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I have surgery scheduled in 10 days. I’d like advice on what I should have already have ready when I get home.

Obviously ice bag/ibuprofen. Should I have different types of underwear to try (know many go commando).

Any advice from your experience greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Stock up on plenty of patience. Use the 2 sets of underwear approach to keep ice bags in place and directly off of your skin. I found underwear at Walmart called AND1 that are very nice and snug. I used them over my regular underwear. I couldn't wear a jock strap. I think most people see a decrease in swelling in 2 weeks. I needed about 6. Everyones different. Best of luck and welcome to the club.

Portable urinal. The hospital will give you one (even though I was catheterized after surgery). Getting out of bed at home to urinate was not a problem. Aiming into the toilet was. Urinating into a container (a hand-held plastic urinal, jar, what have you) was a lot easier, then just empty the urine into the toilet. Or you may have to resort to peeing in the shower (whether or not you are cleared to shower, at least you can clean shower stall walls a lot easier than you can clean your bathroom walls, baseboards, floor and fixtures). Sorry to be so graphic.

I stayed horizontal, not even sitting up to eat. The longer you can let your body heal without straining (even the gravity assist that blood pressure gets), the easier it is to keep swelling minimized.

Getting out of bed was torture to my torso where the reservoir was placed. Be prepared to PLAN every little move in rising from bed, chair, whatever.

Good luck.

I had a pretty easy recovery, but I found I needed to sleep on a recliner a lot.

My doc sent me home inflated at 70%, which couldn't really bend in any direction all that much...I spent the entire week to my followup pointing the way as I walked around the house. No undies or sweatpants were wearable, so I just walked around in a robe, and kept the camera from the chest up in any Zoom calls I had to do! For scrotal support, I wore a jock strap with a hole cut in it for my penis to protrude.

I've always been a side or belly sleeper, so I needed something that would keep me on my back. I got this: Bed Wedge Pillow. It helped me get through those first couple of weeks.

My doc suggested stopping icing a few days after the surgery and starting hot baths. Whether you can do baths early depends on your incision closure, so absolutely do not take one until your doc says it's okay.

Seconded on the plastic urinal...I still use it, even though I can mostly hit the toilet now without. When I'm sitting on the toilet, I still can't point down enough to pee, so it's helpful there too.

Best of luck, and remember to be patient with your body as it heals! There are just a lot of weird sensations you'll be dealing with. It'll be alright though.

You will need wound dressing suplies. Ask your doctor for recomendations. I used bags of dry beans for ice packs. You can get 2-3 and keep them in the freezer and rotate them so they are really cold. They do not clump like frozen veggies or ice will if you reuse them. And they are dry so there is very little chance of getting moisture in the wound area that can be a breading ground for infection. Get your favorite and keep them sealed in zip lock bags and you can even eat them later. If you are alone prepare your home to stay as flat as possible for at least the first 3 days. Have everything you will need as close as possibe. Make meals up a head of time and beverages also. My doctor recomended stool softeners. You don't need to strain until you are healed. I was restricted to 10 lbs. lifting after surgery so make arrangement before hand so you do not have to do any lifting over what your doctor recomends. Folow your doctors instructions and get this information ahead of time so you will be prepared to do so. Best of luck with this.

Everything noted above.... and frozen soup / frozen (healthy) meals!

I stocked up on 2" gauze pads. It's been four weeks and I still can't shake myself too vigorously. So I use a gauze pad in my underwear.

Instead of an ice pack I poured thick corn syrup into two freezer bags. The syrup doesn't freeze solid and is easy to form around your sac.

The hospital used an xl jockstrap, thank goodness for Amazon. I ordered a larger size and I wear the jockstrap outside of my underwear.

I'm a truck driver so I've been using an empty 1 gallon water jug. I still use it when taking a dump. But like others on here the first two weeks I peed in the shower.

I cooked and froze enough meals for 2 weeks. Chicken, meatloaf, turkey, Boston Butt. I only drink bottled water, so I had two cases up on the counter next to the fridge so that I wouldn't have to lift anything heavy.


Fresh batteries in your TV's remote control. Lol. Comfortable pillow and blanket on the couch. Oh, and I bought a TV tray with legs for eating while on the couch.

I bought jock straps for scrotum support & cut holes in them so as not to bend my partially inflated penis. Did the same with underwear when I started wearing them again during week 2. Resist the temptation to do to much if you're feeling good early on. I felt great post-op till day 3, then spent the next 10 days on the couch/in bed trying constantly squirming trying to fit a position that helped with the pain.

Thanks to all for the suggestions. Surgery scheduled Wednesday. Stresses but looking forward to a new “me”.