Building a Care Package for a Friend Preparing for Surgery

As an RN, I’ve cared for countless women recovering from surgery. As a patient, I’ve experienced recovery myself.

When a close friend recently told me she was preparing for abdominal surgery, I immediately knew I didn’t want to send flowers.

I wanted to send something she would actually use.

Something soft. Something practical. Something that reminded her she was cared for every single day of recovery—not just on surgery day.

Recovery Looks Different Than We Imagine

When I recovered from my own C-section, I remember how incredibly aware I was of every waistband, every rough seam, every movement across my abdomen. Getting dressed felt exhausting. Traditional clothing wasn’t designed for healing.

The standard hospital gown served its purpose during my stay, but the moment I was discharged, I wished I had something that still gave me easy access if I needed my incision checked while also helping me feel like… myself.

Recovery doesn’t end when you leave the hospital.

It continues at home, during follow-up appointments, short walks around the neighborhood, trips to physical therapy, coffee runs when you’re finally feeling a little more like yourself, and all those little moments in between.

Those experiences became part of the inspiration behind Untethered.

A Gown Designed for Healing—Not Just the Hospital

I designed our patient gowns to bridge the gap between medical function and everyday comfort.

Made from 94% soft organic cotton with just the right amount of stretch, they’re gentle against sensitive skin and comfortable enough to sleep in, rest in, or spend the day wearing. Unlike a traditional hospital gown, they’re beautiful enough that they simply look like a casual sundress.

That means you can:

• Wear it in the hospital after surgery.
• Leave the hospital wearing it home.
• Recover comfortably around the house.
• Head to follow-up appointments without changing.
• Stop for coffee or run a quick errand without feeling like you’re still wearing “patient clothes.”

Our gowns include:

• Shoulder snaps for IV access, examinations, and medical care.
• Full back snap closures that provide excellent coverage while allowing clinicians access when needed.
• Two oversized front pockets for your phone, tissues, lip balm, or anything you want nearby.
• A discreet opening for medical tubing or drains.
• A sewn-in name label on the back so your gown is less likely to get mixed up during a hospital stay.
• A simple “red on right” visual reminder on right shoulder to help patients and caregivers orient the gown correctly.

The Care Package I’d Want Someone to Send Me

When I packed this care package for my friend, I thought about what would make her smile on a difficult day. I added:

• An Untethered organic cotton patient gown
• A pair of Bombas non-slip socks to help keep her feet warm and provide a little extra confidence when walking the hospital halls
• A Starbucks gift card for the caregiver bringing coffee, or for that first treat after surgery when she’s feeling up to it
• A handwritten note reminding her that healing takes time, asking her to give herself grace, and letting her know she’s loved

It’s simple.

But sometimes the simplest gestures are the ones people remember most.

More Than a Gift

Whether someone is preparing for abdominal surgery, recovering from a C-section, facing cancer treatment, expecting a baby, or navigating another hospitalization, the goal isn’t simply to give them another thing.

It’s to help them feel seen.

To remind them they’re still themselves underneath the IVs, bandages, and appointments.

As a nurse, I’ve witnessed how vulnerable healthcare can make us feel.

As a patient, I’ve lived it.

That’s why every Untethered gown is designed with comfort, dignity, and encouragement at its heart—and why every care package is wrapped thoughtfully, includes free shipping, and can include a complimentary handwritten note written just for your loved one.

Sometimes healing begins with excellent medical care.

Sometimes it begins with someone saying, “I’m thinking of you.”

Both matter.