On the day of your surgery, you may be in for an early rising. Many insurance companies will not pay for a night in the hospital prior to surgery. So if your surgery is at 7:30 AM, you need to be in the hospital at 6:00 AM which means you may be getting up about 4:30 or 5 depending how far from the hospital you live. So try to get some rest the night before. Many people expect to rest while they're in the hospital. Big mistake! Often times a nurse may come into your room during your slumber and wake you to give you your scheduled medication, even a sleeping pill! Other times you will be awakened for blood pressure measurements or temperature checks. In any case, the recovery period can be exhausting and you should be well rested prior to admission. Remember, don't eat or drink anything you are not supposed to.

When you arrive at the hospital you will be asked to change from your regular clothes into fashionable hospital wear. It may be drafty. Don't bring a lot of belongings because the more stuff you have, the better the chances of it being lost. Put your name on everything. You may even want someone to come with you and take your belongings. If you are having outpatient surgery, you will need an adult to take you home. A nurse will then check your blood pressure, heart rate, temperature etc. and ask you a bunch of questions. Be prepared to answer the same questions over and over again. Any allergies? What kind of surgery? Where? When did you last eat? Don't think that we don't trust each other by asking the same questions but this is our way of minimizing mistakes. An intravenous will be placed, and this may be the first time you meet your anesthesiologist. This is the time for you to ask any questions that may have come up since your initial preoperative visit.