Surgeries happen daily for many reasons, but recovery is always a challenging process that needs care. It could take weeks or months to get back on your feet, depending on the surgery and postoperative side effects. The recovery process can get you a bit anxious and uncomfortable when you’re eager to get back to work, the gym, and your life in general. Along with your doctor’s instructions, the following self-care tips will help you achieve a quick recovery.
Take the prescribed pain medication
You will experience postoperative pain, and your doctor will provide pain medication to keep it at bay. Try as much as possible to prevent pain by resting and avoiding strenuous activity. If the pain becomes unbearable, consult your doctor for additional measures. If you have clearance from your doctor to exercise, take your pain medication some minutes before you commence and go easy on the workout routine.
Rest as much as possible
After surgery, you can have the urge to run a few errands or catch up on work. However, remember that you need to stick to your doctor’s instructions to achieve a complete and long-term recovery. After the surgery procedure, get bed rest for at least 24 to 48 hours. For some surgical procedures, your bed rest could be longer, but this gradual approach will give your body time to recover, and when it’s ready, your body will tell you. Move at a slow pace and sleep whenever you feel tired.
Follow the doctor’s discharge instructions
Before you leave the hospital, your surgeon will give you instructions that include controlling pain, bed rest, caring for the incision, and your drug prescriptions. Go through the papers with the medical team and reread them when you get home. Be sure to follow them religiously and call the doctor if you’re unsure of anything or begin experiencing unusual medical reactions and symptoms.
Check into a personalized care facility
Sometimes caring for yourself after surgery can be challenging, especially when there’s no one to offer support and help. You can have professionals at Respite Care Facility nurture and provide compassionate care for quick recovery after surgery. Similarly, you can have in-home care from professionals to assist with giving you your medication, cleaning and dressing your incision, and preparing light meals. Having professional care helps you get around with ease and be well-rested.
Commit to follow-up checkups
Many patients ignore their follow-up doctor’s appointments the moment they start to feel better. It may seem like an unnecessary expense and waste of time when your wound is healing, and you’re feeling good. However, your doctor will have to look at other things, especially those that aren’t visible to the naked eye. Your physician may look for infections, follow up on your blood work, and ensure that the surgery treated your ailment. Also, they can adjust your medication.
Stick to a healthy diet
A healthy diet will help you achieve recovery fast and efficiently. Once you can eat and drink normally, hydrate with enough water and consume nutritious diets. Focus on foods with vitamin C like kale and citrus fruits, protein, meat or plant-based, and vitamin B12 from cheese, fish, and low-fat yogurt.
Incorporate fiber to prevent constipation, carbohydrates for energy, proteins for fast healing, and healthy fats to boost your immunity.
Regularly inspect and care for your incision
An incision can be a painful sight to look at, but you must inspect it daily for unusual occurrences. For procedures where it isn’t possible, use a mirror to look at how the wound is healing. Check to see that stitches are intact if there’s a color change or signs of infection.
Care for your incision properly by:
- washing your hands before touching it
- take a shower instead of a bath
- avoid rubbing it vigorously
- dab on it with a clean, dry cloth
- avoid swimming
- don’t remove stitches
Ease into activity
When you leave the hospital, you are likely to experience fatigue from the surgery. Prevent the wound from opening by limiting movement around the incision. When it’s safe for you to resume sports, exercise, and begin lifting things, your physician will let you know. However, ensure you get moving by walking after the procedure to improve respiration and increase blood flow. Walking every few hours can rid you of the anesthetic side effects, constipation and prevent severe ailments like deep vein thrombosis.
Bottom line
The quickest road to recovery is planning for it before the surgery. Recovery is simple if you adhere to the discharge instructions willingly. Eat healthy foods, go for scheduled follow-ups, inspect your wound and care for it, and get plenty of rest. Don’t be afraid to seek support from caregiver professionals to get the care you deserve for a quick recovery.
