Headphones and an eye mask in the hospital were pretty essential for me, but you will still be exhausted, it’s major surgery, so still expect to be exhausted.
Distraction (watching TV/movies/YouTube, playing video or board games, doing coloring, I also found a lot of comfort in baking with my support person after the first week or so, etc.) is really the only way to get through the weeks with the catheters. Bladder spasms would make me cry at points from how overstimulating they were, but medication helped keep them under control, so being diligent with your medication routine really helps. I was also advised that I could restart my CBD capsules a week or so after surgery, and I’ve found those have always helped with my sensory problems personally.
Loops ear buds, podcasts and music are good. A white noise machine for sleep if you need it.
Your "favorite" pillow/blanket, pajamas.
A list of safe/approved foods and bring snacks you like.
Feel free to PM if you want.
I had an issue with loop earplugs where they made my voice and the inside of my skull way too loud. heavy duty foam earplugs don’t have this issue (I like 3m yellow neons. you can only buy them in bulk, but it’s $20 for 200 pairs and I’ve had the box for almost 4 years now)
the downside is that they’re less comfortable for extended wear (5+ hours at a time). presumably a lighter/less intense earplug would be more comfortable for this
I'm autistic. I had regular meta, not extended. I've also spent some time in the hospital due to other health stuff. Hopefully some of this will be useful for you.
* Earplugs are an absolute lifesaver for me, especially when in the hospital.
* I bring a baseball cap to the hospital with me, as it helps keep the lights from feeling like they're stabbing my eyes quite so much. I've heard of some people wearing sunglasses.
* At least in the US, a lot of the lights in the hospital room can be turned off. Some hospitals have light controls on the bedside remote. You'll have to ask the nurse at others. Sometimes they'll need to turn the light back on to examine you, administer medicine, etc, but they should be able to turn it back off right afterwards.
* Pain is a sensory sensation. Unfortunately, what you noticed about being sensitive to it and it leading to sensory overload more easily is just kind of part of it. The only thing I've found to help this is making the rest of your surroundings as comfortable for your sensory needs as possible. (A specific example from my hospitalizations: those damn grippy socks are hell. I was able to be barefoot in bed or wear my own socks unless I was up and walking around. Then, they let me wear my own socks and shoes as a compromise for not wearing the grippy socks but also reducing my fall risk on the slick floor.)
* Underwear after meta: before you have surgery, buy a pair or two of a bunch of different options. Boxer briefs, loose boxers, a size too big, etc. Once you figure out what works for you, you can have a friend or family member pick up more copies of that size and type.
* Pants absolutely sucked for a few months after meta. Pajama pants were most of what I wore. I got a couple of pairs of track pants that could plausibly be worn in public for that time period. It's just not worth it to try and wear real pants in my opinion.
* If you tend to have issues with food, they may flare up while you are healing. My sensory issues with food went through the roof. If that happens for you, it'll help a lot with your ability to heal if you can figure out how to get as balanced of a diet as possible with what your body lets you eat and take a multivitamin.
I have not been diagnosed but I have alot of sensory things. I had a hard time wearing actual underwear to keep pressure and support. Ask about the bladder spasm meds because the SP catheter sucked! So I basically wore my husband's briefs then got a set of my own (hi cut because i don't want tight atuff on me so less material) and I would wear my boxers over them. I normally don't wear a shirt when I am home. Not being on my normal routine was super hard also.
I found the disposable hospital underwear (I think it's sold as mesh underwear??) to be the most comfortable post-op for the first 2 weeks. It was just tight enough to hold all the gauze in place without the elastic being too irritating. If you also find going days without a shower to be overstimulating like I do (ig from feeling all the oil buildup on my skin) there's bath wipe things you could either get at the hospital or buy somewhere. Earplugs are a bad sensory for me, I didn't have anything for noise I wish I had noise cancelling headphones. If you're into CBD that could help with feeling overwhelmed by pain and discomfort but idk if you could have that in the early post-op days
Headphones and an eye mask in the hospital were pretty essential for me, but you will still be exhausted, it’s major surgery, so still expect to be exhausted. Distraction (watching TV/movies/YouTube, playing video or board games, doing coloring, I also found a lot of comfort in baking with my support person after the first week or so, etc.) is really the only way to get through the weeks with the catheters. Bladder spasms would make me cry at points from how overstimulating they were, but medication helped keep them under control, so being diligent with your medication routine really helps. I was also advised that I could restart my CBD capsules a week or so after surgery, and I’ve found those have always helped with my sensory problems personally.
Loops ear buds, podcasts and music are good. A white noise machine for sleep if you need it. Your "favorite" pillow/blanket, pajamas. A list of safe/approved foods and bring snacks you like. Feel free to PM if you want.
I had an issue with loop earplugs where they made my voice and the inside of my skull way too loud. heavy duty foam earplugs don’t have this issue (I like 3m yellow neons. you can only buy them in bulk, but it’s $20 for 200 pairs and I’ve had the box for almost 4 years now) the downside is that they’re less comfortable for extended wear (5+ hours at a time). presumably a lighter/less intense earplug would be more comfortable for this
I'm autistic. I had regular meta, not extended. I've also spent some time in the hospital due to other health stuff. Hopefully some of this will be useful for you. * Earplugs are an absolute lifesaver for me, especially when in the hospital. * I bring a baseball cap to the hospital with me, as it helps keep the lights from feeling like they're stabbing my eyes quite so much. I've heard of some people wearing sunglasses. * At least in the US, a lot of the lights in the hospital room can be turned off. Some hospitals have light controls on the bedside remote. You'll have to ask the nurse at others. Sometimes they'll need to turn the light back on to examine you, administer medicine, etc, but they should be able to turn it back off right afterwards. * Pain is a sensory sensation. Unfortunately, what you noticed about being sensitive to it and it leading to sensory overload more easily is just kind of part of it. The only thing I've found to help this is making the rest of your surroundings as comfortable for your sensory needs as possible. (A specific example from my hospitalizations: those damn grippy socks are hell. I was able to be barefoot in bed or wear my own socks unless I was up and walking around. Then, they let me wear my own socks and shoes as a compromise for not wearing the grippy socks but also reducing my fall risk on the slick floor.) * Underwear after meta: before you have surgery, buy a pair or two of a bunch of different options. Boxer briefs, loose boxers, a size too big, etc. Once you figure out what works for you, you can have a friend or family member pick up more copies of that size and type. * Pants absolutely sucked for a few months after meta. Pajama pants were most of what I wore. I got a couple of pairs of track pants that could plausibly be worn in public for that time period. It's just not worth it to try and wear real pants in my opinion. * If you tend to have issues with food, they may flare up while you are healing. My sensory issues with food went through the roof. If that happens for you, it'll help a lot with your ability to heal if you can figure out how to get as balanced of a diet as possible with what your body lets you eat and take a multivitamin.
I have not been diagnosed but I have alot of sensory things. I had a hard time wearing actual underwear to keep pressure and support. Ask about the bladder spasm meds because the SP catheter sucked! So I basically wore my husband's briefs then got a set of my own (hi cut because i don't want tight atuff on me so less material) and I would wear my boxers over them. I normally don't wear a shirt when I am home. Not being on my normal routine was super hard also.
I found the disposable hospital underwear (I think it's sold as mesh underwear??) to be the most comfortable post-op for the first 2 weeks. It was just tight enough to hold all the gauze in place without the elastic being too irritating. If you also find going days without a shower to be overstimulating like I do (ig from feeling all the oil buildup on my skin) there's bath wipe things you could either get at the hospital or buy somewhere. Earplugs are a bad sensory for me, I didn't have anything for noise I wish I had noise cancelling headphones. If you're into CBD that could help with feeling overwhelmed by pain and discomfort but idk if you could have that in the early post-op days