No matter what kind of surgery you are going to have, it is important to be knowledgeable about all of its aspects. Knowing the significant details of your surgery can help you prepare mentally and emotionally.  Your doctor/surgeon should provide you with a lot of detail, so don't worry too much about doing extensive independent research. Usually, most details of your surgery will be explained during your first appointment. As an autoimmune disease, lupus affects you systemically. This means that when you are considering an upcoming surgery, it's important to take into consideration the various organs that can be affected indirectly. Your primary care physician and any specialists you have will know the details of your lupus, and can inform your surgeon of any additional accommodations he or she must make for your disease.  For example, if you have a joint condition, your rheumatologist will give you a recommendation letter about all the drugs you have taken because some drugs may interact during surgery. For other affected systems like the heart (cardiologist), kidney (nephrologist), digestive tract (gastroenterologist), and nervous system (neurologist), doctors will give recommendation letters, including the details of laboratory tests, drugs, and any prior interventions. Some medications can interact, causing harmful effects during or after surgery. Informing your surgeon of any over-the-counter medications or prescriptions you take will allow them to monitor and prepare for any potential drug interactions.  All medicines including vitamins and herbal supplements should be taken down in notes including the dosage and the frequency on how many times you’re taking them per day. Additionally, take note of any dietary supplements that may not immediately come to mind as medications.  Vitamins and supplements such as vitamin E, gingko biloba, and garlic can increase your risk for bleeding. Herbal supplements such as Kava, St. John’s wort, and Valerian can interfere with the medicines that are used for anesthesia.   Stop taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) 3-4 days prior to surgery. NSAIDs can cause excessive bleeding due to their blood-thinning properties. For this reason, it is always recommended that you stop taking these drugs at least three days prior to surgery. NSAIDs include medication such as ibuprofen (Advil) and acetaminophen (Tylenol). However, some NSAIDs can still be continued, as they do not cause the blood to thin. These include non-acetylated salicylates such as salsalate, diflusinal, and magnesium trisalycylate. In any case, follow the advice of your doctor or surgeon. Some steroids, called “stress doses”, are given during surgery to control inflammation and swelling. However, if you have been taking steroids on your own 3 weeks prior to surgery, the surgeon may not give stress doses in order to avoid complications such as adrenal insufficiency. Informing your surgeon of personal steroid use can help prevent serious complications. Steroids taken for long periods of time can result serious side effects such as Cushing’s syndrome. Prescription blood thinner medications such as Warfarin, Clopidogrel, Apixaban, Dabigatran, and Fondaparinux can be taken by individuals with lupus, with the approval of their doctor and surgeon. The decision to take these blood thinners prior to surgery should only be made with your doctor's specific knowledge of your condition. The doctor who prescribed your blood thinners will be the one responsible to communicate to the surgeon what to do with the medications before surgery. Raynaud's is a condition that causes your extremities (fingers, toes, tip of the nose, and ears) to feel numb, especially when exposed to cold temperatures. It causes small arteries to narrow, limiting circulation of blood in those areas. The operating room could be cold, and Raynaud’s phenomenon could disrupt normal blood flow to your arteries and veins, interfering with the surgery.  If untreated, this could lead to death of the tissues in the finger, rendering them useless and prone to gangrene/infection. By informing your doctors of this condition, special care will be taken to ensure a warmer temperature or provide sufficient blankets to maintain a safe body temperature. Sjögren's is an autoimmune disease that affects the exocrine glands in the body, particularly the mucous membranes and other moisture-secreting glands, decreasing saliva and tear production and causing the mouth and eyes to dry. The low humidity levels of most operating rooms can exacerbate symptoms of Sjögren's and severely dry out mucous membranes. It is important to communicate to your surgeon if you have this condition, to prevent excessive dryness and irritation of the mucosa and its linings.  During surgery, artificial saliva for your mouth and moisturizing gel for your eyes can be given to you. You should bring all your moisturizers to the hospital to keep your eyes and mouth moist, especially after surgery. Getting an adequate amount of rest and sleep can relieve anxiety and tension caused by the upcoming surgery. Try to get at least an hour of rest directly prior to the surgery, and 7 to 8 hours of sleep the night before to relax your tense muscles and stabilize your vital signs. You can also express your thoughts to your family and friends to relieve tension.
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One-sentence summary -- Know every detail of your upcoming surgery so you can prepare. Get special recommendations from your other doctors to avoid complications. Make a list of all medications you have taken for your surgeon. Talk to your doctor about steroid use to avoid complications during surgery. Know that some blood thinners are safe to use prior to surgery. Inform the surgeon or nurse if you have Raynaud’s phenomenon to ensure proper circulation. Tell the surgeon or nurse if you have Sjögren's syndrome to avoid dryness. Sleep well before the surgery to relieve stress.


To open an existing template, click File then New. Here you will find folders with existing Microsoft Office templates. Select Announcements and find one that is for baby showers or could easily be made into a baby shower invitation. If you don’t find a satisfactory template already on your computer, you can download new ones online. Go to the Microsoft website to browse the templates they have to download and find one that you like and matches your vision for a baby shower invitation. Simply click the existing text boxes to enter them, delete the existing text, and type your own. Be sure to include the guest of honor, date, time, location, RSVP info, and gift registry information. Highlight the text you’d like to change. Then select the font, font size, and color you’d like. These options are under the Home tab at the top of the screen. If you like the font or color, you can keep it as is. However, if you had a specific color or font in mind, feel free to alter the font to your liking. If there are images you don’t want, select them and press “Delete” or right-click and choose delete. To insert new images open the Insert tab, then click Clip Art which will have a lot of stock image and cartoon options. If you want to insert a photograph, select Picture then find the photo’s location on your computer. Once your picture is added, you can choose to center it at the top of the invitation, or place it anywhere you wish. To change the color of the background, or a border, select the object, then open the Format tab. Change the “Shape Fill” or “Shape Outline” as you see fit. Make sure everything is correct. Then save the invitation by using the "Save as" option, so you will have it for future use, if needed. It's a good idea to set your invitation aside for an hour and then proofread. This will help you catch errors better. You can also have someone else proofread for you. Cardstock paper between 80lb and 110lb works best as it will make sturdy invitations. If your template only takes up half the page, you will need to cut your invitations in half.
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One-sentence summary --
Open a template in Microsoft Word. Type your baby shower invitation wording. Change the font and color. Insert new pictures. Change background colors or borders. Proofread and save your invitation. Print the invitation on heavy cardstock.