THR Live alone and home same day

[Scaredykat]

Anyone on here live alone and went home same day as thr? I have someone connected to my house but in separate living quarters so I would have to call on phone for help.

 

[Lulu77]

I had help for three weeks live in and that was not enough. I live alone and I am struggling at six weeks. Please call whoever you can right away for help and get as much as you can. ❤️

 

[zauberflöte]

Hi @Scaredykat and welcome! I know there have been people here who have done that successfully. I think they were very well prepared beforehand, as they couldn't send household helpers out for ice at 3:00am!

I myself would hate to be faced with that. I have an anxious outlook on my operated-on self, which would make me a blubbering wreck if alone. But that's me. You will be mobile but exhausted when you arrive home. You'll be able to get to the toilet, get to the kitchen, collapse gently into your recliner, bed, or sofa. You will get lots of hints about setting up "recovery central". The easier it is to reach everything you need, the happier you will be. Because you will be so very tired! Lean in to that fatigue-- your body is expending all its energy on the mechanics (physical-ics?) of healing.

I would say make sure you are given a week's worth of pain meds. As I recall, you have to pick them up in person. Maybe Doordash or Uber can do that for you, but they weren't that ubiquitous 10 years ago.

Around here there is an organization called Seniors Helping Seniors. You may decide to be a senior for post-op purposes, and find such an organization, from whom you can schedule a bit of help a couple of hours every few days.

All the best with your journey!

 

[Scaredykat]

@zauberflöte thanks for the advice! I guess I should clarify that I do have someone 5 mins away and will be available to help at a moments notice. I’m also planning to be well stocked on everything I could possibly need. I’m kind of a tough cookie and very independent. I hate to have someone sitting here 24/7…. I’d rather just call them and say hey I need help. I guess I’ll have to just wait and see how I do the day of surgery.

 

[spaniel]

May I strongly suggest that you do not wait and see. I too was very independent and reasonably fit for a gal my age. Personally I’d try to get the 5 minute away person to stay with you for the first few days. Maybe not 24/7 but in an adjoining room. And yea, pay them or promise to “dog sit” in return at a much later date. And no- not everyone can just readily walk themselves to the bathroom or kitchen. It.. just.. depends. Likely you may as I could with walker to bathroom but in no way could I have gotten meals for myself unless frig was a few feet away…

 

[Jaycey]

@Scaredykat You will be fully mobile including going up and down stairs before you are discharged from the hospital. They won't let you go until you are feeling confident that you can manage on your own.

It's nice to have someone look in on you in the early days. Perhaps bring in fresh groceries when needed. But I spent most of the time alone post both my THRs and did just fine.

Freeze small meals and stock up on snack food. Put frequently used items within reach. Have a read in the hip recovery forums. Our members will have tips on what worked for them in recovery.

 

[Gloucestergal65]

I was able to stand and make something to eat but then I couldn’t carry it anywhere. Luckily I had someone at home, otherwise I could have moved a chair into the kitchen to sit down on.

 

[zauberflöte]

@Scaredykat I'm glad there is someone close by!! After my first hip, age 61, my blood pressure tanked and I spent a few weeks freezing cold and very weak and dragged out. I greatly enjoyed DH fixing supper every night-- freezer food, easy for him. He also did all cat care for 5 days. By then I was feeling more confident, and he was able to go to his normal work schedule, which included a couple of nights/week out of town. But there were still a couple of medical scares, one hip and one not, when I was very glad for his presence.

 

[KittensMom]

I went through THR this month with no one staying with me, but I did spend 24h in the hospital. I am really grateful for that. I had fainting spells after the anaesthesia and so if it wasn't for the two nurses that assisted me to the toilet in the early hours, I probably would have fallen. I would really recommend someone staying with you the first night. Once the effects of the anaesthesia have worn off and you start to tolerate all of the new pain meds, I think it's alright to stay by yourself and only have someone to come by to help.

 

[sfbaylover]

Anyone on here live alone and went home same day as thr? I have someone connected to my house but in separate living quarters so I would have to call on phone for help.

I need to have my right hip replaced but I’m worried about how I will manage the first week or so following surgery because my living situation is not very stable at the moment (It’s a long story). I’m 48 and in excellent health and shape otherwise, though, so I’m hoping that I will not only tolerate the surgery well but also that I will recuperate quickly.

I also have a young, medium-sized dog, so I have to plan for her care during my surgery and immediately afterwards. I’m actually considering staying in a hotel immediately adjacent to the hospital and recuperating there for the first week. Several local hotels have “medical rates” for folks either having surgery locally or for those accompanying people who are, so I may just do that.

The last several years have been pretty rough and ugly for me (both physically and emotionally), so I’m not in a very stable life situation at the moment — and because of this it’s difficult to proceed with surgery at this time. But I also need to get my right hip replaced and thus eliminate a major source of life misery, a problem that has been negatively impacting my functional abilities for quite sometime. And then I need to get my left hip replaced soon thereafter.

Fun, fun times!! NOT!!!

 

[Layla]

Best Wishes for surgery tomorrow. I hope you have your recovery nest prepped and you’re ready to roll. You’re going to love the results this surgery brings. I’m excited for you! Hope to see you on the healing side of the forum soon.
@Scaredykat