Continuing on with last week’s advice about a scheduled surgery and how to prepare to make yourself as safe as possible during the operation, this week’s tip is what to do when you’re back in your hospital room following surgery. While the majority of hospital caretakers are kind and professional, patients still must remain on high alert; mistakes can and do occur at the expense of their health.

1) The very first order of business is to ensure that you’re rarely if ever left alone by yourself, especially if you’re unconscious or doped up enough for the pain so you can’t make rational decisions. If you’re unable to speak for yourself, have a friend or family member with you at all times (and beg that person to follow these suggestions). If this isn’t possible, then make a really quick friend of the hospital’s patient representative. A hospital stay makes it truly imperative for someone to act as your advocate — and protector.

2) Insist that anyone with whom you come in contact has clean hands; while this cleanliness standard should be a given, t’aint necessarily so. Too many health care folks often hurry along and don’t take the time to wash their hands or to change to clean gloves before touching you. (Remember the MSRA information from last week?) Hospitals notoriously are the germiest places around. Don’t feel you’ll insult the doctors, nurses, technicians, and the like if you insist they first clean up. I plan to place several bottles of antiseptic hand lotion around my hospital room and post signs. Seriously!

3) Don’t just swallow any medicine given to you or blindly accept every test. Insist that you (or your “guard”) know specifically why the medication or the test is ordered and who ordered it. Make sure the hospital pharmacist receives a copy of the doctor’s orders rather than a verbal communication and that you receive a copy, too. Immediately notify the physician and/or the pharmacist if you develop any new symptoms upon taking the new meds. And don’t allow Nurse Needle to ramrod you into continuing the dosage until it’s approved. Actually, it doesn’t hurt (pardon the pun) to get a second opinion on any test interpretations. Misreading of tests is a common occurrence in many hospitals.

4) ALWAYS ask questions. If you’re uncomfortable, uneasy, or unsure about any procedure, question it with your last breath. Who knows, if you don’t, it just might be!)