In the old days of surgery patients were told to stay in bed, even for days after surgery. Not any more! We now know that people who act sick after surgery (i.e. stay in bed and pamper themselves excessively) get sick after surgery. While we certainly don’t want anyone over-doing it after a delicate procedure, it is important to be up and moving even on the very day of surgery if possible.

Really, I’m only talking about a basic level of activity necessary to move around the house a bit and take care of your basic food & hygiene needs. But even this will help greatly to keep fluid off the lungs, lower the risk of blood clots, and speed your recovery along as it should.