly, don't touch the lip of the tube to anything but a sterile dressing. A band-aid is a sterile dressing, a washcloth is not.
Keep your surgical site, dressing, and cast out of the water. When you bathe, use something waterproof to cover the site, dressing, and cast.
Buy a pack of baby wipes. They're much more efficient at personal cleaning than toilet paper.
Make sure that your caregiver has time for breaks. Try to have two or more caregivers so they can alternate.
Give your caregiver permission to turn away visitors if you're not up to them. A little white lie won't hurt anyone and is entirely appropriate in this situation. If you don't want to face your adoring public, allow your caregiver to lie to them, to tell them that you're "finally" sleeping, and to ask them to leave a note for you so that you'll know they were concerned.
If visitors show up with gifts of food, have them transfer it to your own dishes and take their own dishes home with them.
Do your deep-breathing exercises several times a day for the first few days after surgery and while you are taking pain medication.
Plan to sleep. A lot. It's primarily during sleep that the body
heals itself.
Try to maintain, with the help of your caregiver, a list of people have shown concern or brought tokens for you so that you may, when you've recovered enough, send thank you notes to them. (If someone asks if they can get something for you, and all your other needs are met, ask for a book of stamps and/or a package of small, blank cards.)
Ask someone to post to your lists, especially the Kienbock List, on your behalf while it's difficult
for you to type.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist about CastComfort if your cast itches.
(Attention: CastComfort® may not be used with suture (stitches) or open wounds. Do not use more than every 4-6 hours)
To cool your arm inside the cast, you can use the vacuum cleaner to suck a breeze through it.
Your surgical scar will need to be protected from sun exposure for up to a year with sunscreens, long sleeves, or athletic sweat bands.
Yes, much of this information is repeated from the Pre-op page with which it is expected you are familiar. It's relevant on both ends. If it's repeated, it must be doubly important.
--srhd
IMPORTANT:
In the July 2002 Orthopedics Today, it was reported that Cox-2 inhibitors and, to a lesser extent, NSAIDs may interfere with bone healing in animal studies. While this has yet to be proven in humans, Thomas A. Einhorn, MD, of Boston University Medical Center, suggested, “Based on our current understanding, it would seem that a prudent approach toward the management of patients is to temporarily avoid or discontinue the use of both NSAIDs and coxibs during a period of bone healing.” Coxibs (Cox-2 inhibitors) include Celebrex. NSAIDs include ibuprofen (Advil), naproxyn (Aleve), and many of the non-narcotic prescription pain medications. Speak to your doctor about this matter as it relates to your post-operative pain management.
