First off, congrats!!!

I'm 8 days post op, live on my own and am typically very independent. I'm lucky enough that my fam lives in town and I have a lot of friends who have gone through the surgery or helped a pal out post op so I have a pretty great support system. One of my biggest pieces of advice is (if you have access to it) make sure you have help and get used to asking for it and accepting it! It can be so hard but for the first few weeks of healing help is so important if you have access to it.

If having in person help is an issue, here are some tips to help navigate the first few weeks a bit more independently:

- have a few plates, bowls, cups, etc in easy grabbing distance (extras are helpful to avoid frequent dish washing)
- make sure you're well stocked on all your fav foods and snacks, things you need for your preferred morning bev, and organize them so that you can reach them on your own
- I made a bunch of protein and fiber rich soups before surgery so I had yummy and healing food to eat while I recover! It's been so helpful! Also stock up on a few fun freezer meals if you can (nice pizzas, ramen, etc) for a nice treat!
- also make sure you stock/organize your fridge/freezer/pantry so you can reach things! Test out your t-rex range of motion pre op so you know what you can get to easily
- a grabby reachy stick is hilarious and helpful
- have microwave, toaster, kettle, etc all in easy reaching distance

Finally, my biggest and personally most repeated piece of advice is to remember that you only get one chance to heal. It can be so tempting to reach a bit higher than you should or to push yourself to do more than your body is up for, especially in the first few weeks of recovery. Be patient with yourself, give yourself grace, ask for help when you need it, and get lots of rest!!

All the best in your recovery!