“The day before my first hip replacement surgery I packed a variety of personal items for my hospital stay. Besides my clothing and essentials, I brought along the following:
Arnica and other homeopathic remedies
Hand sanitizer
Lip balm
Lemon essential oil and cotton balls
Why lemon essential oil? Lemon has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties…plus I enjoy the uplifting smell. I placed a few drops on a cotton ball and swabbed my food tray, wiped down the hospital bed rails, cleaned off the television remote control, and placed a scented cotton ball in my pillowcase.”
-Tiffany Anderson, LMT, RMT, BS, CHES
Excerpt: Butternut to Bionic: A Resource Guide to Hip Replacement Surgery, Chapter 2- Preparing For Surgery, pg. 46.
Having worked in a hospital, I recognize that staff work diligently to keep facilities clean AND a hospital is teeming with all sorts of contaminants. After all, hospitals are where sick and injured people go to get well. Even though the rates of MRSA (staph infection) contracted within a hospital setting have dropped markedly over the last decade, MRSA still accounts for 20% of hospital infections. Plus there are additional infectious diseases to be concerned about.
I am a very proactive patient and opt to take extra measures to protect myself and prevent infection. Simple preventative steps = added safety to protect my health.
Rather than falling for a Utopian dream where everyone has my best interest at heart, I prefer to take action. When it comes to my health, especially when I had just underwent an invasive and life-changing surgery, it was worth my time and minimal effort to help sanitize the area I was recuperating in. I follow a similar and simple cleaning routine while I travel; using lemon essential oil to clean the interior of rental cars and disinfect my seating area when I travel by air. Most importantly, I wash my hands often. Read more about the health benefits of lemon essential oil and find a recipe for an inexpensive lemon hand sanitizer here.
Be Well! ~Tiffany