Instructions
Caring for patients is what we like to do. Although we will always discuss the specifics of your surgery in our office and hospital visits; we feel it is important to cover some general topics that occur in patients recovering from surgery.
The body interprets surgery even minor day surgery as a stress event. For this reason it is not unusual for patients recovering from surgery to experience some changes in their normal bodily functions in the weeks following an operation.
For example, your sleep patterns may be altered. You may be awake at night and sleep during the day, or you may not be able to sleep much at all. Sleeping pills are frequently advertized on television but have many side effects and are generally not the first solution. Improving your sleep hygiene or habits will usually work. For instance wake up a normal time and stay awake during the day avoiding long naps. Don't watch television or read in bed. Avoid caffeine around bed time.
Patients recovering from any operation especially ones that require narcotic pain medication frequently have changes in their normal bowel habits. Constipation one day followed by loose stools the next is not uncommon.
Food frequently will have altered taste and your appetite may be absent, so foods that you normally like may not have their normal flavor. Unless otherwise instructed a good rule of thumb is to try and eat a well balanced notorious diet. Forcing yourself to eat the amount of food you normally eat is not necessary and my make you nauseated.
Recovering from surgery can cause some people to develop a mild depression or a case of "the blues" you are frequently off work, you may have pain, you may have to miss some activities that you normally like to attend, all of which can be stressful and cause sadness. Most of the time these feelings resolve as your body continues to heal; however should they persist we will address them in one of your follow up visits.