10 Things I needed after Top Surgery
1. A place to stay and someone to stay with. Seriously, recovery is not something you can do on your own. If you know a nurse who is willing to hang out with you it makes life 10X easier because they are used to seeing blood and helping people and cleaning up messes. My friend even helped me wash my hair over his kitchen sink and changed my dressings for me. No reaching, no stretching, no bending over, it’s great.
2. Something soft and comforting. The pain meds made me woozy and a little emotional. I couldn’t control when I slept, when I was awake, I couldn't even keep my eyes open sometimes. I lost track of time, started conversations I didn’t remember, etc. Having something around that was constant like a specific blanket, a drink you like, a tv show you can binge on that you’ve watched before (you’ll fall asleep and no remember what happened), helped make me feel more stable. I chose a blanket and pillow that I particularly like. And have some Arizona tea always around.
3. Bendy Straws. This is pretty common but they’re really a life saver. I didn’t have to pick my arms up for anything really.
4. Something to keep toilet paper closer to the toilet in the bathroom. Whether this is a cheap toilet paper rack or even a small bucket or stool, I had issues reaching the toilet paper roll because it was either too far in front of me or on the wall behind me. Consider where the toilet paper is in your bathroom and make adjustments if you need to.
5. Glass cleaning cloth. With how much I fell asleep and woke up, my glasses were constantly on and off my face, falling on the floor, and of course I had to pick them up with my toes if I was alone because I couldn’t bend them over. At some point I was ready to safety pin a cloth to my surgery binder so I didn’t have to keep asking for one when I couldn’t see through all the smudges. This is also helpful for computer screens and phone screens especially if you aren’t wearing normal clothing like a soft tshirt or jacket.
6. Easy access medications. If your meds come with child locks on them, you might not be able to open them. Find a jar or something with a really easy access lid - something that screws off with you having to push buttons or pop anything - and LABEL things according to what you use them for. Pain meds really clogged my thoughts so seeing words like “OW” and “BLEH” on the top of bottles helped me distinguish which med was for pain and which med was for nausea. Have fun with this one.
7. A pillow that won’t run away. If you’re sleeping in a bed, try body pillows around you. If you’re sleeping on a couch, make sure it’s not a couch that will swallow you between the cushions. I spent most of my time in a recliner with a travel pillow around my neck.
8. Meditation music or something quiet. After the first 12-24 hours I found myself holding my shoulders up trying to reduce the pain on my incisions which caused a lot of tension in my back, neck, and shoulders. At some points they were more painful than the incisions. Take some time to really meditate and relax your muscles or the tightness will impact everything around you - pain levels, mood, etc.
9. Easy access snacks. I love clementines so we found some that were easy to peel. Chip bags that are small and easy to handle are nice too. Light plates, bowls, plastic cups, things that don’t require a lot of coordination work well because it’s hard to get situated and then have to reach for a ton of things. Eat food that only requires one utensil. Etc.
10. Short Walks. March in Michigan is cold, so we went to stores to get one or two things, I leaned over a cart and hobbled through. It made me dizzy and painful, it sucked most of the time, but once I sat down and relaxed I felt so much better than pre-walk. I wasn’t fidgety anymore, I felt like I could actually sit still and let myself heal rather than getting up every 10 minutes or asking for water or reading a book or scratching or painting my nails. I slept better after walks, I ate better after walks, and I felt more emotionally stable after walks.
Okay, those are my top 10 things. I’m sure there are others depending on your situation. Some people recommend cough drops for your sore throat after anesthesia, I didn’t experience this. I also experienced a little more draining than a lot of guys do and thus needed some extra gauze and bandages. Long phone chargers, comfy slippers, and loose-fitting clothes are often recommended too. I used my regular 6ft charger, had some slippers but mostly only wore them when my feet were cold, and I wore shorts and my surgery binder for most of the week after because it was easier to regulate my temperature with blankets than take clothes on and off.
If you have any questions feel free to message me.















