SPINE FUSION acute rehab - what to take to rehab

After the surgery, in the other hospital, I was in no condition to put on clothes.  I had been given a list, so bought two big summer robe/housecoat things and slippers, which were instantly rejected by the physical therapists at rehab.  And forget going to the bathroom wearing the housecoats = wrapped around my neck perhaps?

I had arrived for the surgery wearing some above the ankle knit pants with an elastic waist.  Since the brace is the thickness of a long cat wrapped around the waist, I can only wear elastic-waist pants with it.  (It sort of scrunches up the cotton lounge/bag dress things I brought, so way too much leg shows.)  The knit pants have to do for all purposes this week.  Since they were new, they still seem fairly fresh.  I hope.

I wish I had hidden certain prescription creams in my medicine pouch.  There have been unpleasant discussions all week about who decides which of my regular meds I get, and who gives them to me, and when, and how often.  My primary physician is not here to get involved in these talks.   And a couple of really bad episodes with a certain cream that I did NOT enjoy explaining to a college age boy from the hospital pharmacy.  Most of the stress has been blamed on some Medicare rule.  Okay, now you know how old I am.

I also need some things to cheer me up.  I wish I had more pictures of happy times in my wallet.  Even pictures of things I made, to remind me that I can still draw or make a model of a design while I'm wearing the brace, once I escape from this bed and the painful, too-tall, perma-lock wheelchair and get to a place with an actual table.  Somehow, when I get my instructions in the wheelchair, and when the meals cart is near, the nurse has to leave before I think to ask her to hand me some paper and to move my pen closer to me.

Just let me say that the nurses are all kind and some are truly friendly.  It's the schedule, the crowded room, the iffy medicine-schedule computer, and the furniture moving that make things tough on nurses and patients. 

Luckily, the ambulance guys who brought me to rehab also brought the fabulous orchid plant in its very heavy little planter.  And luckily it's some variety of orchid that stays alive whether I get there with any water or not.