We’ll let you in on a secret: what happens after your surgery has everything to do with what happens before your surgery. When it comes to improving surgery recovery, it’s all about taking proactive, proven steps before you go under under the knife to ensure you recover as fast and strong as possible. Today, then, we’re talking our top 3 tips for getting back to life after surgery. Read on…and get ready for a great recovery!
- Prepare for your recovery before going under the knife.
A great recovery starts with proper preparation. There are three major steps you can take for improving surgery recovery:
- Make the behavioral changes you need to: Whether it’s quitting smoking or starting to exercise, start making the behavioral changes you need to in the months and weeks leading up to your surgery. Remember: surgery is like an athletic event: you want to show up in as strong and healthy of a state as possible in order to decrease your risk of complications and increase your chance for a great recovery.
- Don’t starve yourself in the hours leading up to your surgery: Proper presurgery nutrition is one of the best ways to ensure a strong recovery. There are a number of reasons why doctors are doing away with the old-school fasting-from-midnight instructions—but, in a nutshell, research shows that preparing patients with a clear, complex carb-rich presurgery nutrition drink in place of a complete from-midnight fast is proven to increase surgery safety, increase patient satisfaction, and lead to a healthier, easier recovery.
- Do your research: Surgery can be scary—so it’s natural to want to avoid doing research beforehand. But, the better prepared and informed you are, the better your chances are for improving surgery recovery through some of the information you pick up along the way. Educate yourself about what your recovery could be like by talking to your doctor and doing your own research. Then, put steps in place to prepare for that recovery experience.
- Have a support system in place.
Setting up a support system is an absolutely crucial step for improving surgery recovery and getting back to your life.
- Ask for help: If you’re going to need help during your recovery, be sure to ask the people who can help you before getting home from your procedure. It’s natural to not want to feel like a burden, but the best way to make your recovery a seamless one for both you and those around you is to be clear about your needs in as far advance as possible so everyone has ample time to plan.
- Create a schedule: Create a clear calendar, list, or schedule to help your support system along the way. Write down anything you may need them to do and when, any important information they’ll need to have (the location of the surgery center, the pharmacy you use, your surgeon’s name, your home alarm code, etc.). Make sure you’ve listed out your needs—as well as the people, places, and things they need to know about.
- Give your body what it needs.
There’s no more important surgery-prep step than taking care of your body. Below are three main things you can give your body for an improved recovery.
- Time: Whether it’s taking time off of work or taking a few extra days before getting back to activity, make sure you give your body the time it needs to heal. Any procedure—no matter how minor it may seem—puts a major amount of stress on the body. Even if you’re feeling great a day or two after, force yourself to take it easy, as getting back to activity too quick can often result in an extended recovery period later on.
- Rehab and exercise: From a full-blown physical therapy plan to light at-home exercise, talk to your doctor before your surgery to understand what your rehab plan should look like. Order any tools you might need (like resistance bands) beforehand and be prepared to ease back into activity slowly and on a flexible schedule (you never know what your body will and won’t allow after surgery).
- Nutrition and hydration: Modern medical research shows that proper presurgery nutrition plays a major role in helping you get back to life after a procedure. Rather than the old-school fasting from midnight approach, talk to your doctor about drinking ClearFast in the hours leading up to your procedure for a safer surgery and enhanced recovery. (Psst…while ClearFast was developed by an anesthesiologist for the hours leading up to your procedure, our all-new plant protein drink, CF Protein, is specifically designed for the days and weeks leading up to your procedure. Keep an eye out for CF Protein’s upcoming release!)
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Overall, when it comes to improving surgery recovery, proactivity and proper nutrition are your best friends. Ready to get back to your life faster after your procedure? You can order your ClearFast PreOp Drink here. And don’t hesitate to reach out to the ClearFast team at support@drinkcf.com if you have any questions at all.