Facing Surgery? How do You Recover When Kids Need You?
Surgery isn’t often a choice, it's a necessity. However, the procedure and recovery period can affect your everyday life when you're a parent. After all, experiencing plenty of rest doesn’t always come easy when caring for children. If you're set to undergo surgery and want to be back on your feet as soon as possible, here are some handy tips on how to recover from surgery when raising kids.
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Follow Your Doctor’s Instructions
After surgery, a doctor will provide you with various instructions on how to make a swift recovery, such as avoiding baths and swimming, or not lifting anything heavier than ten pounds. You know the drill, take it easy.
It's essential to follow his or her orders, which means not lifting your children up or carrying heavy loads of washing. If you fail to follow their orders, don’t be surprised if you need to return to hospital. Avoid lifting up heavy objects by having people help you around the house. Your kids can help too!
Attend All Follow-Up Appointments
Many patients fail to attend their follow-up appointments, as they might believe the worst is over. However, even if your wound is healing and you're feeling better each day, you must still attend each appointment set.
While it might stand in the way of cooking a homemade meal or a relaxed day with your children, a doctor will need to review your wound to check the incision is healing well and there are no signs of infection. They also might need to order follow-up blood work and identify if the surgery successfully treated the condition.
If, however, a doctor fails to schedule follow-up appointments, and you experienced an infection or impairment as a result, this will be viewed as inadequate care and you would be wise to turn to The Medical Negligence Experts to make a claim.
Prevent Infection
Every patient is at serious risk of developing an infection following surgery. Signs of an infection can include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Redness
- Pain/soreness
- Pus or drainage
- An unpleasant smell from a wound
You can, however, prevent the problem by thoroughly washing your hands before touching an incision wound.
Enjoy a Healthy Diet
It's common for people to go off food after a surgical procedure, as they might feel constipated or nauseous. However, if you want to make a swift recovery for your children, you must eat a healthy diet and stay hydrated, as both will:
- Promote healing
- Alleviate anesthesia side effects
- Reduce common complications
Remember, your body needs fuel for energy, so get back onto your feet by eating three meals a day and drinking eight glasses of water.
Walk
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pneumonia are both common complications after surgery. You can, however, reduce their likelihood by walking every hour or two, but talk to your doctor before embarking on any exercise. Walking is a gentle form of physical activity that can help you to eventually return to your daily activities. However, always walk at a slow, relaxed pace and stop or sit down when necessary.
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