56 Things to Do While Recovering from Surgery

1. Download music (legally) from the Internet; fill up your ipod from itunes

2. Randomly explore the internet; see what the rest of the world is searching for using Google Trends

3. Play games that can be played by yourself. There's an amazing variety of games now available – here's a great list. Develops thinking skills, pattern recognition, etc.

4. Read (or listen to) the classics: To Kill a Mocking Bird, A Catcher in the Rye, The Grapes of Wrath, The Old Man and the Sea , The Great Gatsby, The Call of the Wild, War and Peace. These books are almost always available from your library, and often on sale at the large book stores.

5. Listen to books on CD. Sometimes it's easier to listen to a book than to read, very relaxing.

6. Have your kids read to you

7. Play classic board games with your kids – Monopoly, Scrabble…

8. Rent a season of a TV series that you had always wanted to see. Entourage is hilarious. Or rent an old series, like Cheers or The Dick Van Dyke Show.

9. Download books from, e.g. from www.netlibrary.com

10. Do crossword puzzles or Sudoko puzzles or print up some kakuro, which are number versions of crossword puzzles

11. Play the guitar (or learn to), or ask someone to play an instrument or sing for you.

12. Watch old movies. This is great if you are feeling fuzzy from the pain medications – the classic old movies are slow-moving, so it's easy to follow the plot

13. On a budget? Rent movies from the library instead of from the video store – it's usually a fraction of the price and you can keep the movie for a week.

14. Enjoy Xbox or Nintendo, Gameboy, Sony PSP, or any handheld electronic games

15. Some like the handheld game of Simon – it's not too difficult, so good if the pain medications are affecting your concentration

16. Read the entire Harry Potter series (no these books are not just for kids, the stories and characters are riveting!)

17. If you prefer, read the original magical book series, The Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis

18. For the women - give yourself a manicure, a facial, look through magazines to find a new hair style you'd like to try

19. Read the entire New York Times – that will take at least a half a day!

20. Go sit out on your deck or porch for awhile each day and get some fresh air

21. Get free therapy online and make friends with other people who are in similar situations on the Spine-health.com Discussion Forum: "...finding this site and spending time here was a great help during recuperation - both in regard to having something to do but also for learning and understanding about our surgeries and recovery, and also being able to help and assist others here - that's why I am still active here 7 months after surgery."

22. Start a Carepage – an online diary that allows you to chronicle your recovery and automatically notifies your network of friends and family each time you update it.

23. E-mail a loved one who is having difficulty empathizing with your condition and invite him or her to view the Message Board so they can see what you and others in your condition have to go through

24. Talk with others real time who are laid up in similar situations in an online Chat Room

25. Read and comment on blogs that deal with recovery from surgery; or start your own blog!

26. Connect with an old friend who you've lost touch with. Try sending him or her a card or letter via old fashioned mail.

27. Learn to meditate and practice practice practice. Meditation is great for reducing stress and producing an overall feeling of calm and well being, all of which contributes to healing.

28. Scrapbooking and putting all those old pictures in an album. Use … to create online photo albums of all your digital prints

29. Plan ahead for your next vacation - research and plan it online.

30. Become on expert on a specific subject – rent documentaries, read books, and use Google Scholar to do free online research on a certain subject. Ancient Greece? Bird watching? History of golf? Research and learn all about whatever interests you.

31. Sort out pile of mail, bills, catalogues etc., that has been piling up on kitchen counter since before your surgery.

32. Put your financials online with Quickbooks or a similar financial management program.

33. Make some gifts the old fashioned way – knit or crochet a baby blanket for someone who's expecting a baby soon, needlepoint something to decorate the baby's nursery, or make advance holiday gifts.

34. Learn the almost-lost art of lace making

35. Learn to write left handed (or right handed, if you're a lefty) to exercise a new part of your brain

36. Inventory all the stuff you want to get rid of around the house and garage, and sell it on E-Bay

37. Get started on that novel you've always wanted to write

38. Make a Honey-do (or handyman) list for all those odd jobs that need to get done around the house

39. Help build the online encyclopedia Wikipedia by editing or starting any topic where you have expertise

40. Learn origami and create beautiful origami gift boxes or figures

41. Learn calligraphy and make your handwritten notes gorgeous! This is especially valuable if you have horrible handwriting like mine…

42. Create list of recipes that are easy to prepare that you can make once you're up and around but still recovering. Here's a list of spine-friendly recipes

43. Every day write a short thank you (or love note) to the person who is caring for you and put it in the same place for them to find each day.

44. Write thank you notes to everyone in the hospital who was helpful to you
45. Pray in your own way.

46. E-mail thank you notes to all the websites you found especially helpful (hint, hint!) … makes all the hard work worth it J

47. Read online verses from the bible about healing and related topics

48. Anytime you reach out to help someone else in need, you will feel better. Less lonely. Less depressed. Volunteer with an organization that allows you to call and talk to people who are lonely (such as people in nursing homes or people confined to their house).

49. If you don't yet have a cause that you're passionate about, research one online (start here) and make a plan to start donating your time and energy to something you care about once you can get around

50. Be an excellent host or hostess – send out invitations to your friends and family, schedule visits, greet your visitors enthusiastically even when you're in pain, and encourage them to talk about themselves and their lives. It will go a long way to help take your mind off your situation, and will make it a pleasant visit all around.

51. If you can't walk much yet, have someone drive you to Wal-Mart or Target and ride one of the rascal scooters.

52. Just walk walk walk. Try to gradually work up to 10,000 steps a day

53. Wear a pedometer to encourage you to walk whenever possible

54. Get comfortable shoes for walking that are easy to get on and off. Crocs are a favorite – they're lightweight, slip on so you don't have to bend over to get them on or off, and have some traction to help avoid slipping.

55. Walk on a treadmill and set a progressive goal (e.g. go for 2 minutes longer each day) that is OK'd by your doctor. Chart your progress each day so you have a visual confirmation of how far you've come!

56. Sign up for a water therapy - it's very gentle on your back, as the water supports you while you exercise and prevents any jarring motion.