Month Nine of Trying to Conceive Baby #2: Hysteroscopic Polypectomy Prep
Why is it that when you’re busy, you’re crazy busy? I started this blog with the intention of writing it as I was preparing, but life got in the way, so now I’m writing this after surgery. I actually wrote a bunch of paragraphs trying to explain how insanely busy I was the two weeks leading up to the polypectomy, but I just deleted it because I am sure you don’t care about any of that!
Three Weeks Before Surgery
Travel Reimbursement
Because I live on a neighbor island, I had to travel to Oʻahu, where all the big hospitals are, for my surgery. And, because I couldn’t get the procedure done, my insurance company (HMSA) offers a travel reimbursement program of $50 per one-way flight. (If you know anything about travel in Hawaiʻi, it’s not that much, but hey - better than nothing!) Two weeks before my procedure, I called their Travel Department to determine what I needed to do to get my money back (LOL).
Long story short, I had to request that my doctor’s office send through the travel reimbursement request on my behalf - which they quickly did.
A couple of short days later, I got snail mail with a “provider certification” form that I had to bring into the office to get signed.
Book Travel
This is pretty obvious, but I also booked all the things:
Airfare (Roundtrip flights for the entire family)
Rental Car
Asked a friend if we could crash with them for a couple of days
Week of Surgery
As you can tell, there was really nothing else I needed to do until the week of. There was not shortage of things to do the week of, though, let me tell you.
Pre-Op Phone Call
On Monday, at the end of the day, I got a call from the nurse who ended up caring for me pre and post-surgery to do a “pre-op” phone call. It was a quick, 15 minute call where we discussed the following things:
Medical History (even though I filled this out on the pre-op questionnaire, they wanted to confirm)
Pre-Op Rules (I guess you could call it that?)
They wanted to ensure that I was well-hydrated. Not just drinking water, but having Liquid IVs, Vitamin Water, etc. In my case, I drink Paloma from Instant Hydration!
NO EATING OR DRINKING ANYTHING from midnight on the day before surgery
Post-Op Recovery
Hydration!
What things to have on hand for a comfy recovery - heating pad, acetaminophen AND ibuprofen, Instant Hydration, etc.
A driver, no driving for me the entire day afterward
Pack!
I packed my travel luggage, of course, but that’s not relevant to you, so I’ll just talk about what I packed in my hysteroscopic polypectomy recovery kit and what I packed to wear on surgery day (this is very important)!
What I Wore
Auden Women’s Cloud Knit Pajama Pants
On my pre-op call my nurse said I should use loose-flowing, comfortable clothing. I have a bunch of pajama sets, but I wanted to get something super soft and comfy. I ordered a SKIMS set, but it never came in on time so I ran to Target at the last minute and found these pants from Auden. These are seriously AMAZING. Not only are they incredibly soft, but they’re also extremely stretchy and comfortable. The band doesn’t sit tightly on the waist (IFYKYK) and they’re modal/spandex fabric so if they’re too long for you, you can just cut them to length.
On top of all that, they’re only $18!
Auden Women’s Modal Blend Cropped Tank Top
Of course, I had to buy a matching top, and since I live in Hawaiʻi, I opted for a tank top over a long-sleeve shirt because I knew it would be hot when we left the clinic. I used an oversized sweatshirt I had for inside the clinic, but this was perfectly comfortable. I got this in a size large (and for reference I am usually a small/medium) because I didn’t want it to be super cropped. The small looked more like a bra than a tank top, which is why I sized up.
Also extremely comfy and for only $15, you just can’t go wrong!
Easy Clothes Burgundy Mayfair Sweater
Yes, I am an LA Dodger girly! And lately I’ve been loving this sweatshirt. As you can tell from this photo, it’s very oversized, and it’s also quite comfy and cozy. I immediately knew this was coming with me to my hysteroscopic polypectomy for our fertility journey.
If you’re interested, this is $49!
Havaiana’s Women’s You NYC Sandal
This is my current go-to sandal and nurse’s orders were to wear footwear that can be easily be slid on and off. These run $62 a pair, but Havaiana’s always has discounts! These also come in a white/cream and camel color.
My Recovery Kit
ALOHA Collection x Chelsea Kauaʻi Shibori Mid Pouch
I wanted all of my recovery stuff to be in one place so it was easily accessible and we weren’t left trying to figure out where this and that were. For my birthday, which was a couple of days after surgery, my boss got me the ALOHA Collection mid-pouch which fit all the items below with lots and lots of room to spare!
This particular pattern is no longer available, but there are lots of others in case you’re interested in those. The mid-pouch is $46, but you can often find coupon codes or sign up for their email list for discounts.
Sunbeam GoHeat Cordless Heating Pad
I learned my lesson the hard way the first time I got a hysteroscopic polypectomy to treat infertility. I was in a world of pain right when I got out, and my bright mind thought that a water heating pad was perfect because it was portable. My husband quickly scooped this up from Target and it’s been in my TTC must-haves ever since.
This specific pad with the charger is a little harder to find, but I found it on the FSA Store for $79.99. They also have it on CVS for $97.99. They do have a cheaper option for $22.99, but you provide the power bank.
Advil (Ibuprofen)
I already had this lying around, and I'm sure you do too. If you don’t, though this box is $9.88 on Amazon. If you have a high pain threshold, I think you can get away with a travel size of this versus a whole bottle.
Tylenol (Acetaminophen)
I told my nurse I already had Ibuprofen, but she recommended getting Acetaminophen as well so I could stagger the medicines and stay comfortable throughout the day. This specific box is $12.32 on Amazon.
Instant Hydration: Paloma
Again, they asked that I hydrate and stay hydrated, so I packed a bunch of these as well. You can totally bring Liquid IV, Pedialyte, or any other hydration packs that you want. This is just what I happened to have on hand. If you’re interested in this pack, you get 30 sticks for $55. (That’s not their sale price, though, so you can definitely get it cheaper.)
ALOHA Protein Bars
If you recall, I had to fast from midnight on, so I made sure I packed a snack for immediately after (even though my husband brought me food). I also had these lying around at home, so I thought they’d be a perfect go-to. This 12-pack is $32.99. I think you can get them at Target too (although I do live in Hawaiʻi, so I’m not entirely sure how available they are outside of here).
Magnesium Citrate
Truth be told, my husband added this to the recovery kit because the first time I got this surgery I got so backed up he had to pull it out of me. YIKES! I didn’t end up having to use it, thank God, but this is good to have just in case. You can use any kind of laxative, like Dulcolax, etc. This is just what my husband likes. This is $4.29 at CVS. I had a non-flavored version, but this is the only one I could find online.
Final Prep
After packing and doing all that fun stuff, the only things left to do were to fly to Oʻahu and have surgery. More details on that in the next blog. Until then…
