Preparing for Surgery in 4 Weeks
She’s going in for surgery in a month.
Her world explodes into:
- Pre-op instructions (fasting, meds to stop, tests to do)
- Hospital portal
- Insurance/billing details
- Work: time off, handover docs
- Home: who will mind the kids, meals, transport to/from hospital
- Recovery: physio, equipment, follow-up visits
Without TabStax
She prints some stuff, bookmarks other bits, and leaves emails starred. She wakes up at 3am thinking “Did I ever confirm who’s picking me up?” and “When exactly do I stop taking that medication?”
With TabStax
She creates “Surgery – Operation & Recovery Plan” Stax:
Tabs:
- Hospital portal and surgeon info
- Pre-op instructions PDF
- Insurance portal / coverage details
- Employer HR policy on medical leave
- Shared household Google Doc: “While I’m in hospital & recovery”
- List of recommended recovery equipment / physio exercises
Start Page split into timelines:
-
This Week:
- “Book pre-op tests.”
- “Tell manager and confirm leave dates.”
-
Week Before:
- “Stop medication X on [date].”
- “Final check with hospital about admission time.”
-
After Surgery:
- “Schedule first physio session.”
- “Review at-home care instructions with [partner/friend].”
She shares this Stax with her partner / key friend and optionally a family member:
- They can see exactly what needs to happen when.
- They can add to the “While I’m in hospital” doc (meals, kid pickups, house stuff).
Now the surgery isn’t just a date. It’s a structured project with shared visibility. When she gets scared, she opens the Stax and can tell: “I’m actually doing what needs to be done.”