need advice if I'll need help 4 weeks post-op

Hi everyone,

My husband just told me that he needs to go out of town on business the end of February for 3 days. I will be in my 4th week post-op.

I am thinking I'll be fine, but I'm such a planner that I'm trying to figure out if I need to arrange someone to help with my kids.

Are most people able to drive 4 weeks post-op (I'm having a TAH)? I will need to drive my kids to and from school. And, do you think that I can manage on my own along with a 5 & 7 year old for 3 days 4 weeks post-op? The kids will be in school 8:30 - 3:00 those days.

I know this is probably more of a "wait and see" thing, but if any of you thinks I most likely will need to have help during these days, I'd like to know. I just want to have things lined up before I go in for surgery so I don't have to deal with details like this post-op. But, I also do not want to line up help if I don't need it.

Thanks!!

Hi.

I was able to drive at 4 weeks, BUT I was very good not to over do up til then. The more you do before you should, the longer it takes to recover.

Give your children chores they can manage, and maybe have food delivered or order carry out while you are picking them up from school. Don't worry about things that aren't important. If you know a teen who could come over and entertain the kids or help with laundry, vacumming or meals, that might be worth checking into also.

Do you need it? Probably not, but it depends on how picky you are about having things so so. Will it help to have someone there? It could.

You know how you need things to be. I know I wasn't released for normal activity until 6 weeks. That is the norm, some can do more sooner.....some take longer.

s and Best Wishes,
Kay

I can only offer thoughts based on my own experience, but I'd think that by four weeks, you'd be able to manage just fine. Take it easy until then, and don't over do, of course, but I was driving very long distances on my own at four weeks and very much back to normal, although I was still very careful about lifting things. At that stage, I think you might have bouts of getting tired, but nothing much worse than that.

As you already know we all heal at different rates. You will still need to take it pretty easy even at 4 weeks (for me even at 7 weeks I got sore moving the vacuum around!). I like the idea of finding older kids helping out - or friends. All of mine were only a phone call away.

I didn't drive until 4 weeks and even then not very well. I say plan ahead and if you're doing great then you will be that much farther ahead.

All the best to you!

Tracy