Hubby Surgery--planning things to do?

[jacobsmom]

DH is going to have surgery just before Easter and will be quiet for at least 24 hours. He's got to have his tonsils out and his nose fixed. I want to put together something for him to do that takes everything into account. I'm thinking of getting him a dvd rental certificate, but I don't know what else to do.... Ideas?

 

[heartbeeps]

get him QUIET when he gets home; his face will hurt (as will his throat too probably). Talk to the drs office about maybe some tea like "throat comfort" which you can get at a health food store; otherwise Honey and Lemon is good on a sore throat too.

he might not be able to bend over (i.e., to tie his shoes) for a couple days so coupons for waiting on him hand and foot would be nice.

if he can tolerate reading, a fav magazine or, if he likes to plan, a Disney book perhaps? Suduko? how about a hand-held electronic toy like suduko or even game boy if he's interested in that kind of thing. You could give him everyone's cell phone and have him plug in all the #s from your home phone list. that'll keep him busy.

a foot massage (or reflexology) is VERY relaxing and wouldn't be anywhere near his head.

 

[noahdove]

He will need, tylenol, popsicles, more popsicles, tylenol and maybe a new pillow, gatorade, tylenol, a hand held game like yatzee, maybe the Guide to Disney book...start him on a series of books. Tony Dungee has his book out now so that would be great reading Good luck to ALL of you

 

[heartbeeps]

I was thinking ALEVE but didn't want to scare you. But, now that the subject came up... I had sinus surgery and my face hurt so bad right down to my teeth. I just wanted to lay on the couch, drink soothing tea, the thinnest and lightest cool compress on my forehead b'c I couldn't stand any pressure, a fleece throw over my body, a fluffy pillow under my head, my head propped up, and the dog NOT to jump up on my face! I really didn't do much of anything - too drained and too much aching to be able to concentrate. Peace and QUIET was all I wanted. Of course, check with the dr. BEFORE the surgery to see what types of things you should have on hand - sometimes they even let you fill the Rx the day before so you're not running into the pharmacy with a just-released patient in pain in the car or having to leave him home by himself while you run back to the pharmacy to pick up his meds.

 

[buckler]

I wouldn't worry about him being bored the first 24 hours. He'll probably just want to sleep. Definitely give him any pain meds they give you as prescribed. If it says every 4 hours, then give it every 4 hours for the first day. He doesn't need to be a tough guy and try to go without the pills. The doctor won't prescribe enough for him to get hooked on them. If you have kids at home or there is a lot of daytime noise in your neighborhood, maybe give him some ear plugs so he can rest without being disturbed. If you have a recliner, that might be the best place for him to sleep for the first few days. He probably won't feel like laying flat.

Forgot to add, you might want to have some Metamucil or another laxative on hand. In my experience, anesthesia can be constipating.

Also, check with the ENT about post-op care. They may have your DH do nasal washes with a bulb syringe and a mixture of water, baking soda and salt. I've had sinus surgery twice and both ENT's suggested this. If they want you to do that you can buy the materials ahead of time. The bulb syringe is like those sucker things they give you in the hospital to clean out a baby's nose. But, don't use an old one from a baby. Get a new clean one!

 

[barkley]

i had my tonsils out as a kid, then as an adult had major jaw surgery that impacted my sinuses.

i can still remember my throat hurting worse than the mort horrendous case of strep i have ever had (and i've had some that were doozies). with the ones that impacted my sinuses i remember longing for something cold that did'nt put pressure on my face. for that reason i'll suggest trying to find a long cylindrical shaped ice bag (shaped like a snake) that can be wrapped around the throat-it cools the entire area AND it remains in place when you try to sleep (velcro can hold it in place). for the nose area i would try using either 'migrane ice' or 'keep kool' which are products sold over the counter and are made of a light guaze like material but have a non sticky kind of gell stuff that when applied to the body relase a cooling feeling (they don't hurt when removed but do stay in place-i've used them for fevers on the kids, migranes on me-and multiple ones when i've done plays with heavy costumes in poorly air conditioned theatres).

while you can stock up on the traditional cool foods and liquids i would also suggest some items that can be eaten warm (not hot)-i found that cold stuff hurt more to swallow whereas slightly warm items felt more soothing (i think i lived on buillon and miso soup when i had my jaw done). your dh may also find that he wants to avoid using a straw for a period of time-the muscles needed to use one can pull on stitches as well as cause pain to surgical sites as well as your nose some liquids realy hurt when i drank them so i ended up avoiding anything carbonated (those bubbles stung!) and anything acidic (oj burned my throat), so if he likes cranberry it seemed to work well and it might not be bad to stock up on it.

check with the ent and see if they reccommend a humidifier-these can be a godsend to keep your nasel passages moist and seem to relieve pain. if he will have drainage and need tissues-pop for something like puffs with aloe so he does'nt end up with raw skin around his nose.

last suggestion-i found that swallowing a pill when my throat was healing was painful, so my doctor changed me to a liquid based pain med (was like a non vile tasting cough syrup) that for the first few days was much easier to get down.