Preparing for my surgery

Since I had this surgery before, I knew what I needed to get around my house while not being able to put weight on my foot.  The first thing I did was find a knee scooter.  My first surgery, I used a walker with a board across to rest my knee on, and crutches.  Both worked, but I wanted something that would look good when I went out in public.  I found one brand new on Walmart.com for about $230, but after looking a while on ebay, I found one used that looked brand new for about half the price.  So, I got the Drive steerable knee scooter with a basket and split knee pad.  I love the basket, and it can carry a lot.  I also love that this one has the split knee pad, which can be useful when standing to get dressed or move around.  They sell an optional knee pad for the scooter, but I didn't get one.  I didn't need it after all.  The next thing I got was a toilet seat with handles.  When installed this raised the height of the toilet so my feet barely touched the ground, and I could get up with out struggling to put weight on my foot.  I also got a bench for the shower.  Last time, I used a folding chair, and it sat lower and slipped a little.  I also got a knee wedge to elevate my foot on that would support my knees.  My last surgery, I used pillows, and my knees and back of my thighs were hurting.  These were purchased from Amazon, because of free shipping and they had the best price.  Shop around for the best deal.
 
The next thing I did was clean my house top to bottom. and prepare the outside patio for sitting. When I sit around and can't get up, I get frustrated at things that aren't clean.   I also made a ramp out of 5/8" plywood to help me get out of my house on my knee scooter.  Getting outside was so important to help with depression that comes from sitting around so much.

I made freezer meals, so the kids and hubby wouldn't have to do so much, and I would feel like I was helping in some small way.  They are easy to make, and if you have freezer space, you can make a lot.  I also stocked up on snack food that are high in protein and fiber, and lots of fruits and veggies.  This will help with the constipation that can happen after surgery and while on pain meds.  You should always eat a little something when taking pain meds to prevent stomach upset.

A week before surgery I went to complete my pre-op testing.  This was an ekg, and blood work.   The day before surgery they called to give me an arrival time of 6:30.  I ate a small snack before bed, and tried to go to sleep early.