How to Take Charge of Your Recovery
You really can improve your recovery from a surgery/procedure/illness by being prepared and proactive. This video provides tips and examples of steps that can make your recovery easier and faster. It also shows how your positive attitude can help you improve the mental and possibly even the physical aspects of your recovery.
If you’ve had or are planning to have a surgery or procedure, I’d like to encourage you to take charge of your recovery. I believe that you really can make a difference in your recovery by being proactive, prepared, and positive.
Studies are beginning to indicate that your positive attitude may actually improve your recovery not just mentally, but physically. I’ll discuss my positive recovery from a surgery, and then I’ll highlight an excellent article published in the Stanford magazine that discusses this interaction between your attitude and your physical recovery.
My Foot Surgeries:
I had a bunion condition in both of my feet that caused my big toes to angle in toward the smaller toes. I was playing racquetball and my feet were beginning to hurt more and more as I played. I finally found a surgeon that understood what was going on. In my case, bone surgery was required to correct the condition, bone surgeries in each foot, one at a time.
For my first surgery, I had no idea what to expect. I was a newbie.
Before my second surgery, I took control of my recovery. It was quicker, easier and faster.
My 1st Foot Surgery:
For my first surgery, I was given prescriptions ahead of time for two strong pain medications to use after the surgery. The pharmacist caught me and said “You’re in for a world of hurt with foot surgery. Take the pain medications. Don’t let the pain get ahead of you.”
The surgery went well. I took all the prescribed pain medications, and I ended up in the emergency room with strong chest pains.
Although it felt like my heart, the chest pain was caused by GERD, which is a stomach condition. It was the combination of the pain medications and my leg being elevated all the time. I felt like I was sleeping semi upside down because my leg was elevated so high. That played havoc with my stomach.
I was off to a rocky start on my first surgery, but my foot actually healed nicely. After three weeks in a cast and two weeks in a boot, I was free to go. I felt like the door to the dungeon had opened and was letting me out.
I’ve always been a runner, so I went down to the beach and cautiously started running in the soft sand. The pain pre-surgery was totally gone. I was elated. I felt like I was flying.
I actually wasn’t going that fast. I was trying to be careful, but compared to crutches, I just felt like I was flying.
At my next appointment with my surgeon I said “My foot feels great. I was running in soft sand and it felt so good.” My surgeon said, “Oh no, not yet, wait.”
So, I waited another few weeks and by then I was good to go. Things healed well.
My 2nd Foot Surgery
For my second foot surgery, which was eight months later, it was totally different. The first one wasn’t that bad, but the second one was much better. I knew what was coming and I got prepared.
I got ready for the big cast on my right foot, which was going to affect my driving. Since I was a caregiver, I needed to be able to drive. So, starting a month ahead of time, I practiced driving with my left foot on quiet side streets when there was no traffic and no pedestrians, just going slow and being careful. After 10 days, I was really good at it. I could drive very well. I was used to it.
So, I stocked up the house with food to get ready for the surgery and the second surgery went well.
This time I knew that post surgery foot pain was just part of the healing process. I was more comfortable with the pain, and I knew it wouldn’t kill me. It was familiar pain. It was not like some unexpected pain that you didn’t understand. I knew it was part of the healing process.
So, I got off all the painkillers in just over a day. I still had some pain, but I preferred the pain to the painkillers. I wanted to get off the drugs.
Because I was off the medications, and because I had learned to drive with my left foot, I was able to go to the gym much sooner than with my first surgery.
I knew my doctor would be concerned about my going to the gym with a cast on, so I was very careful about stressing my foot, and I didn’t.
My gym friends were very supportive. With their help, and without the medications, my mood was good. It was elevated. Being physically active while wearing the cast and then a boot was also very positive. I felt good about the recovery.
Exercise, it turns out, actually produces endorphins that act as painkillers and mood elevators. So, it helps if you can be physically active without damaging anything from your surgery or procedure.
Before my second surgery, I rented a knee scooter. I used the scooter everywhere: in the house, at the gym and shopping. Again, I was a caregiver, so I still had to do the shopping.
After struggling with crutches, I’ll never forget riding the scooter at Costco. I zipped down the aisles, picked up my items, and zipped back to the cart. My shopping took less time than it normally did. It was exhilarating just to glide with the scooter after being on the crutches so much.
With my second foot surgery, I took charge of my recovery. I learned to drive with my left foot ahead of time, and I rented the scooter ahead of time before the surgery. I was ready.
I got off the painkillers as quickly as I could and got to the gym earlier. The gym social interaction was super helpful when I otherwise would have been isolated at home.
My second foot surgery was so much easier than the first.
Stanford Magazine Article "You Better Believe It."
I’d like to mention an article that Sam Scott wrote in the Stanford Magazine. He describes the work performed by Dr. Alia Crum, who’s been researching the interactions between your attitude and your physical recovery.
I want to say that Dr. Crum’s work is beginning to show that a positive attitude can improve your recovery, not only mentally, but physically. Her work with other researchers is showing that the positive suggestions to her study participants are actually producing improvements in their blood work. She provides mounting evidence, but she’s careful not to say that she’s proven this mind/body connection yet.
I leave it to you to read the article and form your own conclusions, but I believe that Dr. Crumb’s work is one more indication that you can help your recovery by being proactive and positive.
You can find the article “You better believe it” in the Stanford magazine. It’s in the December 2022 issue, page 34. Here is the link: https://stanfordmag.org/issues/december-2022. This link will enable you to download the article right to your computer or phone.
Recovery Plan
Here are my recommendations for a recovery plan.
I am not a doctor. These recommendations are based on my positive experiences with my own surgeries.
I want to add that there’s no way I can know what you are going through if you have had surgeries or procedures. My experience with surgeries doesn’t make me an expert. Every person is different and every body is different, but I do think these suggestions would help most people in most situations.
First of all, if you will be disabled, work out the logistics such as transportation and meals with your family and friends ahead of time. You don’t want to be scrambling after your surgery.
Here’s a KEY POINT! Carefully select your doctor well ahead of time for any surgery or procedure if your situation is not an emergency.
If your doctor is going to refer you to another doctor to perform your surgery or procedure, try to get to know that doctor before your procedure/surgery months ahead of time if possible. Make sure you like and trust the second doctor because your outcome will be in his/her hands.
In addition to being technically capable, the best doctors listen very closely to your description of your condition, as well as how you tolerate surgeries and procedures. You want to get a doctor who’s a real listener.
My wife had a serious surgery at John’s Hopkins Hospital by one of their head surgeons. He came back to her afterwards and said, “I never would have operated on you if I knew you didn’t heal.”
It turns out that my wife is super sensitive. Neither my wife nor I knew this, but she’s super sensitive to procedures and surgeries, and she didn’t heal for a long time. If she had known that, and if she had told the doctor, he would have done something else.
I had a situation where I had a cataract surgery coming up and I asked my doctor “Do you perform cataract surgeries?” She said “No, but I can refer you to one of my associates.”
That wasn’t good enough for me.
I was lucky at the time. I had a friend of mine who had been through a whole bunch of serious eye surgeries. I asked him for a recommendation and he gave me an excellent recommendation. I went to see that doctor. I saw him for several months before he performed cataract surgery on me.
Cataract surgery is not a terribly serious surgery compared to other more invasive surgeries, but I really wanted to know ahead of time that I could trust this doctor.
After the doctor performed a successful surgery on me, I told my wife “You need cataract surgery. You might want to go to this doctor.”
She did and it worked fine. So, do your homework. Get to know your doctor ahead of time. Make sure he/she listens to your description of your condition. Tell him about you. Tell him how you handle surgeries and procedures. He needs to know about your body and how it responds to surgery/procedures.
So, here’s a recovery plan:
Fill your recommended prescriptions days ahead of time so you don’t have to scramble after the surgery. Put your pills in a small container each night for the next day. Then, on the next day, even if you just had surgery and you’re woozy, you’ll know if you took your pills just by counting the ones that are left.
Stock up with food and the things you’ll need ahead of time.
With the help of your doctor or therapist, lay out a therapy plan if that’s appropriate for you.
SUPER IMPORTANT! Ask your doctor before the surgery what levels of pain and bleeding are OK on the night of the surgery. What symptoms are NOT OK and require a phone call to the doctor or trips to the emergency room.
I have had instances where I was worried about significant bleeding. I did have significant bleeding and pain on the night of a surgery. I was ready to pick up the phone to call for help, but I didn’t.
The next day, I found out it was OK. My particular surgery often did have bleeding and did have a lot of pain, so it was OK, but I wish I had just asked the doctor before the surgery what to expect that first night. It would have been so much better if I did. You’ll find it to be so much better if you do too. That way, if you encounter something, you will know whether it’s expected or not expected.
Finally, stay positive. Realize that your proactive efforts can minimize your recovery time.
Based on the Stanford article, staying positive may actually help you physically.
Stay social. Keep in contact with your friends and family any way you can.
Try not to get isolated at home. Get more rest than usual.
Get physical exercise as soon as it’s safe for your condition. It will elevate your mood.
So, Take Charge of your Recovery
Take charge of your recovery. Follow your plan.
Stay positive. Stay connected with your friends. Stay in control.
Most of all, have a good recovery!
Share Your Comments Below:
Share some of your thoughts and experiences, if you would, with your recoveries and procedures in the comments below.
What worked for you and what didn’t.
Do you have any tips for the rest of us?
Your comments could help someone else.
Bottom line: You can improve your recovery by taking charge, taking control.