Here are some additional suggestions from Janet Snover, Lily Burns, and others:

Stay in shape before your surgery. Eat well and get as much exercise as you safely can before the operation.

Keep yourself amused. Your attention span may be short while you're hospitalized, so pack a variety of reading material, puzzles,

and books on tape to help the time pass more quickly.

Leave jewelry at home for safety. Yes, even your wedding ring.

Ask your surgeon what physical position you'll be in during the surgery. For some operations, it isn't always obvious. Having this information may help in explaining some post-surgical stiffness or soreness.

Make sure a friend or family member asks the right questions of your surgeon. While anesthesia will keep you from experiencing pain and moving around during surgery, it will also significantly dull your memories of the experience. If there are particular things you will want to know about the surgery, be sure to share those with the family member or friend who will speak with your surgeon after the operation.

Keep it clean! Although patients can't do much to avoid operating-room-induced infections, you can do a lot to avoid germs after surgery. Make sure caregivers and visitors are washing their hands and/or using gloves. And be meticulous about your own cleanliness. Wash or sanitize your hands frequently. And if you get your own fresh water or ice from a common area, use a clean paper towel, rather than your bare hands, to press the appropriate buttons.

Fill prescriptions before you go home. Have someone pick up your pain medication before you leave the hospital to go home. Hospital pharmacies often have long waits, and stopping at a local drug store on the way home is the last thing you'll feel like doing.

Be conservative in estimating recovery time. Surgeons' estimates can often be overly optimistic, so get "second opinions" from physical therapists, nurses, and people who have been through similar surgeries (and try not to let longer estimates discourage you). When arranging time off from work or studies, it's always easier to return earlier than to arrange for additional time off later.

Track your recovery. It can be helpful to keep notes on your progress. It may be encouraging to see how far you've come, and if you happen to have setbacks, it can help to be able to refer back to "good" days you've had.