From always resting after surgery to eliminating all pain, some things you may have heard about hospital stays aren’t true.

Dr. Evan Hardesty, a hospitalist with UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center, debunks some common myths below.

Myth: I don’t have to bring any medications to the hospital

The hospital is stocked with various medications, but if you have to come to the hospital and you have time to prepare in advance, it’s always a good idea to bring prescriptions you take regularly with you so you can verify your current medications and dosages, and to have specialty medications, such as specific inhalers, on hand.

“Definitely bring your specialty medications, especially if you’re coming in for a planned procedure that may result in a prolonged hospital stay,” Hardesty said. “It’s also important that people bring any home medical equipment they use, such as a CPAP machine.”

If you are taking non-prescription medications, or you use marijuana, be sure to tell your medical providers since other substances can have a big impact on how you do during surgeries. Learn how marijuana use can impact anesthesia.

Myth: If I don’t tolerate a medication, I’m allergic to it

Patients sometimes think that if taking a medication causes any symptom, such as nausea, that means they are allergic to it. That’s not always the case.

“There are expected side effects with certain medications, and you may not have tolerated a medication for many different reasons, but there’s a difference between intolerances and real allergies,” Hardesty said. “Knowing the medicines you’re allergic to is very important.”

An allergic reaction to a medication may result in serious side effects, such as difficulty breathing, throat closure or severe rashes.

Myth: They won’t let me eat at the hospital

In most cases, good nourishment is an important part of recovery. But for people who have come in for surgery, or who have a condition that might require surgery, it’s important to restrict eating and drinking until it’s safe to do so.

“For anesthesia and intubation purposes, we have to restrict your eating and drinking until we know it’s safe for you to do those things,” Hardesty said. “If you come in and there’s a suspicion of stroke, until we know you can safely swallow, it’s unsafe to let you eat.”

Myth: Hospital food is terrible

Patients are sometimes given restrictive diets to align with specific health needs. For instance, someone who may be in heart failure shouldn’t drink too much water. But many patients can enjoy UCHealth’s top-notch culinary options.

“We have a great food and nutrition services team, and they are very dedicated to providing food you enjoy and that’s good for you,” Hardesty said. “All of the staff eat at the hospital, and we all really enjoy it.”

Myth: I won’t get any sleep at the hospital

Hospitals often have quiet hours when visitors are limited, lights are turned down, and efforts are made to encourage rest. But for patients who are in a more critical or serious condition, it may be important to check vital signs, take labs and administer medicines on a specific schedule, even through the night.

“The hospital is for sick people. You’re there for a reason. We do try to limit interruptions, but there are situations where someone is unstable and we need to check their vitals or have labs drawn, or we may need to perform neurological evaluations to monitor or rule out issues such as stroke,” Hardesty said. “We want you to sleep, but you may not be able to get a perfect ten hours of uninterrupted sleep.”

Myth: The provider always knows best, so I shouldn’t question what he or she says

When patients are active participants in their care, that often results in better care overall, so don’t hesitate to ask questions or voice concerns.

“We want medical care to be collaborative, and we want people to be involved,” Hardesty said. “There are no bad questions here. If you have concerns, we want you to raise them. We want to do anything we can to make people feel more comfortable and help them understand what’s going on.”

Myth: It’s always best to rest after surgery

For many procedures, such as orthopedic surgeries, research has shown it’s best to get moving as soon as possible.

“Ten years ago, if you had hip surgery, you might rest for a week,” Hardesty said. “Now, especially with orthopedic procedures, a lot of the science supports early mobilization. Getting those muscles working and getting everything back into gear quickly has been proven to be more beneficial.”

Myth: Physical therapy and occupational therapy are there to make me suffer

“We know when you’re in pain or uncomfortable, working with a therapist may be the last thing you want to do,” Hardesty said. “But it’s been proven that it’s one of the best things you can do to get better faster.”

Don’t be surprised if you work with both physical and occupational therapists, as PT can help improve movement, build endurance and mitigate pain, while OT can help strengthen skills needed for daily life.

Myth: I shouldn’t let my health care provider put me in observation

When someone is admitted for observation, they are often discharged in the next one to three days.

“A lot of times someone might be able to go home, but we feel more comfortable monitoring labs and watching them closely,” Hardesty said. “You can always have a conversation with your doctor on whether it is safe for you to go home and return for labs or follow up the next day.”

Myth: I feel better after discharge, so I can stop taking the medications I was prescribed

“If you were prescribed a course of antibiotics or steroids, you need to complete it,” Hardesty said. “Not completing it means risking having to go back to the hospital or having your condition return or worsen.”

Medications prescribed on an as-needed basis, such as those used for pain, can be stopped when they’re no longer needed and then disposed of properly.

Myth: I shouldn’t have any pain when I leave the hospital

“There are health conditions that have a degree of chronic pain or conditions that take time to recover, so we never set the expectation that you’re going to be pain free,” Hardesty said. “We do want pain to be well-controlled at a level you can tolerate.”

This article was first published in the Steamboat Pilot & Today.