How to Have a Positive Post-Surgery Experience by Preparing Your Home and Your Life Pre-Surgery

Recently, I was asked about the "tipping point" that prompts clients to reach out to me. Over the years, I have found that one recurrent tipping point is when someone has been scheduled for surgery. Regardless of whether or not they live alone, the prospect of not being able to perform routine tasks can be really troubling to people. No one wants to be in pain or have limited mobility and live surrounded by chaos--piles of laundry, dirty dishes in the sink, a mailbox filled to overflowing because they are unable to walk to it. Post-surgery, you'll have enough other, more personal things to navigate--such as bathrooming, bathing, and dressing. Do you really want to be focusing on prepping meals and wiping countertops?

This blog will offer a few tips and strategies for preparing your home and your life before you go under the knife, so that you can focus on healing and getting back to normal. Also, I will point out some ways that a personal concierge can help you, both pre-and post-surgery.

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What You Can Do to Prepare Before the Surgery

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Pre-surgery is the time to start reverse engineering what your post-surgery day-to-day will look like. You will still need to eat; you'll want your house to be clean and reasonably tidy; you'll want options for managing your home that may or may not depend on others. Here are some things to consider, and some possible solutions for keeping things simple while you are on the mend:

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• ‍Do a deep clean or have your home deep-cleaned prior to surgery. Don't let dust bunnies become a pet peeve as you rest either in bed or on the couch. A good cleaning gives you peace of mind that surfaces are sanitary, and that, if you do have other people to help you, they will just have to do a bit of maintenance.

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• If you are able, cook meals ahead of time. This is the time to batch-cook and to "blank-canvas" cook. It is important, though, to think through what you might want to eat if you're stomach isn't able to handle much. You might want to have on hand broth-based soups, rice, mashed potatoes, pre-made smoothies, dishes that might help with pain-med constipation, things containing ginger to sooth any lingering nausea. For me, variety would be key; yes, I'd want to have the bland things on hand, but once that post-anasthesia queasiness passes--I most likely would want to return to a more normal diet. Prep the bland foods, but also prep your favorite nourishing foods. The idea of blank-canvas cooking is to prep those veggies and lean proteins in a way that allows you to use them in multiple ways. Tonight's grilled chicken breast can become tomorrow's chicken salad. Roasted cauliflower can be served with cheese sauce one night, but with an Asian-inspired one on another day.

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• Stock up on those items that you'll inevitably need, and on ones that will make life easier. Pre-surgery is the time to make sure you have plenty of paper products on hand: tissues, toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, and disinfecting wipes. These items don't have an expiration date. Taking care of this now will save you and/or your loved ones from the hassle of ordering them online and dealing with opening boxes. This is especially true if you don't have someone with you to take care of bringing delivered items into your home. If you expect that taking care of dishes will be a challenge during your recovery, this is the time to buy paper plates and bowls, disposable cups and cutlery. If you feel bad about creating unnecessary waste, there are now a wide-range of compostable products from which to choose.

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• Not to put too fine a point on it, but stock up on those personal care items, too. Menstrual products, incontinence products, hemorroid treatments. You know, the fun stuff.

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• Find out if you will need a shower chair or cast-cover. If your doctor has given you some instructions on post-operative bathing, buy those items you'll need now. You may want to consider options--especially with things like cast-covers--in case you need a larger or smaller one. Have a back-up plan.

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• If you know that you will need to adjust your clothing choices, buy what you need now. Some surgeries won't allow you to raise your arms overhead. Others may require you to wear a special type of bra. Consult with your doctor, and purchase those button-down shirts, front-clasp bras, loose pants, whatever it is--in advance of your surgery.

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• If you live alone, make a contingency plan for help, especially in the early part of your recovery. If you're on crutches, getting food out of the refrigerator is going to be a challenge. If you're surgery limits you to one hand, you will need help opening containers and cutting your food. Pre-surgery is the time to line up some help--whether it is a friend, family member, or home healthcare worker.

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How a Personal Concierge Can Help--Both Pre- and Post-Surgery

Before any surgery, there could be blood tests and EKGs, chest x-rays, biopsies, and any number of other screenings and consultations. Both before and after surgery, your priority needs to be your health and well-being--whatever that looks like for you, based upon your healthcare provider's advice. A personal concierge can handle the running of your home. There have been ChoreVoyant clients who have come to me for that very reason: they were having surgery, and wanted their home to operate 'business as usual.' Post-surgery, I took care of:

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• Laundry
• Running the dishwasher
• Grocery shopping
• Managing home deliveries--opening boxes, putting items away
• Gift shopping
• Appointment setting

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In the run-up to a surgery, a personal concierge can:

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• Shop for the personal care items
• Help with food prep
• Purchase paper goods and groceries
• Set appointments for both home maintenance activities and for personal care (massages, PT)
• Research and vet cleaning services
• Pick up specialty equipment from vendors (shower chairs, cast-covers)
• Manage clothing returns
• Help with creating an itinerary for friends or family who may be helping with personal care

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For sure, you don't need to be having surgery to receive personal concierge services. However, most people need a tipping point of some sort--a feeling of overwhelm, a missed opportunity or deadline, a personal cost in either time or money--to prompt them to accept help in their day-to-day life. Surgery can be one of those overwhelming experiences. ChoreVoyant is here to serve--in good times and challenging ones. We partner with our clients to provide them with the calm, ease, and trust that can make their healing journey smoother and quicker. If you have an upcoming surgery, or are feeling like you've got too much on your plate, click here for a list of our services.

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ChoreVoyant's service area covers all of Bergen County. If you are interested in a discovery call, please reach out to Marcia at (201)707-5813.

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