As instructed by the letter with surgery information, I called the hospital this morning for a pre-operative interview.
Mostly the nurse asked me a lot of questions related to my medical history.
She also gave me some pre-operative instructions, some of which were listed on the letter I already received, but some which weren't.
No eating or drinking anything, not even hard candy or water, after midnight the night before my surgery.
To get a jump on pain management, I should take two 500 mg Tylenol tablets before leaving the house on the morning of the surgery. It's okay to have a sip of water with those pills. I should not take Advil before or after the surgery. (Something about an increase risk of bleeding.)
I'm supposed to take a shower the night before and the morning of using a special antiseptic soap called Hibiclens. The letter I received hadn't mentioned showering at all. The nurse on the phone said she'd email me additional instructions including information about the special soap.
On one of the Facebook groups I joined, there was a whole thread about whether or not it's okay to shave before surgery. Some women are instructed not to shave for a number of days beforehand. I asked about this, and the nurse said it's okay to shave, just be careful not to nick myself, especially in the underarm area, which is close to the surgery site. Well, since shaving nicks are accidents, and I can't very well ensure that I won't nick myself unintentionally, I'm just going to err on the side of caution and not shave the week before, just in case.
It's a little hard to believe that one week from now, I will be in the operating room.
Praying it all goes smoothly!
ReplyDeleteDo you have to buy Hibiclens yourself? Or your provider will give you some?
ReplyDelete