Coping with Post Operative Pain: What Are the Changes You Can Make to Feel Better?

Your health is important, and sometimes the best way to ensure you stay healthy is to undergo a surgical procedure to correct particular problems you may have.

However, for a short time period that relief that comes from the procedure is delayed by the post-operative issues that naturally occur from any invasive surgery.

Luckily, there are some changes that you can make to ensure that your post-operative issues are as pain free and uncomplicated as possible.

Recovering at Home After Surgery

Although some of these tips may seem basic, there is a reason that they are so cliché – they work.  Not following your doctor’s instructions or avoiding follow-up care is an easy way to land yourself back in the hospital with complications like infections, tearing, or worse.

Before and after your surgery, there are a few things you can prepare for and do to make recovery easier.

• Go shopping  

Grocery shopping, that is.  What you eat after your surgery can impact the speed of your body’s internal healing.  Foods that are high in protein like eggs and chicken are essential to wound healing.  Vitamin C and B12 can also help with healing and the creation of new blood cells. Increasing your fiber intake and probiotics will get your digestive track back in shape, which is a huge step in improving your overall health.  You are probably not going to feel like shopping after the surgery, and in fact you need to rest and stay away from potential infectious germs, so shop ahead to help you feel better after surgery.

• Take your medicine  

All of it, as directed, is necessary for your body’s full recovery, unless it is given with instructions to take as needed.  Antibiotics especially work in a specific manner designed to only give the complete maximum effect if taken as directed and for the required length of time.  Even if you feel like you do not need the medicine your doctor prescribed, take it anyway unless it is giving you side effects. If this is the case, call your doctor and they can prescribe something for you to take in place of the original medication.

• Ask for help  

If your operation is going to require extensive recovery that you are unable to do yourself and you do not have anyone to aid you, talk to your doctor ahead of time. They may be able to refer you to a home health agency or other nursing specialist who can help you with activities of daily living, medication use, and other required tasks that are crucial to healing.  Visit nursing sites like 360HealthCareStaffing.com for more information on how health care staff can help with your recovery.

Take Control of Your Recovery

Your surgery was done with the ultimate goal of improving your quality of life. Taking control of your recovery and making sure that you are doing everything you can to work in tandem with your doctor to make this happen is crucial to a healthy, speedy recovery.  Plan ahead, ask for help, and follow your doctor’s instructions to ensure your body’s natural health is restored quickly and safely.