Post Surgery Logistical Questions

[strost]

We don't have any family nearby and my parents can no longer travel. Trying to figure out the timing logistics based on the help I might need from my kids or husband. Please let me know how much you needed someone at home with you when you got back from surgery. One week? Two weeks? How difficult was it to manage on your own - bathroom, meals, etc.?

Also, is it possible to fly back without someone with you? Just trying to save some $ by not flying out my husband and putting him up in a hotel. I know it would be great to have someone there to help you, but I just want to know if doing it on your own is totally unrealistic. I'd have to change plans as there are no direct flights.

Thanks!

[hernanu]

I think that you need someone for a week at most at home. I live alone, and my parents stayed with me for a week each time, but I could have sent them home after 3 or 4 days. If you need to change bandages, they're helpful, but it's actually something you can do for yourself.

I think you need someone more to be there for things like laundry, getting things you need driving for, moral support originally. I pretty quickly went to one crutch in the house, and with that, you can do much more for yourself.

My mother went to town and prepared meals for me to last about a month (overkill). I could cook for myself by the second day home, simple things can be easily done, just hard to carry - soup can be cooked easily, but is not easy to carry. As long as you plan well, you can function well afterwards. I was doing my own laundry before my parents left, was pretty much fully functional within reason.

As to the hospital, I think having someone there for you is important for moral support. You'll be doing a lot of stuff with nurses and PT people, so there's not much time that you'll be sitting there bored. I think you need people with you more for travelling, when you're out of the reach of the staff at the hospital. I can't think it would be easy to travel home in a plane by yourself.

[svanci02]

I had THR on 2/3/2011 and another on 3/3/2011 and would agree that you need someone the first week and I would not want to travel alone the first couple of days, it will cost some money but you really need that help at the beginning! Just my opinion

[FlbrkMike]

I live at home with my wife, who works.  Both of my surgeries were on Friday, home on Sunday.  She stayed home with me both times on Monday and Tuesday and then went back to work.  I would not want to do this totally alone but if you have somebody to help out mornings and evenings after a couple days of staying home it works out fine.  

My two kids both came home from college last night for spring break and they are also here, but I don't expect any help from them - our waking hours don't seem to overlap much.

[23109VC]

I think trying to do the while thing by yourself, including traveling, would be a mistake.  It might be possible, but not ideal.

I travelled, had my wife with me, and I don't know if I could have done it without her.  Having her there was not just helpful due to being weak after surgery, but emotionally it was very nice to have someone close to you there.  If you aren't married, any family member, significant other, or close friend would be a big morale booster!

Logistics wise, there were a lot of things that were hard to do after surgery, and having assistance was great.  At the airport, if you leave within a week of surgery, you will likely be on two crutches...who will carry your luggage?  You can get curbside check in, but it's just easier if someone carries for you.

Refilling my ice machine was something my wife did for me a lot in the beginning. You get hooked up to the ice machine, your leg is tired, and while you could disconnect yourself, refill it yourself, etc.... It's a lot easier if someone does it for you.

I didn't drive for a week or two after my surgery.  I could have driven sooner, but just didn't want to.  My incision was sore, and being a passenger allowed me more freedom to move the seat further back, recline, and move around to alleviate pressure on it. If I was driving I wouldn't have been able to do that.

If you have to do it solo, I think it's possible, but I wouldn't recommend it. 

I have to admit, having my wife there was a huge help for me... In so many ways.  Even big boys sometimes need someone there to hold their hand!  :)

Good luck!

[FlbrkMike]

I never got an ice manchine   :(  in fact I've never seen one.

Is this something that circulates cold water through some kind of wrap?
Are they expensive?
Are they a pain in the a%%?

At the hosiptal they just used refillable ice packs and, when I went to outpatient PT, I picked up a large re-usable cold pack that has some kind of gel inside.  You put it in the freezer and it gets quite cold but never loses its pliability.  It stays quite cold for an hour or more.