Last week my mom had knee replacement surgery. This was the first time she had any major surgery. It was a learning process for all of us. First you must have a clear understanding of the medication that is required pre and post-surgery. It is important to review the medication list from the doctor. Make sure that all prescriptions are filled in advance. One mistake I made while caring for my mom was I did not review the medication in advance. Her surgery was approaching and she did a good job of organizing her medication in a basket. The surgery was successful. But when we got home we thought she would had everything filled and ready to use. As I was leaving to go home on the first night I sat in the car for a moment. My intuition kicked me in the butt and told me to go back in the house to review the medication. I don’t know about you, but I am not familiar with all the medications and their technical names. But we discussed Oxy with the doctor prior to surgery and it was not included. When I called the doctor and pharmacy I discovered that they were out of stock and that’s why it was not filled in advance. Fortunate for us we discovered this mistake 30 minutes before the pharmacy was closed. My dad rushed to the pharmacy and managed to get a replacement pain medicine. Can you imagine getting through the first night of knee replacement surgery without the necessary pain medication.
The second mistake I made was assuming food options were considered in advance of the surgery. I assumed that my parents went shopping and had ample food in the house that was easy to prepare. Quickly, I discovered that I had to get to Costco and stock up on some healthy food options. In our family we cook. But when surgery is involved and everyone is sleep deprived, it’s important to make things easy as possible.
Processed foods are not recommended when you have surgery because the body really needs good nutrition to heal. Therefore, I purchased a few prepared family meals that were easy to heat and serve. The patient has to eat, but my dad should also be eating healthy meals.
I made a third mistake. I did not consider the nausea tea that I blended for a friend a few months ago. I made a custom blend for nausea with ginger, peppermint, chamomile, fennel, lemon balm, cloves and basil. After administering the medication for a few days, it dawned on me. She was taking pills for nausea. However, they were no longer effective. Quite frankly I was so focused on a digestive solution I did not think about replacing the nausea pills. First, we solved the constipation problem that happens to everyone who takes a large amount of medication. Then, I was able to focus on the nausea. In the future I will have both tea blends prepared in advance. It’s unfortunate that all problems are solved with pills. The goal should be to also incorporate natural herbal options along with the medication.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, remember one thing, you are doing your best. If you are not aware of something just listen to your gut and ask questions. We attended all doctor appointments with mom. However, we still encountered a few post-surgery hurdles along the way. Hopefully this will help you to consider a few things to do in advance, during and after surgery. This preparation can guarantee that your journey with your loved ones is a little bit easier. #surgerystratgies #kneereplacementsurgery
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