Hi Audrey,
Control freak here, and I was frustrated with everything...waiting, having no control, trying to keep friends and family from panic, etc.
I also read up on everything I could get my hands on. Be careful though as some sites are not accurate.
I spent the week leading up working, and when not doing that I set up a schedule of visiting hours, what average times were for drains to come out and other recovery steps, flash cards for when I couldn't speak. I basically just kept super busy, so that the surgery wouldn't invade every thought.
Good luck!