Depending on the stage and size of your tumor, you might have surgery before or after chemotherapy and/or radiation. In any order, the best ways to prepare for surgery are the same.
Do what the doctor suggests
You’ve been reading everything. But that does not mean you now know more than the doctors. Listen to them. They will tell you when STOP eating and drinking the night before surgery. Do it, or you will have complications with anesthesia on the operating table. Trust me, it’s a bad thing. Also, expect a load of instructions on medications and exercises to continue at home after surgery.
Stay in the hospital
Don’t try to be a super hero/heroine. Stay in the hospital as long as prescribed. Usually, any surgery requiring more than four hours of total anesthesia requires at least two nights in the hospital. You’d be surprised how many patients try to leave because they’d feel better recovering in their own homes.
Ask before doing
Before surgery you might have been cycling, swimming, walking or jogging. Good for you. After surgery, ask before continuing your routine. The process of healing is complicated. You do not want to accidentally set yourself back. For example, if you’ve had a mastectomy, chances are you’ll have to wait at least a month before resuming swimming. Swimming strokes tend to aggravate pectoral muscles trying to heal after breast surgery.
Visitors should call
Family and friends are worried about you. They want to be there when you wake up or at least be there the morning after. Tell them before surgery to call the one person designated to be your chaperone. You might feel like telling everybody about life on morphine (the most common pain killer), or you might want to chill for a while.
Going home
It’s always best to come home to a clean and organized home. Before surgery, stock up on easily digestible, healthy foods that you like. Make soup and freeze it. Ask someone to clean the entire house. Put clean sheets on the bed. Buy reading materials. Arrange for extra help like someone to water the garden even after you’re home, or someone to help with the kids. The more you plan while you’re relatively lucid and pain-free, the better you’ll feel when you walk in the house.