It is the night before my surgery and all through the hotel, people are stirring and some are very loud.

Tomorrow morning is the big game, my own personal Super Bowl of surgeries, a bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture.  I ripped both of my quadriceps muscles at the tendons above the knees.  This is not normal but I was able to do it!  I have been preparing for this moment for months and I believe I am ready both physically and mentally.  Ok, not really mentally, but as best as I can be.  Even at this late date before my surgery I still don’t know how long I will be in the hospital and where I am going once I am released.  I am not sure on how other hospitals go about situations like this, but this VA hospital won’t know where I will spend my recovery until after the surgery. The final decision is made by the surgeon after the surgery and then relayed to the follow-up team that consists of a physical therapist, an after-care home-visiting nursing team (if needed), and an after-care social worker.  

If any of you are going to surgery and an after-care social worker is not offered, ask for one.  For my situation it is important because I live about 130 miles away from the hospital and the logistics are a nightmare.  At this moment I am not sure if I will be coming home soon after the surgery or if I will be sent to a rehab facility.  Heck, at this juncture, I am not even sure how I am going to get home. To cover both scenarios of after-care I brought clothes and supplies for either leaving the next day or two after my surgery to go home, or to be sent to the rehabilitation department for a number of weeks.

And while I’m on the subject of after-care, the social worker is a very valuable team member in finding out what an individual may need for home recovery and how to get the medical products required (and Rehabmart can supply just about any post-surgical and rehabilitation medical device needed), and also who will pay.  Even though I don’t have insurance, I am very lucky that I have the VA to assist me in my time of need.  When I volunteered to help defend my country decades ago, I did it out of self-obligation, not for any future benefits or congratulatory appreciations, yet that being said, I am very appreciative of the VA.  Without the VA it could be very possible that I wouldn’t be able to afford this surgery and would not be able to walk again for the rest of my life.

So I sit here in the hotel room, one more time going over my plans and questions I want to ask tomorrow before the surgery, and the next day for my recovery program.  Once again I cannot stress enough on how important it is to become involved in one’s own surgery and after-care plan.  It is important to participate in your treatment decisions and know what your rights are which should be printed in various patient handbooks supplied to patients before surgery takes place.

When someone is going to the hospital for surgery, there are some basic rules to follow.  For one thing, this is not a time for a fashion statement.  Wear very comfortable clothes to the hospital and figure out what you will be wearing while in the hospital and what to wear on the trip back home.  For example, I will have an ankle to thigh cast on both of my legs and it is a cold January here in Georgia, so I have a pair of loose sweat pants that should fit over the casts.  If I have to stay in a rehab facility then I am also bringing along several pairs of shorts, shirts, underwear, socks, and a pair of non-slip shoes.  Also, don’t wear any make-up because the doctors won’t be impressed. Actually, oftentimes a patient will have to shower the morning of the surgery so don’t put on any skin cream after the shower.  Also do not wear or bring any jewelry or valuables.  Most medical personnel are honest people, but sometimes there might be some who will be tempted to take a diamond ring or money left in the bedside drawer.

Do not bring any medications unless prescribed by your doctor.  It is a good idea to bring a list of medications to show the medical staff, if needed.  People getting a surgery will not be able to eat after midnight the night before, but don’t forget to continue to hydrate yourself with water. Not sugary sodas or sweet tea but good ol’ water.  Also if you read, bring a book or two during those times when you are sitting around waiting, which is a prime time for your mind to start to think about the surgery and all that goes with it.  Your mind as well as your body needs to rest, and thinking about scary stuff is not an ideal resting place for your mind.  If you love music, bring some but be aware that many times people will tune out the music and start to think about the scary stuff again.  If you like playing video games, bring a Gameboy or some other kind of handheld device.  

If you have to think about the surgery and rehab afterwards, do your best to be positive with your thinking. Think of how great the surgeon is going to perform and how quickly and easily you will recover.  Also don’t forget to breathe!  Keep on taking deep, cleansing breaths often throughout the day.  This will help to relax both your body and mind and put you in a better place for the surgery.  And this may sound kind of silly to some people, but don’t forget to love yourself.  For example, my legs have always been wonderful to me my entire life, and I mentally talk to my legs, telling them how much I love them and am sorry that they became injured.  I tell them that I look forward to the day where I can ride a bike and walk normally again.  Your body is made of many parts that make a wonderful, whole person so appreciate your parts, and the whole will feel better.

Remember that the surgery is an experience that in the long run will help a person feel better and have a more fulfilling lifestyle.  The fear and pain will pass.  It will be temporary.  Remember all the times in life that there was something that was scary and painful but is now a memory, a pain in the past.  A surgery will be one of those things that a person will look back on and, if not smile about it, at least realize that it is over and life is starting anew.

Well, it is getting late and I have to be up at 4:00 in the morning to get ready for the 6:00 AM arrival time at the hospital, so I now go to bed with visions of my wife and me soon-to-be dancing in my head.

Good night, everybody.  

Go here to read 'Anatomy of a Surgical Event, Part 1'

Bill Stock
Executive Editor,
Content & Social Media Services
and
Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Team Leader & CEO