RESOURCES

Here are some free resources that can be useful for managing your surgery and recuperation. I hope that you find them helpful.

Medical Websites

I found the following websites to have up-to-date medical information.

• MedlinePlus , the National Institutes of Health website for patients and families
• Mayo Clinic
• University of California, San Francisco, Medical Center
• Cleveland Clinic
• Johns Hopkins Health Library
• Hospital for Special Surgery

Hospital Rating Websites

You can check hospital ratings for things like patient safety and other patient experiences on the following sites:

• US News and World Report's health section lists hospitals by specialty.
• Medicare.gov HospitalCompare
• ConsumerReports.org Health has a section that rates hospitals by state.

Caregiving and Meal-Planning Websites

These websites are free and make organizing offers of help easy. Friends can sign up to help by clicking on a link to a group calendar.

• Lotsa Helping Hands organizes meal planning, childcare, rides, yard work, or anything else needed.
• Take Them a Meal is also easy to use and focuses on providing meals.
• Meal Train is specifically designed for organizing meals.

Medicine Reminder Phone App

Medisafe is a free phone app that sends audible reminders to take your pain medicine and tracks when you last took it. See medisafe.com.

Medical Bill Overview

In order to understand the different sections of your medical bill, check out the nonprofit FAIR Health website at Fairhealthconsumer.org. They have a helpful page called "How to Review Your Medical Bills."

Crowdfunding Websites

If you or a loved one needs to raise money for medical bills and expenses, you could start a fund-raiser via the Internet on one of the following websites:

• Gofundme.com
• Giveforward.com
• Youcaring.com