How to Drink Coffee After Brain Surgery
Depending on the reason for your brain surgery -- stoke, tumor, injury -- recovery can be different and resuming normal activities such as drinking coffee may take time. In some instances, rehabilitation will be necessary to improve motor skills and coordination needed to accomplish simple tasks like drinking. In other cases, your ability to swallow may be affected and requires a different type of rehabilitation.
Instructions
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Start with an empty coffee cup and have someone you trust with you. Because your memory or motor skills needed for drinking may be compromised following brain surgery, it's best to have some with your for safety reasons. Use the Three R's methodology for mastering tasks (Review, Rehearse, Repeat).
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Review the actions required to raise the cup to your mouth with a caregiver. Watch them as they demonstrate the task from beginning to end. Break the procedure down into a series of smaller tasks -- grasping the cup, lifting the cup upright, bringing the cup to your mouth, tilting the cup to allow liquid to flow, swallowing, returning the cup to a flat surface.
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Rehearse the series of small tasks, pretending to use a cup at first, then using an empty coffee cup that you would normally use on a regular basis. Have your caretaker correct any mistakes you may make, as hot coffee can cause burns if spilled on uncovered areas of your body.
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Repeat the action until it enters into your memory and you can perform the task without having to think about it. Practice the action with your caretaker with and without coffee in the cup until your caretaker is satisfied that you have mastered the task.
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Tips & Warnings
Caffeine is not recommended in the early stages of recovery from brain surgery as it removes water from the body and increases the risk of constipation or hard stool bowel movements. Straining after brain surgery in any way can cause complications. For more information on the affects of caffeine, consult your doctor.
