Medical

Tips & Purchases for Hysterectomy

Angel BoucherLeave a comment

If you’re like me, you’ll probably research a lot about your surgery before it happens. It’s always better to go into something prepared. As I told my mom, I’d rather have things I don’t need and return them than not have them and need them. We all heal differently, but almost every woman can agree that these items will help with the recovery of a hysterectomy.

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General Tips

1. Hydrate: I was lucky to be told I could hydrate up to two hours before surgery. In fact, I was given a special pre-surgery drink from Ensure that is supposed to help with recovery. I looked into this because I thought it was just a marketing scheme, but there are actual medical studies on how this drink helps patients recover. One thing I was told and believed to be true was that the more hydrated I am, the better my recovery will be. In my mind, I rolled my eyes. However, it was true. Leading up to my surgery, I made sure to drink at least 60 ounces of water every day. After surgery, I drank at least 120 ounces in the hospital in 48 hours. I peed like I’ve never peed before, but that’s a good thing (we’ll talk about catheters later). During recovery, my days were a hit-and-miss. On days I didn’t drink enough, the next day was rough. On days when I drank plenty of fluids, I felt unstoppable the next day. Stay hydrated!

2. Walk A Lot: You’ll want to lie around in the hospital bed and/or at home a lot. It’s natural. Everything hurts. However, the more you walk, the better you’ll feel. Walking not only helps with muscle inflammation and rebuilding, but it also helps move the surgical gas through your body. The use of surgical gas is one of the worst parts of this procedure (see below). The faster you get it out of your system, the better you’ll feel. When you walk more, the gas moves around, helping it escape. Walking also helps the bowels function, preventing constipation (details coming later). Lastly, walking helps reduce the possibility of blood clots.

3. TAP Block: I was lucky to have them give me a TAP Block during surgery. Even with that, though, I woke up from anesthesia in severe pain (see below). After waking up, they offered me a second TAP Block. TAP Blocks are similar to epidurals but are administered in the front of the body to block the nerves of the lower limbs. It was an uncomfortable shot, but it was well worth it considering the pain you’ll have when you first wake up. It will help with recovery and lessen the pain, in turn lessening the need for pain meds.

4. Rest: You’ll want to return to normal activities. Don’t let your body fool you. You’ll have some great recovery days, but if you overdo it, it can cause more damage to the site. You’ll want to test as much as you can to ensure you heal properly so you won’t have secondary effects. No matter how ready you feel, do not lift things!

5. Have Someone to Help: If you live alone, make sure to have a plan for someone to help you. In the first few days, you’ll be unable to do anything. Don’t try to force it. Having someone to help do laundry, dishes, get food, etc., is helpful. You’ll not want to risk injuring yourself during recovery.

6. Prepare for Waking Up: Waking up from anesthesia will be the worst you’ve ever felt in your life. I felt myself tossing around in the hospital bed, crying in pain. No one talks about those first 10 minutes, but it is the worst. It’s like you’re waking up in the middle of the surgery itself. Luckily, if you have good nurses, they’ll notice it and handle your pain meds immediately. After you get over the first two hours of anesthesia wearing off, you are golden! Nothing will compare to the feeling of just waking up, though.

7. Have Things to Do: You’ll get bored incredibly quickly after the surgery. There is only so much you can do on your phone, including games. It may become hard to focus on audiobooks and reading because of the medication. You won’t be able to lift anything, so you’ll have to be careful about what activities you choose to do. You won’t be able to eat anything either. I personally used this time to learn how to crochet and expand my interest in writing. Hide the credit card because it will be so easy to just shop from your phone all the time!

8. Have Easy Meals: Whether you stock up on frozen dinners or whether you have pre-made meals, it’s important to have meals that are easy to reheat/heat. Coming out of surgery, you’re not going to be able to stand over a stove or oven trying to cook something. You’re also not going to want to do a ton of dishes afterward, either. I personally bought quite a few ready soups. Because I knew a liquid diet would be beneficial for moving my bowels. However, I did get some other frozen dinners to make up for days when I felt like I needed solid food or protein.

9. Prepare Mentally: Aside from the physical pain, the emotional/mental side of this surgery is tough, especially if you’re fairly independent. You will need support, good friends/family to check in on you and help you, and you’ll need distractors for things you can no longer do or pain.

Must-Have Items to Buy

1. Gas-X, Miralax, and Stool Softeners: The gas is extraordinarily painful. The gas you’ll have will build up in your intestines and in your body, around your shoulders, rib cage, back, etc. The faster you can relieve this gas, the better you’ll feel. On the same token, the pain medication will/can cause constipation. You don’t want to be constipated because it can cause damage to the surgical site. The easier your bowel movements are, the faster you will heal. You’ll want to take Stool Softeners and Miralax to help get things moving. If you haven’t gone in a week, you need to contact your doctor. It is also recommended to perform an enema if no bowel movement has occurred. Once you have diarrhea, though, back off the Miralax. Diarrhea is equally as bad as constipation when it comes to the healing process. Generic brands are fine.

2. Heating Pads & Ice Packs: Heating pads help not only with pain and swelling but also help in moving the gas around. The gas is often the worst part of the surgery, so the faster you move it and release it from your body, the better you’ll feel. Ice also helps reduce inflammation and swelling after surgery. My personal favorite heating device is the electric portable one. I can take it with me to work, drive, etc. It lies flat on my site, ensuring constant contact. A regular heating pad works well at home. Similar to the heating pad, I enjoy the clay ice packs with the Velcro enclosure. It allows me to keep the ice pack flat and apply pressure to the site. At home, the large or extra-large ice pack would be great.

3. Belly Binder: Most of the time, the hospital will provide one for you through your insurance. However, if they don’t, or if you want to be prepared, I would suggest getting a belly binder. It doesn’t have to be fancy or detailed, but a bigger one for the whole abdominal area will help. After surgery, your other organs are fighting for the open space. Add that to the rawness and swelling of the surgery, and it’ll feel like cinderblocks are attached to you. Pulling yourself up, getting out of a seated position, lying down, and even using the bathroom are all painful after surgery, so this will help create a tight feeling to make them more tolerable. It feels like someone is hugging your abdominal muscles all day. It truly feels amazing! I was lucky to get one through my insurance, but Amazon has a belly binder similar to it. You can get them in all sizes.

4. Loose Clothing (Nightgowns/Dresses), Including Underwear: With the swelling and inflammation, you’ll want to have your clothes barely touching you. It’s really recommended to wear nightgowns and/or dresses to have no pressure on your incision sites. It will also allow your incisions to breathe. You’ll relieve so much pain just by going up a size for this surgery. I bought my nightgowns from Walmart. Their nightgowns were soft and cool. I got it one size larger than I needed for comfort and swelling.

5. Apple Juice & Cranberry Juice: Apple juice will help with bowel movements, and cranberry juice will help prevent urinary tract infections. During surgery, you’ll be given a catheter. Depending on how the surgery goes, it may come out immediately. It may be left in. It’s no surprise that peeing after a catheter feels like a gas-fed fire. It’s incredibly painful. The more hydrated you are, the faster that pain will go away. Cranberry juice helps fight a potential infection. These pills can be taken to help as well, but they are not necessary if you maintain hydration and regular urination.

6. Ibuprofen & Tylenol: Your doctor will only prescribe a few pain pills. The goal is to keep you off of them to ensure you don’t get constipated and to avoid possible addiction. They will tell you to begin taking the highest possible doses of Tylenol and Ibuprofen between pain meds to help the body adjust. Once you’re out of pain meds, it’s unlikely your doctor will prescribe more.

Recommended, but Not Necessary

1. Shower Stool/Shower Handles: Lifting your leg and standing for long periods will be difficult. It will exhaust all the energy you have. Standing up straight will feel impossible for the first few days. By using a shower stool, you’ll be able to take a good shower without experiencing too much pain from swelling or from the tightness of standing. If you know someone who had one, I would go that route. The hospital may also be able to get one approved through your insurance.

2. AVO Urinary Tract Infection (Cranberry) Pills: As mentioned previously, there is an increased risk of infection due to having the catheter. You’ll struggle to urinate the first few days as well, which can increase the risk of infection. To prevent that, you’ll want to stay hydrated. These pills can reduce the risk of a urinary tract infection in the meantime.

3. Pillows: If you can afford nice wedge pillows, I would suggest that. However, cheap Walmart pillows will do as well. You’ll want one to protect your stomach, especially if you have pets or young kids. You may also buy a small one for driving to protect from the seat belt. You may want a pillow to prop your legs up. The first few days will be hard to straighten your legs. You may use it in between your legs as well if you’re a side sleeper. I bought four new pillows to help prop up different parts of my body. I probably didn’t need that much, but it was good to have them!

4. Seat Belt Protector: This is a must-have, but there are other options out there. The seat belt protector protects your surgical site from seat belt pressure. It also allows you to place an ice pack or heating pack in there for additional comfort. Although you won’t necessarily be driving, even as a passenger, you’ll want the relief. The one I bought from Amazon has an ice/heat compartment. It’s soft and washable!

5. Abdominal Massager/Heat Pad: Although a basic heating pad would work, these machines do a great job of putting the perfect pressure on the abdomen. They provide a soothing light massage that won’t be too hard on your surgical site. It’s more of a vibration than anything else. What I like most about it, though, is that it sits perfectly around your abdomen, unlike a heating pad that doesn’t have enough pressure to stay in place on your stomach. Some brands are much louder and vibrate more than others, so make sure you read the reviews. I linked my favorite to the heating/ice post.

Post-Surgery Recommendations

1. Cooling Blanket: Once your hormones start acting up, you’re going to start having hot flashes. To help prevent this, a cooling blanket is helpful. It’s a thin blanket that absorbs your heat and turns it into cool air. They usually have running deals on these. I highly recommend that you get one while on sale. My cooling blanket is fairly thin, but it does a great job of dissipating heat.

2. Tower Fan: Along with the hot flashes. I would also recommend getting a tower fan. You may not have hot flashes all the time. That tower fan will be extremely beneficial in cooling you off. The technology behind these fans has advanced significantly, and you can now get one with Wi-Fi. You’ll want one with good running time, height, and strong power.

3. Neck Ice Rope/Fan: I would recommend getting both the ice rope and a neck fan. Both of these will help cool you during a hot flash. I personally prefer the ice rope because it is colder, but the neck fan is also incredibly helpful for circulating air around your face. I got mine off Temu because I had enough notice. However, Amazon also has neck ropes and neck fans!

4. Grabber Claw: If you live alone, I feel like this is essential to have, especially within the first week of surgery. You may end up dropping things during your time, either because you’re fatigued or because it happens. Bending over is incredibly hard, and even bending at the knees hurts. A grabber will help you pick up anything that you may drop. I personally did not use one, but I can see why it would be beneficial.

5. Squatty Potty: I would recommend this even without surgery. I feel like having this will make your bowel movements so much easier. Especially with being on pain medication. Another way around this is to buy yoga blocks to elevate your legs and create the perfect angle for your bowels.

6. Menstrual Underwear/Panty Liners/Adult Diapers: I don’t feel like this one is as necessary unless you had a tough procedure, In which case, the doctor will likely tell you that it was a tough procedure. You will have some spotting after surgery, which is totally normal. How long it lasts depends on how well the procedure goes and how well you take care of yourself during recovery. I personally only have spotting for about twenty-four hours, and then one time after that for very light spotting. I personally only used a panty liner, but I’ve heard many women say they did and found it beneficial.

7. Throat Lozenges: After intubation through the breathing tube, you’re going to have irritation of your throat. It is important that you handle it with cough drops, throat lozenges, or tea. The feeling eventually goes away, but it will be a rough couple of days on top of your abdomen being in pain.

Overall

Recovery isn’t terrible for most patients, especially for those who do it through laparoscopic incisions. If they have made a long incision, recovery will take longer and be more difficult.

The first week is the most challenging. After the first week, things begin to settle, and you start to feel semi-normal. By the end of week two, you feel more like yourself and want to challenge yourself to do more. Remember, you are still recovering. Despite how strong you may feel, it’s important to relax and recover.

How COVID Changed Education

Angel BoucherLeave a comment

COVID has completely changed the way the world operates. It has affected how we interact as people, how we learn, how we do jobs, how we celebrate big events (baby showers, birthdays, weddings), and more. The area most impacted by COVID has been education.

Setting

With the COVID-19 shutdown in March, the physical setting of school has changed in several ways.

Virtual or Building

Over the summer, teachers and administrators received detailed, intensive training on how to meet students’ needs during a global pandemic, both virtually and in person. This training was needed, regardless of a global pandemic. With the uptick in technological needs, the training teachers and administrators received was a lifelong necessity.

Since March 2020, students have been learning virtually. Initially, schools were thrown into the new process, and lessons weren’t well-developed. Teachers and students struggled with how lessons were presented in late Spring 2020. Students who were already behind in grade level fell even further behind, due to the lack of time teachers had to prepare for the national shutdown.

504 and Special Education

It appeared that students with 504 and SpEd needs were indirectly left behind. Although teachers tried to adapt to the needs of those with special circumstances, it was impossible to provide all the necessary tools with minimal training and preparation. Case managers of 504 and SpEd students did not know how to provide many accommodations. Some accommodations came naturally, such as: extra time, eliminating answer choices/shortened answer choices, and oral testing.

Parental Support

Parents and/or guardians weren’t sure how to provide for their students’ educational needs. It may seem easy to hover over a student to ensure they complete work, but completing work and learning are two different concepts. USA Today provided a great insight into how students and parents/guardians are struggling to meet their students’ special education needs.

Choices and Growth

This year, campuses received an option to start virtually or in person. Daily Voice talks about how this could be the new normal, which I agree with. Some states allowed their districts to delay the start, while other districts chose to go against their states’ wishes and risk losing funding. Many campuses chose to offer a combination of in-person and virtual options. This presented new challenges (how to account for true attendance, when work is due, lessons delivered virtually and in person, what to do with students who do not complete work, how to handle special circumstances, password lockouts, eLearning platforms crashing, etc.).

Even though this was a more successful start than in March 2020, and most teachers were better prepared to handle the curriculum, some still struggle with the new methods expected of them. Older generations of teachers struggled with uploading materials, making videos, using eLearning platforms, and the like. Districts tried to hire a fresh round of employees (teachers, technologists, coaches, etc.) to support these struggling learners and replace teachers who left due to COVID.

Workload

One of the challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic is the increased workload for teachers, administrators, coaches, technologists, and case managers.

Before and Now

Teachers were already facing an uphill battle with documentation for state and federal guidelines, but now they are facing additional documentation due to the choice to be virtual or in-person. Refinery 29 offers valuable insight into what teachers faced at the beginning and middle of the pandemic, directly from teachers. Teachers were already required to provide lesson plans, substitute plans, emergency substitute plans, teacher input for 504 and SpEd students, tracking of accommodations, parent or guardian contact, tracking of work submissions and/or failures, and attendance.

In addition to all of this, teachers around the world are now required to meet additional documentation requirements for the campus and/or district to receive funding. A student going to the nurse now requires documentation that had never been an issue before due to COVID. A student who is not submitting work online requires more documentation than an email or a phone call home. Teachers are now tracking how much a student has completed virtually, providing in-person and virtual tutoring, logging Zoom or Google Meet meetings for in-person and virtual classes, teaching simultaneously in-person and on Zoom, and maintaining discipline in in-person and virtual classes.

Technology Experts

Teachers have also become the first point of contact for technology issues, with the expectation that they know how to resolve them. Teachers have faced password lockouts, password resets, Microsoft 365 or G Suite not loading in eLearning platforms, Zoom or Google Meet not connecting, work not submitting to eLearning platforms, work not opening on these platforms, these platforms crashing, and much more.

Physical Layout of Building

Although campus structures did not change, the way campuses handle the physical layout of classrooms, lunchrooms, hallways, bathrooms, and more has changed. The CDC issued new guidelines for campuses that limit decision-making for teachers and administrators.

Distancing

Classrooms across the United States went from an average of 25-30 students per core classroom (math, science, history, and English language arts) to about 10-20 students per classroom. To meet the needs of the global pandemic, desks were rearranged and spread out throughout the classroom. Although teachers and students may not be able to maintain a six-foot distance, teachers tried to aim for a minimum of three to five feet by placing desks farther apart. However, classrooms just aren’t large enough to maintain social distancing requirements. Mashable shows some pictures of what teachers are facing currently.

An example of an attempt to social distance is from a local campus:

Masks

So how do teachers get around this? Districts made it mandatory that students and teachers wear some sort of face covering (shield, mask, or a combination of both – anything except bandanas). In doing so, teachers are still trying to space desks about 3-4 feet apart. This isn’t ideal for a classroom for a variety of reasons, mainly because it changes how teachers plan their lessons. However, everyone’s safety is the number one priority. If that means we have less collaboration and engagement in face-to-face learning to be safe, then that is what the campus must do.

Fountains

Water fountains were covered and/or disconnected on some campuses to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some water fountains were replaced with water bottle refill stations. Another option campuses have offered is leaving the water fountains uncovered, but only for refilling water bottles. That places a lot of trust in students and requires a lot of adult supervision to ensure they are used properly.

Procedures

As mentioned previously, facial coverings are now required for adults and students in the building. Although they have options as to their facial covering, this still presents many issues.

What happens if a student comes unprepared with a mask? How many chances do they get in order to self-correct? How many free masks will students receive before disciplinary action is taken? Will disciplinary actions occur? What is considered a truly appropriate mask in terms of coverage and design? Too many questions and not enough answers!

Cleaning Routines

Teachers, bus drivers, and custodians are all working overtime to ensure their environments are sterilized. Bus drivers are required to sanitize the bus after every drop-off. This includes seating, railings, or any other area a student may touch. Custodians are wiping stair railings, door handles, and benches (even though students are not supposed to sit on them, they are cleaning to ensure they are safe), fogging rooms and bathroom stalls, and more.

Although several of these cleanings have always been done (such as bathroom stalls), the sanitizing process takes much longer, sometimes requiring bathrooms to be shut down temporarily. Teachers are using medical-grade disinfectant to wipe desks, chairs, keyboards, books, dictionaries, and much more in between classes. Mind you, teachers are supposed to be in the hallway between passing periods. Teachers also have to worry about students with allergies to any cleaner. The disinfectant needs to sit for at least three minutes. Passing periods for most middle school campuses range from three to five minutes. It makes it difficult for a teacher to be at two places at once, while ensuring safety both with COVID and allergies.

Supplies

Teachers are no longer allowed to “borrow out” supplies. Students cannot lend supplies to other students. If a student comes unprepared, teachers constantly give them supplies to keep. This doesn’t seem like a big deal. However, if a student needs a pen/pencil every 180 days, that will add up to an average of 150 students per middle school teacher and 200 per high school teacher. These are endless battles faced in a typical school year, but teachers typically have procedures in place to retrieve their items. Given that most supplies come from teachers’ income, these new procedures can be frustrating, but they are necessary to keep everyone safe.

Nurses/Clinic Assistance

Nurses’ routines have also been affected by COVID. In the past, the nurse would welcome any student to their office with minor issues (headaches, bandages, feminine products, etc.). However, with COVID, the procedure for sending a student to the nurse’s office has changed drastically.

Unless a student has a medical condition (diabetes, allergies requiring EPI pens, seizures, a G-tube, etc.) or COVID-19 symptoms, students’ medical needs should be assessed in the classroom. Teachers were equipped with the necessary tools to handle many medical issues within the classroom.

Nurses used to be able to check the vital signs of teachers and administrators. Yet again, COVID has changed this. Teachers and administrators are no longer allowed into nurses’ offices. If you are concerned about having your vitals taken, nurses have offered to come to the teachers’ classrooms. This shouldn’t be because of a curious moment; it should be because they feel something is bothering them (heart racing, dizziness, etc.).

Breakfast & Lunch

Breakfast and lunch used to be times when students could socialize and release their energy for the day. Now, students are expected to skip seats and minimize their movement and socialization. Imagine seeing your best friend daily, but not allowed to sit by them or talk to them because a pandemic is limiting you.

Impact on Educational Setting

Although some may see the pandemic as a benefit, with fewer face-to-face classes, there are several drawbacks. Because of the pandemic, students are no longer allowed to work in small groups, collaboration groups, or similar settings. This is harming students’ education. Collaboration is the essence of all future jobs for students. More importantly, collaboration helps students understand the material by discussing it with peers.

There are millions of people impacted by COVID-19, but the biggest group facing change right now is those in education: teachers, students, paraprofessionals, and administrators. School districts have lost teachers at an alarming rate, and it won’t slow down as long as the coronavirus is around.