Part of the preparation for surgery will be taking care of things in your daily life that you may not be able to get to if you are on bedrest or healing at home. Being aware of your calendar is a great way to still be able to get things done ahead of time for the rest you will need during healing.
Depending on your surgery’s recovery length, print a 1, 3, or 6 month calendar with room to write on. Give yourself at least a week before the surgery and the recommended healing time, plus one week longer at the end just in case. For example, a week before the surgery, plus 2 weeks of bedrest, 4 weeks of crutches, plus one week at the end just in case, all printed out for you to write in and mark up.
Make your calendar as pretty and fun as you want with different colors, stickers, doodles, or fun paper. Make it as simple as you want by using none of that, it is totally up to you.
Write on your calendar your surgery timeline. For example, indicate your surgery day by coloring it yellow, highlight a line through the days that might require bedrest in blue, then crutches in pink, then normal mobility in purple. It is helpful to see how long you will be out of your normal routine, as it can help you make better plans.
Write on all of your doctors appointments, physical therapy sessions, etc.
Write on any holidays, birthdays, school’s out or other days of note. If you normally send birthday cards, write them out a head of time to put in the mail. If you normally cook for a holiday meal, make plans to sit out this one out, cook ahead of time or order in. Whatever fits your style best, you will rest easier knowing you aren’t ‘forgetting all about xyz’.
Bills, taxes and payday notes can be added to your calendar. For the bills that you can set up to pay online, do so before your surgery. You don’t have to make early payments but can usually set for a payment in the future. For other bills that may come in while you are healing, see if a family member or partner can take over this task for a little bit. I suggest not making any big financial decisions if you are on opioid pain medication. For example, if your taxes fall right on your surgery recover time, I suggest trying to do them early or have outside help. Recovery is just a few weeks, most big decisions can wait!
Meal planning can have it’s own calendar, see my blog post specifically for meal planning. Making a plan for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner with grocery lists and recipes is a big job, one that you don’t want to be doing from bedrest or leaving to your partner if they are already taking on many of your jobs!
Anything specific to you and your family like allowance day, dance recitals, after school activities, theater tickets, other’s medical appointments etc. should also go on your calendar. While you may have helpers taking kids to activities, you may like being aware of these events, even if you are going to sleep right through them. One of the most jarring identity changes about recovery is participating in family life 100% to something like 20% (or whatever your routine normally is). The written reminder that your partner had a dentist appointment can help you feel connected or remember to start a conversation with them.
Keeping a detailed calendar might seem overwhelming at first, but it can be a lifesaver in the long run. By using this tool to your advantage, you can plan your life around your recovery and not let important things slip through the cracks. Trust me, your future self will thank you for it.
During recovery, many people feel the strong urge to get back to their normal routines as soon as possible. However, it's important to remember that our bodies need rest and healing even when our minds are "over it". This is where the calendar comes in handy. By making plans around your recovery, you can 'participate' in family activities, complete important tasks, and feel a sense of accomplishment even during your healing process.
At the end of the day, the goal of using a calendar during recovery is not to add stress or dread to your life. Rather, it's a tool that can make your life easier and more manageable. So take some time to plan ahead and allow yourself the rest and healing you need. Your body and mind will thank you for it.
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