Here's the list of what you should consider doing before surgery to be ready for life after surgery!!

1. Check out some books or magazines so that you will have plenty of leisure reading material.
2. Make sure that you get caught up on your bills before surgery. Walking to the mailbox might be a challenge, so take care of everything before hand.
3. If you must, then bring work home to keep you occupied. Ask your company if you can get a laptop.
4. If you hate your job, then work on that resume! Call some headhunters while you're recovering.
5. Recruit your parents to take care of you for the 1st couple of days. Put them to work! Have mom cook or dad work on a fix up project that you have been putting off.
6. Arrange for a friend or co-worker to take you to work when you think you are physically ready to go back to work.
7. Arrange for rides to and from doctor, PT, etc.
8. Make sure you have a pair of slip on shoes/slippers. It's going to be tough to bend down and tie those laces!
9. Get a haircut, trim nails, etc. before surgery. Remember you are going to be disabled, so get as much done as you can pre-op.
10. Get a back pack to carry around drinks, pen, paper, cordless phone, etc. You won't be able to carry anything around while you are on crutches.
11. Keep a flashlight near by (you'd hate to end up stranded during a power outage in the dark!)
12. Set up your PT appointments BEFORE surgery - many times there is a wait for the appointments.
13. Invest in baggy pants/shorts to fit over your swollen/bandaged knee (esp. if surgery is in winter!)
14. Get a table with wheels. I'm three weeks post-op and on crutches for three more. I've been on crutches many times. Tie a rope to the table with a small weight on the other end. You load the table with things you need, say from the kitchen - icepacks, food, beverages, water, etc. Throw the weighted rope to your hang out spot, crutch over and sit down. Pick up the rope and pull the table of goodies over to you. I had to put some tape on the linoleum/carpet transition area to smooth the ride.
15. Gas up the car ( though you may not use it for a while).
16. Clean house.
17. Remove anything that you might trip on later.
18. Practice moving around your home with crutches and an immoblizer on your leg to see what needs to be re-arranged.
19. Do laundry.
20. Buy easy to cook food. (I am partial to the microwaveable dinners and to the spiral cut ham - no sharp knives & less time on your feet).
21. Make/buy ice.
22. Get cash for pizza man.
23. Get a portable phone.
24. Setup your home recovery area with medications, reading material, alarm clock, TV guide, and remote controls w/fresh batteries and make sure that your remotes can function from there.
25. Build a little collection of unwatched videos or borrow some. If you rent, you have to return them or the late fees mount up quickly.
26. Figure out how you will elevate the leg - pillows or whatever. Have that set up before surgery.
27. Keep a towel on linoleum floors to sop up any water. (Crutches and wet linoleum are a tragedy waiting to happen.)
28. I found the athletic water bottle a good way to take water when lying down - for medications, or otherwise.
29. Put a lawnchair/stool in the shower.
30. Get one of those hose attachments for the shower if possible.
31. You won't be able to get stitches wet, so have some plastic bags with rubber bands or tape for sealing.
32. Set up a chair outdoors so you can catch some sun on nice days.