Here's some random advice (but hopefully helpful) advice...
The first few weeks home from the hospital...
This is a time where you can do absolutely nothing, and no one will complain about it! (There haven't been many times other times in my life where I've been allowed to watch an entire America's Next Top Model Marathon...) But, let's be honest, doing nothing can get boring - here's some things I suggest:
- You might think that you're not the most exciting person to hang out with at this stage in the recover process, but your friends WILL want to see you! Activities as simple as watching a movie become a lot more fun when a friend is around, so give a friend a call and invite them over. Recovering from this surgery really teaches you something about the importance of freindship, as cheesy as that sounds. My friends would come by and surprise me with ice cream, a new magazine, or a movie they rented.
TIP: Don't be embarrassed to call a friend. They miss seeing you, too, and they want to be there for you!
- You and your friend can also get out of the house, if your parents don't mind driving you somewhere. My mom would take a friend and I to go get lunch or just to sit in the park. Even when we went to the mall, I could only stay for an hour before my back started getting sore (don't worry, this happens just in the few weeks after surgery), but it was nice just to have a change of scenery.
TIP: Outings are a great time to make use of your pillow! I would bring mine everywhere with me in a small bag. It makes sitting SO much more comfortable!
- What to do about that dirty hair? You may be all too aware of the fact that you can't go in the shower for a week, but my mom and I found a pleasant alternative to no hair-washing :)
TIP: Go to your normal hair salon, or just the one that's closest to your house, and ask for a wash and blow-dry (or an haircut if you want one!). The salon will probably give you a discounted price; ours did after they asked about my "situtation". In fact, the woman that washed my hair actually had scoliosis, and she was happy to help. Once again, bring your pillow for sitting in the chair!