Liz’s Advice for Preparing for Surgery

Liz’s Advice for Preparing for Surgery

December 20, 2020

Recovering from surgery means more than just tending to your wounds. Your wellness requires mental and spiritual attention too. No one understands this better than Fight CRC Ambassador and survivor Liz Dennis, who has experienced a lot of surgeries. We asked her for advice on preparing for surgery and what effective support looks like.

Helpful Support

  • I believe in prayer! I always let my family and friends know of my surgery, I call it “Activating My Prayer Warriors.”
  • For big surgeries that require a hospital stay and no driving for six weeks, I really rely on my family and friends! Meal trains are invaluable, too, especially if you have children and are married. No one has time to cook!
  • I loved getting cards. My mom sent out a Facebook message and I received hundreds of cards that lifted my spirits, and we wallpapered my hospital room with them. I have had a 30-day and a 40-day stay, plus numerous 1-2 week stays, so these cards are really important to me.
  • I did appreciate big hugs, but then people felt like they needed to stay and have small talk right after surgery. That is difficult. Patients should know their limits and not be afraid to say no to visitors.

Physical preparation

  • Walking is my go-to exercise! Getting outside into the fresh air and walking, maybe listening to music or your favorite inspirational speaker.
  • If possible, be at your optimal weight. But, if surgery is next week and you want to lose 20 pounds, do not starve yourself. Try instead to give yourself a month to follow a well-rounded eating program, stay away from processed foods, and eat whole foods.
  • Do yoga daily if you are able. Yoga also helps with breathing, which will help you recover. You can do easier chair yoga during your recovery so you don’t have to get on the floor.
  • Get your house ready for your return before you leave for surgery. I get my TV tray out, get a Yeti cup for ice water, and set them both next to my chair. I also put out Saltines or anything else I think I would want.
  • Days before surgery, I make soup and pre-make food. Friends and family also bring me food if needed. I prepare freezer meals so I don’t need to worry about cooking while recovering.
  • Make clothing easy. Sometimes, I go home with a catheter, so underwear only makes things more difficult. Yes that’s right, I go commando under my dress! Choose clothes that can slip off and slip on. Buy bigger, elastic pants.
  • For big surgeries that require a hospital stay, get your bag packed. But pack light! Trust me: You will not want to read, at least I don’t! If you have an ostomy like I do, bring supplies; the hospital will supply some, but not necessarily the ones you use.
  • Take your favorite pillow, and you can also pack your own sheets, pillow case, or blankets. Slippers are a must, too! Because you will have an IV, it’s nice to have a blanket to act like a cape/robe.
  • Take your own toothbrush and toothpaste. My hospital gives me this awesome body wash, I really like it, or bring your own. You will be taking sponge baths, so maybe some supplies for that as well.
  • Take new clothes for when you leave the hospital, and keep in mind when you are discharged that you will have bandages. For women, a dress works great! For men, maybe some loose fitting stretchy shorts or joggers.

Mental Preparation

  • As I said before, yoga!
  • Listen to Louise Hay, she was one of my favorites!
  • Laugh a lot…I received a book about laughter during my recovery, and it helped me laugh leading up to surgery too. We need to laugh! Try watching some good romantic comedies; laughing actually helps with your breathing and your mental attitude!
  • Fall asleep with the CALM App. I LOVE IT and listen every night. There are also meditation apps you can listen to throughout the day.
  • Text with family! I write one update and send it separately out to all my loved ones. Too much communication can take a lot out of you though. If you need to, say how tired you are and at this time it takes too much out of you to talk on the phone or text a lot, but you will try to send out an update weekly, and that will keep people at bay. Your loved ones are just worried about you, but you have to take care of yourself too!
  • Be mindful of what you watch on TV. There are so many shows to watch that are uplifting, give you hope, and teach you so much. I just recently watched “Down To Earth” with Zac Ephron, it was amazing and I learned so much. You can watch some incredible Ted Talks too.
  • Limit how much time you’re on social media and be aware of how it’s affecting you.

Words of advice for those facing a big surgery?

I remember my first surgery. My anxiety was so high! I was pacing in the prep room, I could not sit still. I was shaking, and I had a hard time breathing. They had to give me a Xanax! Every now and then, I still get a little anxious before going under. I hate saying that I am used to it, but truth be told, I am used to it now.

Bring headphones into the prep room and listen to your relaxing music. Put on a comedy, then laugh, laugh, and laugh some more! And don’t be afraid to ask for a prescribed relaxer, either!

When you leave recovery and you are going home, be have all your care instructions (especially what to look for, i.e. elevated temperature) and the number for your doctor handy to call if needed.

Get Surgery Resources

If you’re facing surgery, we can help.

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Recovering from surgery means more than just tending to your wounds. Your wellness requires mental and spiritual attention too. No one understands this better than Fight CRC Ambassador and survivor Liz Dennis, who has experienced a lot of surgeries. We asked her for advice on preparing for surgery and what effective support looks like.

Helpful Support

  • I believe in prayer! I always let my family and friends know of my surgery, I call it “Activating My Prayer Warriors.”
  • For big surgeries that require a hospital stay and no driving for six weeks, I really rely on my family and friends! Meal trains are invaluable, too, especially if you have children and are married. No one has time to cook!
  • I loved getting cards. My mom sent out a Facebook message and I received hundreds of cards that lifted my spirits, and we wallpapered my hospital room with them. I have had a 30-day and a 40-day stay, plus numerous 1-2 week stays, so these cards are really important to me.
  • I did appreciate big hugs, but then people felt like they needed to stay and have small talk right after surgery. That is difficult. Patients should know their limits and not be afraid to say no to visitors.

Physical preparation

  • Walking is my go-to exercise! Getting outside into the fresh air and walking, maybe listening to music or your favorite inspirational speaker.
  • If possible, be at your optimal weight. But, if surgery is next week and you want to lose 20 pounds, do not starve yourself. Try instead to give yourself a month to follow a well-rounded eating program, stay away from processed foods, and eat whole foods.
  • Do yoga daily if you are able. Yoga also helps with breathing, which will help you recover. You can do easier chair yoga during your recovery so you don’t have to get on the floor.
  • Get your house ready for your return before you leave for surgery. I get my TV tray out, get a Yeti cup for ice water, and set them both next to my chair. I also put out Saltines or anything else I think I would want.
  • Days before surgery, I make soup and pre-make food. Friends and family also bring me food if needed. I prepare freezer meals so I don’t need to worry about cooking while recovering.
  • Make clothing easy. Sometimes, I go home with a catheter, so underwear only makes things more difficult. Yes that’s right, I go commando under my dress! Choose clothes that can slip off and slip on. Buy bigger, elastic pants.
  • For big surgeries that require a hospital stay, get your bag packed. But pack light! Trust me: You will not want to read, at least I don’t! If you have an ostomy like I do, bring supplies; the hospital will supply some, but not necessarily the ones you use.
  • Take your favorite pillow, and you can also pack your own sheets, pillow case, or blankets. Slippers are a must, too! Because you will have an IV, it’s nice to have a blanket to act like a cape/robe.
  • Take your own toothbrush and toothpaste. My hospital gives me this awesome body wash, I really like it, or bring your own. You will be taking sponge baths, so maybe some supplies for that as well.
  • Take new clothes for when you leave the hospital, and keep in mind when you are discharged that you will have bandages. For women, a dress works great! For men, maybe some loose fitting stretchy shorts or joggers.

Mental Preparation

  • As I said before, yoga!
  • Listen to Louise Hay, she was one of my favorites!
  • Laugh a lot…I received a book about laughter during my recovery, and it helped me laugh leading up to surgery too. We need to laugh! Try watching some good romantic comedies; laughing actually helps with your breathing and your mental attitude!
  • Fall asleep with the CALM App. I LOVE IT and listen every night. There are also meditation apps you can listen to throughout the day.
  • Text with family! I write one update and send it separately out to all my loved ones. Too much communication can take a lot out of you though. If you need to, say how tired you are and at this time it takes too much out of you to talk on the phone or text a lot, but you will try to send out an update weekly, and that will keep people at bay. Your loved ones are just worried about you, but you have to take care of yourself too!
  • Be mindful of what you watch on TV. There are so many shows to watch that are uplifting, give you hope, and teach you so much. I just recently watched “Down To Earth” with Zac Ephron, it was amazing and I learned so much. You can watch some incredible Ted Talks too.
  • Limit how much time you’re on social media and be aware of how it’s affecting you.

Words of advice for those facing a big surgery?

I remember my first surgery. My anxiety was so high! I was pacing in the prep room, I could not sit still. I was shaking, and I had a hard time breathing. They had to give me a Xanax! Every now and then, I still get a little anxious before going under. I hate saying that I am used to it, but truth be told, I am used to it now.

Bring headphones into the prep room and listen to your relaxing music. Put on a comedy, then laugh, laugh, and laugh some more! And don’t be afraid to ask for a prescribed relaxer, either!

When you leave recovery and you are going home, be have all your care instructions (especially what to look for, i.e. elevated temperature) and the number for your doctor handy to call if needed.

Get Surgery Resources

If you’re facing surgery, we can help.