Jaw Journal

Gettin’ the Goods

December 5, 2011 /

Well, the preparations for the big day are officially underway. My mom once gave me excellent advice when I expressed how nervous I was about surgery. She said, “Just plan it like you planned your wedding, and then you’ll be able to relax and trust that everything will go smoothly.”

I realize, of course, I have zero control over the actual surgery. But you can bet your bottom dollar, Annie, that I’m thinking through as many details of the recovery as I can possibly imagine. Right now, I’m focusing on the fun part: shopping. 🙂 So far, with the guidance of my fellow jaw-bloggers, my list looks a little something like this:

(Items in red are yet to be acquired!)

Food/ Eating

Hygiene
  • WaterPik (got this when I got my braces…love it!)
  • Pond’s facial cleansing cloths (Sounds much better than bending over a sink to scrub my face for the first few days.)
  • Alcohol-free mouthwash (still need to talk to my surgeon about this one, though.)
  • Medicated chapstick
  • Dandruff shampoo. Not because I have dandruff, but because my scalp always gets dry when I have to lay around for a while. When I had pneumonia a few years ago, my scalp was miserable.
Comfort
  • One of those armed, support pillows. (One of my friends calls this a “husband.” 🙂 )
  • Multiple pairs of pajamas, including the button-up kind, so I won’t have to pull anything over my swollen head/face
  • Heating pack (electric and BodyComfort)
  • Cozy socks for my always-cold tootsies
  • Knitted throw (I’m very picky on the fabric, and haven’t found the cozy, knitted fabric I want)
  • Non-wedding gift sheet set
  • Set of go-ahead-and-stain-’em washcloths for, ya know…drool.
  • A few spare rolls of papertowels…for the same reason
  • Neck pillow…maybe one that can be heated in the microwave (I gave my travel pillow away to a coworker, forgetting I’d want it for surgery. Whoops.)
Entertainment
  • Several new BluRays, all meeting the requirement of “Not too funny, sad or scary.”
  • Many, many books, including a large selection of eBooks
  • TV series on DVD to be loaned by a very kind coworker
  • A visit from the fabulous Dufault family
  • Netflix and/ or Amazon Prime membership
  • Audiobooks, to be borrowed from the library
Communication
  • “Menu” of specifics for first couple of days, as I’m anticipating not being able to talk. Menu will include things like, “I’m hungry,” “I’m in pain (with a scale of severity),” “I want to go for a walk,” “I hate my life. Please entertain me.” It will also include food items, such as the baby food or smoothie flavor I’d like.
  • My blog 🙂
If you have other suggestions, or questions about anything I’ve listed, let me know! I’ll be sure to let you know what items were/ were not useful during recovery, as some of my items are based on pure conjecture.