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All very good advice. Reinforcing the "keep the bowels moving" thing. Not fun if you are already in pain and straining. Then you want to take more pain meds and get backed up even more. Vicious cycle. So don't hesitate to take something gentle like docusate sodium and/or senna. They work different ways so you can take both at the same time. I got good at this when I was oncology nurse and my patients got stopped up all the time with the pain meds they were on.
You are going to great, Glen! You are doing so well preparing for it. I have a feeling the worst for you isn't going to be the pain. For you, it is going to drive you mad that you can't do things for yourself. Remember it is only temporary.
As for nurse gifts, do NOT give See's candies or cookies. We get that ALL the time and most of us are trying to lose weight and the break room is full of this stuff. Healthy stuff is always refreshing. Coffee gift cards are good, even if they are only for $5. We are coffee addicts.
But to tell you honestly, a nice card written to the staff is always the best. And always fill out those evaluation cards or "stars" or whatever little thing they use whenever somebody goes above and beyond. Those go a long way in yearly evaluations and my hospital would give the employee prizes dependent on how many you got from different patients. Be specific. Name people. Say exactly what they did. And don't forget the night shift. They always were forgotten. That stuff means a heck of a lot more than a tub of cookies from Costco.
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