Tuesday, July 2, 2013

5 Tips for Foot or Ankle Surgery Preparation

Guest blogger Brooke Williams talks about preparation for surgery.  She shares some great ideas!

If you have foot or ankle surgery in your near future, you will have to prepare for that surgery in advance to make the recovery as easy as possible.  Here are five tips to help you prepare for foot or ankle surgery.

Tip#1: Understand the Healing Process
Your body has a great healing property and you will want to prepare it to heal itself as best you can.  Your doctors will do some of the repairs, but once you get home, your body will do the rest.  What you need to do in advance is understand the healing process so that you can help it along.  One thing you will need to think about is the nutrition your body will need to heal.  You might want to plan out some meals before the surgery so you can ensure that you will have the right nutrients and vitamins in your diet.  You will also want to think about an exercise schedule to ensure that you don’t get too sore and stiff when you recover.  Understanding what you will have to do to aid your healing will be a great way to start the recovery process before the surgery even occurs.

Tip#2: Study Your Condition
Once you have a diagnosis, you can prepare for your surgery by understanding your injury.  Knowing how you are injured and what the surgeon will do to fix it will help you know what is vulnerable as you recover.  You will then understand what type of activity you can do and what will be more limiting.  The recovery process will go more smoothly if you know what you need to do to avoid hurting the area again.

Tip#3: Know Your Body
No one knows your body better than you do and understanding how it works on a daily basis will help you know when to bring things to your doctor.  If you are able to describe your complaints, notice the differences in your body and understand when you have gong far enough, your recovery process will be much easier.  You are not like any other patient and you need to remember that you are the only one who can fully understand what is going on in your body.  Knowing yourself will help you recover.

Tip#4: Hydration
You will want to stay hydrated before and after the surgery process as well.  Doctors will make sure you get fluids during the surgery, but if you drink before you go in, you will benefit yourself.  Your veins will be easier for the nurses to find and the procedure will be less painful later.

Tip#5: Consider Mobility

It is also a good idea to think about how you will get around after your surgery before it ever happens.  Crutches can be very helpful, but they can also be limiting and they can even hurt.  The good news is there are several other options on the market from Goodbye Crutches.  The Hands Free Crutch, for example, is a device that straps to your leg, allowing you to walk much like normal while retaining the use of your hands.  The Knee Walker is an option on wheels that lets you scoot from place to place using your good leg.  And the Seated Scooter allows you to have somewhere to sit no matter where you have to go.  Examine the options, think about your lifestyle, and then order the best choice for you before the surgery occurs so you can get comfortable and practice with it.