Care box for sinus surgery patient?
November 19, 2014 6:29 PM Subscribe
I recently had knee replacement surgery and my dear friend sent along a care package. She knew I would be in bed quite a bit and the box included a lovely, cozy, blanket and a box of herbal tea.
She is now preparing for sinus surgery in December, which I have never had. What items would be good for me to send to her? She is a blanket nut and has plenty of those already.
Thank you.
Best answer: Does she have a nice Neti pot? She will probably be encouraged to rinse gross stuff out of her sinuses frequently and not having some plastic creepy looking thing might be nice if you know she's not going to get on for herself. After I had sinus surgery the things I spent the most time doing were blowing my nose, being ragey because of the steroids, taking photos of the huge gross stuff that came out of my nose, and bitching about my nose. Things that would have been helpful to me:
- a nice container of distilled water with a handy spout so I could fill up my neti pot
- some nice washable handkerchiefs that I didn't care much about
- that foofy expensive kleenex with lotion on it
- some sort of nice vaseline-y slime to put on my chapped nose, I'm sure someone will have nice suggestions, I just used Vaseline
- nice things to eat that didn't require too much crunchy chewing (I healed up rather quickly but if she has a splint in it might make her nose uncomfy for a while)
- nice podcasts or something to listen to while she might be in a pain medicine haze
- nice fruits or other edibles with fiber (not bananas) since a lot of pain meds can get you kind of backed up
posted by jessamyn at 6:40 PM on November 19, 2014
- a nice container of distilled water with a handy spout so I could fill up my neti pot
- some nice washable handkerchiefs that I didn't care much about
- that foofy expensive kleenex with lotion on it
- some sort of nice vaseline-y slime to put on my chapped nose, I'm sure someone will have nice suggestions, I just used Vaseline
- nice things to eat that didn't require too much crunchy chewing (I healed up rather quickly but if she has a splint in it might make her nose uncomfy for a while)
- nice podcasts or something to listen to while she might be in a pain medicine haze
- nice fruits or other edibles with fiber (not bananas) since a lot of pain meds can get you kind of backed up
posted by jessamyn at 6:40 PM on November 19, 2014
Best answer: Really good socks (I am hooked on Costco's Kirkland brand merino socks).
The vaseline-y slime of choice for medical applications is Aquaphor, and CVS (and others I'm sure) have the store brand in 3-packs of little tubes, which you can a) leave laying around in multiple nesting spots, b) throw out if you accidentally contaminate one.
Maybe fancy soup packets? Something she can make with just boiling/microwaved water but not feel like she's eating Salty Salt-O-Soup with Fake Chicken Flavor. If you have an Asian grocery, you can find really nice miso kits with a packet of soup powder plus packets of add-ins like seaweed and little tofu cubes. (The best I ever got was a 10-pack of assorted miso soups with assorted add-ins...and not a word of English. The only thing I could read was the ml amount of water, which is actually all you need to know. But if she's not a little adventurous you may want something identifiable with instructions.)
If you don't mind paying for the weight, there is some sort of magical healing power to Pedialyte popsicles - the kind in the plastic tube, you'll see them on the shelf near the bottled Pedialyte. It's the electrolytes, yes, and the cold may be soothing, but it may just also be the comfort of sucking a popsicle.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:55 PM on November 19, 2014
The vaseline-y slime of choice for medical applications is Aquaphor, and CVS (and others I'm sure) have the store brand in 3-packs of little tubes, which you can a) leave laying around in multiple nesting spots, b) throw out if you accidentally contaminate one.
Maybe fancy soup packets? Something she can make with just boiling/microwaved water but not feel like she's eating Salty Salt-O-Soup with Fake Chicken Flavor. If you have an Asian grocery, you can find really nice miso kits with a packet of soup powder plus packets of add-ins like seaweed and little tofu cubes. (The best I ever got was a 10-pack of assorted miso soups with assorted add-ins...and not a word of English. The only thing I could read was the ml amount of water, which is actually all you need to know. But if she's not a little adventurous you may want something identifiable with instructions.)
If you don't mind paying for the weight, there is some sort of magical healing power to Pedialyte popsicles - the kind in the plastic tube, you'll see them on the shelf near the bottled Pedialyte. It's the electrolytes, yes, and the cold may be soothing, but it may just also be the comfort of sucking a popsicle.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:55 PM on November 19, 2014
Best answer: A good friend of mine gave me a silk eye pillow filled with flax seed that I keep in the freezer in a plastic ziplock bag. I bet something like that would feel good on her sinuses.
posted by BoscosMom at 7:12 PM on November 19, 2014
posted by BoscosMom at 7:12 PM on November 19, 2014
Best answer: best thing for nose/sinus surgery recovery is disposable (thin) latex gloves - you fill three fingers with ice water, put the middle one down length of nose and other two on each side, that way you can ice your nose without giving yourself an ice cream headache.
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:26 PM on November 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:26 PM on November 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Bed pillows and pillowcases? I slept nearly sitting up on a pillow mountain after my surgery.
Hot water humidifier was a necessity as well.
posted by travertina at 8:03 PM on November 19, 2014
Hot water humidifier was a necessity as well.
posted by travertina at 8:03 PM on November 19, 2014
Best answer: Holy crap I am expert at this as both doctor and patient. It's awfully nice that you're returning the favor. Sinus surgery stinks! That being said, I've a handful of pretty specific recommendations. Hopefully you and your friend will find them valuable!
At the very tail end of residency, I had the following done:
- tonsillectomy (they were huge)
- palatoplasty (I had a flap of skin removed from the back of my mouthhole)
- turbinate reduction (they took chunks of the inflamed insides of my nose out)
- uh... some other stuff for a deviated septum and bone spur from a broken nose.
When it was presented to me, I had the choice of having everything done at the same time, or having two separate surgery days: one for my mouth and one my nose. I opted to have both on the same day, decided that two times infinite suckiness still equalled infinite suckiness. I went home with painkillers and giant silicone splints shoved up my nose and my brother took funny pictures of me in my delirious state, and put the memory card in a Nintendo Wii, which I never played, and found years later when I had company over. It was embarrassing.
It's great that you're thinking of this in advance of her surgery. If she hasn't already, I'd make sure to ask what she could expect in terms of recovery: how long should she expect to be at home for, will she need to restrict what she eats or does, will there be anything like packing or splints left in place for surgery, and for how long, and when will it be ok to pick or blow one's nose?
ANYWAY, since you've had surgery, you'll know about the standard stuff. Sinus surgery particularly sucks because you feel like you can't breathe, or you can breathe but it's painful, and GOD head pain is the worst. Face pain. And you've got crap shoved up your nose to help things heal up, and then everything settles down and then you've gotta get the crap shoved up your nose taken OUT, and then things start to settle down again and then you're blowing your nose and HOLY CRAP you're blowing out scabs crusty scabs from your NOSE. And everything hurts.
So first thing's first: Simply Saline nose spray. That particular brand. I'm not a shill. I speak to you as a patient. Simply Saline nose spray is KING. Because it's already under pressure, and you don't have to use much energy to get that spray going. Because it's a fine mist, and it's doesn't feel like you're squirting liquid quicksand into your nostrils. Because it's pH-balanced or something and doesn't hurt like crazy. Lots of bottles. I'd say, easily, at LEAST three. Neti pots are great, but when you're bedbound or totally slacking off or wacked out on pain meds, all you really wanna do is reach over go HUNGNGNNNNNGH!, grab a can of saline, press a button and have sweat, sweat relief.
And because all this crap is going IN, something's gotta come OUT. I mean, stuff's gonna be coming out anyway, and more stuff will come out as your friend heals because, hey, sinus surgery, and things should be flowing around better! I'll never forget the first cold I had post-op, many months after surgery: I blew my nose and WOAAAAH! What's this here? I SAY OL' CHAP, IT'S PURULENT MUCUS DRAINAGE! HOW FASCINATING! Truly, it was: whereas pre-op I'd blow my nose and get some crap out, most of it went the other way. Post-op, everything flowed, and while kinda disgusting it was pretty neat.
So lots of very soft tissues. There's all sorts. Get the super-mega-lotion ones. There are some neat ones that feel cool to the touch, which I'd get as a novelty, but don't trust. I mean: how does THAT work? Seriously tho, get the lotion tissues, and again, get several boxes.
I'd get some candies to suck on, and a mix of types. A bag of menthol drops, a bag of candies such as Jolly Ranchers, and a bag of mints. Mix that stuff up. Throw in some other candies! Local candies! But seriously, don't forget the mints. Because, no offense, but your friend's breath, no matter how much she brushes her teeth or uses mouthwash or whatever, your friend's breath is gonna stiiiiiiink! Hence the mints. Also, when you're recovering and delirious, you don't think to brush your teeth. Or get out of bed. Better to just crunch on a bunch of mints and believe that somehow the mints are acting like Milk Bonez for dogs and actually cleaning your teeth and gums and will give you a shinier coat in days.
Jessamyn's on point with the podcasts and fruits/fiber. I think the only other time I ever took narcotics was for wisdom tooth extraction, and even then it was maybe only for a day or two. For this surgery, I was knocked out and drugged up. I refused to take the liquid Vicodin because, hell naw, I don't need narcotics! I'll get through this fine! Day two post-op and I thought I was gonna die from fevers and chills and just overall misery. Called up the resident, who got the attending on the horn, who basically said: "take the goddamn Lortab. You'll feel better." So I did, and he was right. I felt better.
I also was doing crazy shit like gardening half-naked at midnight. Or telling my brother I was fine to go out for a smoothie, and then decide halfway there that I was fine to go out for Thai food. YEAH! Let's get some Thai food! Zzzzz.
Anyway, I didn't crap for a week. At least a week. I think. I know it was sorta like the time I went to Space Camp and didn't crap for at least a couple days until after I got home. So, yeah. Fruits, fiber, veggies, and the encouragement of PO intake. And some fiber supplements. Anything non-stimulating that'll bulk up one's poop, though the best thing to do is stay hydrated and eat healthy and well.
So myeah. I could go on for a while longer, but I think that really covers the basics. All I'd do is add stuff as you see fit, for the period of time when she's recovering well. Stuff that she'll remember, like gift certificates for food, smoothies, spa, or whatever. Not Thai food. But you know, stuff that will stimulate overall recovery and not just get her over the hump of the first handful of post-op days.
It would be worth it to maybe throw in a fun note card of reminders, like:
1. TAKE YOUR MEDS
2. TAKE YOUR PAIN MEDS
3. TAKE LOTS OF FUNNY PHOTOS
4. STAY HYDRATED AND EAT AND POOP
5. CALL ME.
As you might know, as I didn't know until I had surgery, people do weird stuff post-operatively. They don't always remember to do things, or remember what they're doing clearly.
TO SUMMARIZE:
- Simply Saline nasal spray
- Lotion tissues
- A mix of candies and lozenges
- Fiber, fruits, reminders to poop
- Stuff that'll make her feel like a million bucks after she recovers.
posted by herrdoktor at 8:29 PM on November 19, 2014 [6 favorites]
At the very tail end of residency, I had the following done:
- tonsillectomy (they were huge)
- palatoplasty (I had a flap of skin removed from the back of my mouthhole)
- turbinate reduction (they took chunks of the inflamed insides of my nose out)
- uh... some other stuff for a deviated septum and bone spur from a broken nose.
When it was presented to me, I had the choice of having everything done at the same time, or having two separate surgery days: one for my mouth and one my nose. I opted to have both on the same day, decided that two times infinite suckiness still equalled infinite suckiness. I went home with painkillers and giant silicone splints shoved up my nose and my brother took funny pictures of me in my delirious state, and put the memory card in a Nintendo Wii, which I never played, and found years later when I had company over. It was embarrassing.
It's great that you're thinking of this in advance of her surgery. If she hasn't already, I'd make sure to ask what she could expect in terms of recovery: how long should she expect to be at home for, will she need to restrict what she eats or does, will there be anything like packing or splints left in place for surgery, and for how long, and when will it be ok to pick or blow one's nose?
ANYWAY, since you've had surgery, you'll know about the standard stuff. Sinus surgery particularly sucks because you feel like you can't breathe, or you can breathe but it's painful, and GOD head pain is the worst. Face pain. And you've got crap shoved up your nose to help things heal up, and then everything settles down and then you've gotta get the crap shoved up your nose taken OUT, and then things start to settle down again and then you're blowing your nose and HOLY CRAP you're blowing out scabs crusty scabs from your NOSE. And everything hurts.
So first thing's first: Simply Saline nose spray. That particular brand. I'm not a shill. I speak to you as a patient. Simply Saline nose spray is KING. Because it's already under pressure, and you don't have to use much energy to get that spray going. Because it's a fine mist, and it's doesn't feel like you're squirting liquid quicksand into your nostrils. Because it's pH-balanced or something and doesn't hurt like crazy. Lots of bottles. I'd say, easily, at LEAST three. Neti pots are great, but when you're bedbound or totally slacking off or wacked out on pain meds, all you really wanna do is reach over go HUNGNGNNNNNGH!, grab a can of saline, press a button and have sweat, sweat relief.
And because all this crap is going IN, something's gotta come OUT. I mean, stuff's gonna be coming out anyway, and more stuff will come out as your friend heals because, hey, sinus surgery, and things should be flowing around better! I'll never forget the first cold I had post-op, many months after surgery: I blew my nose and WOAAAAH! What's this here? I SAY OL' CHAP, IT'S PURULENT MUCUS DRAINAGE! HOW FASCINATING! Truly, it was: whereas pre-op I'd blow my nose and get some crap out, most of it went the other way. Post-op, everything flowed, and while kinda disgusting it was pretty neat.
So lots of very soft tissues. There's all sorts. Get the super-mega-lotion ones. There are some neat ones that feel cool to the touch, which I'd get as a novelty, but don't trust. I mean: how does THAT work? Seriously tho, get the lotion tissues, and again, get several boxes.
I'd get some candies to suck on, and a mix of types. A bag of menthol drops, a bag of candies such as Jolly Ranchers, and a bag of mints. Mix that stuff up. Throw in some other candies! Local candies! But seriously, don't forget the mints. Because, no offense, but your friend's breath, no matter how much she brushes her teeth or uses mouthwash or whatever, your friend's breath is gonna stiiiiiiink! Hence the mints. Also, when you're recovering and delirious, you don't think to brush your teeth. Or get out of bed. Better to just crunch on a bunch of mints and believe that somehow the mints are acting like Milk Bonez for dogs and actually cleaning your teeth and gums and will give you a shinier coat in days.
Jessamyn's on point with the podcasts and fruits/fiber. I think the only other time I ever took narcotics was for wisdom tooth extraction, and even then it was maybe only for a day or two. For this surgery, I was knocked out and drugged up. I refused to take the liquid Vicodin because, hell naw, I don't need narcotics! I'll get through this fine! Day two post-op and I thought I was gonna die from fevers and chills and just overall misery. Called up the resident, who got the attending on the horn, who basically said: "take the goddamn Lortab. You'll feel better." So I did, and he was right. I felt better.
I also was doing crazy shit like gardening half-naked at midnight. Or telling my brother I was fine to go out for a smoothie, and then decide halfway there that I was fine to go out for Thai food. YEAH! Let's get some Thai food! Zzzzz.
Anyway, I didn't crap for a week. At least a week. I think. I know it was sorta like the time I went to Space Camp and didn't crap for at least a couple days until after I got home. So, yeah. Fruits, fiber, veggies, and the encouragement of PO intake. And some fiber supplements. Anything non-stimulating that'll bulk up one's poop, though the best thing to do is stay hydrated and eat healthy and well.
So myeah. I could go on for a while longer, but I think that really covers the basics. All I'd do is add stuff as you see fit, for the period of time when she's recovering well. Stuff that she'll remember, like gift certificates for food, smoothies, spa, or whatever. Not Thai food. But you know, stuff that will stimulate overall recovery and not just get her over the hump of the first handful of post-op days.
It would be worth it to maybe throw in a fun note card of reminders, like:
1. TAKE YOUR MEDS
2. TAKE YOUR PAIN MEDS
3. TAKE LOTS OF FUNNY PHOTOS
4. STAY HYDRATED AND EAT AND POOP
5. CALL ME.
As you might know, as I didn't know until I had surgery, people do weird stuff post-operatively. They don't always remember to do things, or remember what they're doing clearly.
TO SUMMARIZE:
- Simply Saline nasal spray
- Lotion tissues
- A mix of candies and lozenges
- Fiber, fruits, reminders to poop
- Stuff that'll make her feel like a million bucks after she recovers.
posted by herrdoktor at 8:29 PM on November 19, 2014 [6 favorites]
Response by poster: My word, herrdoktor! That's quite the answer. Thanks to All of you.
posted by harrietthespy at 8:56 PM on November 19, 2014
posted by harrietthespy at 8:56 PM on November 19, 2014
Best answer: Honestly, her medical needs will be handled. She will just need to take her pain meds and be stuck unable to breathe out of her nose for a while. I'd get her a DVD of a great TV series or a gift card for iTunes/Amazon downloads so she can download her favorite TV shows, or something like that. She will spend a lot of time in bed woozy from pain meds and unable to breathe that great, so having a way to pass the time will help. In response to a previous answer, I did not have trouble, uh, pooping after my sinus surgery. I also didn't especially have issues with eating. Any problems like that sound highly individual and case-by-case. I'd stick with a general gift for a friend who will for certain be stuck in the house feeling crappy for a few days.
posted by AppleTurnover at 9:56 PM on November 19, 2014
posted by AppleTurnover at 9:56 PM on November 19, 2014
Oh hey, if you want to personalize something, I recently ordered a bunch of plain white handkerchiefs off Amazon and stamped them with my initials, which was both easy and classy.
posted by bq at 8:01 AM on November 20, 2014
posted by bq at 8:01 AM on November 20, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by spunweb at 6:37 PM on November 19, 2014