• lidocaine patches !!!​

  • they provide lidocaine patches at the hospital, but once you leave it'll definitely be helpful to get some of your own​

  • they help so much, I used them consistently until about 9 weeks post op and after that I just used as needed :)

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• shower chair​

  • at first, showers can be rough. standing for longer than 10 minutes at first was already exhausting -- I HIGHLY recommend one of these for safety and comfort​

  • it's SO light, easy to move around and easy to clean

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• space heater

  • this was really helpful after the shower when my nerves were going bonkers

  • it heats up really fast and is very adjustable (heat + direction) 10/10 I love it​

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• reusable ice packs !!!

  • to keep those random pains at bay, 10/10 very helpful​

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• heating pad !!!

  • absolutely the best thing ever, has soothed so much of my nerve and muscle pains/spasms. 100/10​ 

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• support pillow

  • I haven't used all the pieces of this one yet but it definitely is so so helpful to have an array of different pillow setups to get comfortable with​

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• zero-gravity chair

  • I (personally) feel so much relief when I sit in this chair, it takes all the pressure off the back. I've taken countless naps in this chair. Highly recommend you invest sooner or later. ​100/10

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• recliner chair

  • any sofa/chair that reclines has been really helpful

  • most are pretty $$$ but if you have one already at home then that's great

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• lazy reader glasses

  • they look so funny but I don't have to crane my neck/hurt my back to see my phone/computer/book anymore

  • especially because you wont be sitting straight up a lot, these a very worthy investment 10/10​

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• ask the hospital for: 

  • some extra gauze and bandages for the chest tube site​

  • you might not even have to change it at all but ask a nurse for a few extra (just in case)

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• hydroseal bandaid

  • just in case the ones they put on your chest tube wound comes off, you have some backup

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• adhesive remover wipes

  • saved me a lot of pain when removing the drain tube dressings or the hydroseal bandaids

  • it can also be used to get the medical tape residue off of your skin

  • the ones linked are the one's used in the hospital, they work like magic

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• body pillow

  • very helpful for support, I couldn't imagine sleeping on my side without it

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• sleeping mask

  • in my experience, falling asleep was more difficult and sometimes it helped if it was entirely dark + I had some insomnia from weaning off the meds and it was helpful for taking naps or falling asleep once the sun had already started to come up​

  • in my experience, the one I linked above is absolutely amazing and it lets no light through

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• Kids Melatonin Gummies / Adult Melatonin Gummies

  • I've never had trouble falling asleep before but I have to say that the meds made things difficult for me, and turns out, it's not uncommon -- these helped me a lot :)

  • I got the kids version but if you need something stronger, they have the adult ones

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• night light

  • when I had to take meds in the middle of the night, it was nice to have lighting that isn't super harsh but still let you and people around you see where you were. ​

  • I recommend this for  anti-tripping precaution

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• shoe horn

  • very helpful for putting on shoes with limited flexibility

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• #1 Favorite Silicone Scar Tape / #2 Favorite Scar Tape

  • scar tape hydrates the scar tissue and can reduce the amount of ​discomfort/itching

  • scar tape also can help fade and flatten raised scars -- very helpful in my experience

  •  I'll link the one I like the best (I have sensitive skin), but I think any scar tape with good reviews could work :)​

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• Scar Oil

  • if scar tape isn't really working for you, here is a hydrating quick-dry oil that helps scars fade and heal​; very soothing!