If you live alone...Go to In Patient Rehab or Recovery Home Alone?

[toohip]

Hi @hburi - Did you find you were a little weak the first few days home? I wasn't alone in my house, but was a bit weak the first few days home to get up and make breakfast/tea and meals, maybe help with getting in/out of shower...but you're right, by the 2nd week i was stronger and was able to do much of everything on my own.

 

[hburi]

Hi Toohip!

It's been 5 years since I had my RTHR so the memory may be somewhat fuzzy but I'm sure I was a little weak the first few days. It's a major surgery so it can take something out of you. Plus I had the traditional/posterior approach so I had the muscle healing to deal with. My doc gave me some good meds to deal with that though. That was probably what did me in the first week or so...taking the Oxycontin, because they are pretty strong and I remember sleeping a lot at first.

The PT did change my dressing so I had help with that.

Prior to that surgery I was in fairly good shape physically as I was working out with weights and cardio at the gym. I think that may have helped too.

I'm doing that now and will continue to do so as long as I'm able to, (before my hip totally collapses like my right one did).

For me that was the worst, was when it was bone on bone and even the vicodin they gave me pre-op wasn't helping with the pain. I'm hoping to avoid that this time if at all possible.

 

[Nemo]

Hi there @Zebra, regarding the nursing home, my doc just doesn't believe I would be comfortable or would need that amount of help. I admire his confidence in me! LOL He didn't make implications regarding safety.

I just Googled to find local home health companies. I found one that had reasonable quotes with varying levels of service that could be customized, but when I tried to check up on them last week their web site was down. It's still down right now. It does not bode well.

I hope to get more leads on home health aides tomorrow in class. Supposedly there is a social worker/discharge planning department at this hospital. I am smack dab in the middle of the Texas Medical Center so I can't imagine not being able to find someone, even if just a nursing student wanting some extra cash. From what I've been reading here, I should only need someone "hands on" for the first 2 weeks or so.

I don't know what type of transportation they will require upon discharge. Guess I need to ask that tomorrow as well. I'll compare notes tomorrow.

Sorry to bring this old post up. But I'm just curious. PhatTxDiva, did you get any good home aides for your recovery? I'm asking 'cause I saw you were in TMC Houston, and I'm also here and need to deal with my recovery completely by myself now. Could you please recommend some good home assistance companies?

 

[PhatTxDiva]

Hi @Nemo, I did find someone. She just happened to be at my pre-op class with her mom! She drove me in and picked me up a couple days later. On the way home we also stopped for meds, but based on hindsight, you should get your meds from the Walgreens there on campus. It's just easier.

Let me dig up her contact info and share with her that you need someone. It's late so I don't want to ping her now. I'll report back to you tomorrow.

Angela

 

[Nemo]

Hi @Nemo, I did find someone. She just happened to be at my pre-op class with her mom! She drove me in and picked me up a couple days later. On the way home we also stopped for meds, but based on hindsight, you should get your meds from the Walgreens there on campus. It's just easier.

Let me dig up her contact info and share with her that you need someone. It's late so I don't want to ping her now. I'll report back to you tomorrow.

Angela

Thank you! I wasn't anticipating you would reply this late. Yes, it is late. I mean no, please don't ping her this late.

I'm also curious. How far ahead should everything be set for the surgery? I mean now it's about two weeks before my scheduled one, but my doctor's office hasn't run my insurance yet, and I don't have any detailed info.

Where did you find the class by the way? Did your doctor tell you to go to the class?

 

[PhatTxDiva]

I'm assuming you should have received an entire packet of information when your surgery date was set. I was required to have a final checkup and clearance by my primary care doctor 30 days before surgery and a pre-op at the hospital. The instructions for scheduling these things, along with a lot of other useful information, was in the packet.

My surgeon is at Baylor and he does his surgeries at Methodist. Perhaps these procedures differ by doctor and hospital? I would definitely call your doctor's office to confirm what's going on. There may be a copayment required.

 

[Nemo]

Thank you. I've called them 3 times, and they still don't have anything for me.

 

[PhatTxDiva]

That just sounds odd to me. Did they tell you which hospital the surgery will take place in?

I'm going to dig through my "stuff" but I'm pretty sure that at 2 weeks out I knew how much money I needed, what time to show up, how to check in, etc.

I'll get back with you tomorrow.

 

[Nemo]

@PhatTxDiva

No, the last message I got on Wed was they hadn't done anything yet. Didn't reply my email. I called Thursday, but nobody answered. Left a message. No reply at the end of the day. Thinking maybe I should just go to their office to ask.