Preparing for surgery

I know it's not the same thing, but I had a mastectomy immediately followed by a DIEP flap reconstruction, which is where they take a chunk of fat from your belly and use it to form a new breast. I had some pain immediately following the surgery but after a day or two not much pain at all, and I was up walking around. I was in hospital for exactly a week, then I went home on my own, and I was fine with doing everything for myself. A nurse came in for the first few days, but just to check and empty the drains.
The drains were in for about a week, from memory, and they were annoying but not painful. The breast healed up really quickly and beautifully (although the belly was another story).
Given the complexity of the surgery, it was a walk in the park.