I’m About To Have Surgery: Pre-Surgery Cheat Sheet

Whether it's a simple procedure, or something more invasive, it never hurts to get some planning done first.

Important Medical Decisions You Need To Make

Since even the most minor surgeries can pose a risk, an Advance Directive should be a given for anyone about to enter an operating room. The primary components include naming a Health Care Proxy and creating a Living Will. All you need to do is download your state’s Advance Directive form here and fill it out. There’s also Organ Donation and other medical odds and ends, but the purpose is for you to make these tough decisions so you family isn’t forced to do it. [Dig Deeper: All You Need To Know About Advance Directives]

Make A Will

You’re having surgery to fix something, which is a good thing. You might be completely calm about it, or freaking out. Regardless of what you’re currently experiencing, it’s always a good to have an updated Will in place. It’s not just about money and assets. If you’re the sole guardian of a child or special needs adults, you need to name someone who’ll be taking care of them. [Dig Deeper: All You Need To Know About Creating A Will]

Get Your Paperwork Under Control

If something happened would your family know where you keep all your important paperwork? This includes your Will, Life Insurance policy, POA, Advance Directive, as well as passwords for digital accounts. [Dig Deeper: All You Need To Know About Organizing Important Documents]

Name A POA

Think of a Power of Attorney as your financial stand-in, like in movies when the star can’t be bothered to set up a shot. As they say on Wall Street, money never sleep, and taxes, contacts and other financial dealings might not be able to wait for you to completely heal. If you’re laid-up in the hospital for a few weeks, or if you require extensive rehabilitation, you can alleviate any concerns regarding your finances during your recovery by naming a POA. This person will be able to pay bills, manage bank accounts, oversee investments, sign contracts, and file your taxes. [Dig Deeper: All You Need To Know About Naming A POA]

Personal Thoughts

People in the military sometimes write a letter that should be given to their family in case they don’t make it home. There’s usually a sense of urgency in the military since the risk is real. But the same can hold true in civilian life as well. You can write one the old fashioned way and hope it gets to where you want it to go. Or, better yet, create one in an Everplan (“How I’d Like To Be Remembered”), which only gets shared when you say so. You can also keep adding thoughts to it as they arise.