Trying to prepare

I suffered a bladder, uterine & rectal prolapse in July & am scheduled for surgery on OCt 21. My urogyn will decide then If I need a hysterectomy - if it's firmly attached she will leave it. My daughter & son in law currently live with me , but have already said they will not help & are moving ( not sure if it's before or after my surgery , which is stressful). I have a farm & my barn is downhill from the house.....my surgeon said no hills. I have a friend who will care for my animals, but I will NEED to see them, so I have bought a Kawasaki mule to go up & down the hill . I moved here a year ago & brought not much furniture, but I did have a recliner.....my kids hated it so I gave it away. Do I need to buy another one? I have made & frozen some meals, have had my barn filled with hay. I'm self employed so need to get back to work sooner rather then later....I'm hoping half days in 3 weeks . Is that reasonable? I was told I'd have a catheter for about a week......that sounds dreadful! As I will have no real help other then friends & id prefer not to impose on them any more then I need to, is there anything else I should do to prepare? Sorry for the long rambling note. Surgery terrifies me! Not dying, but pain, & not being in control

Prolapse surgery requires a more careful recovery than even a regular hysterectomy. Whatever restrictions your urogyn gives you, follow them to the letter. Make sure she understands your living situation and the work you do.

I live alone and had no problems caring for myself and my cats once I got home from the hospital three days after surgery. *However*, I live in a small, ground-floor apartment. Before surgery I scrubbed the apartment, did lots of laundry and stocked up on groceries, toiletries and household supplies. I shoved my exercise machine over next to my bed (a futon on the floor) to help me get up from it and built a day nest of pillows in the living room. I don't own a recliner, didn't get one and never wanted one.

After surgery, I prepared simple foods for myself and the cats, washed a few dishes standing at the sink and kept the litter box scooped. I went for lots of short walks outdoors - sticking to flat ground for the first couple of weeks - and sat outside reading and sewing.

I suggest lots pillows to help make the ride in the "mule" more comfortable - if your doc okays it at all. I assume that we're talking about a dirt road or path here, and the bumping around may be too much for you.

Half-days of farm work at three weeks sounds overly ambitious to me. I started back at a part-time desk job at *four* weeks - but still wasn't allowed to lift 30-40 lb boxes in the archives area. Up until four weeks, my lift limit was *10* lbs and I tried to avoid bending or twisting at the waist as well as pushing or pulling that involved my abdominal muscles.

Mind, my surgery was *not* for prolapse. I'd suggest that you describe to your doctor what's involved in your work in terms of physical activities and then follow her instructions.

As for your daughter and son-in-law, you're given them a place to live and they can't even be bothered to say when they're moving? The heck with that! Decide whether you want them gone before or after surgery and then tell them what you've decided.

Thanks for the answer Surprised inNB. I didn't describe well.....my farm is more a hobby & my friend will help as long as needed.Since I've dried off all my does the work isn't hard- just filling hay feeders & waters......my real job is Optometry so nothing strenuous involved, but I am paying salaries with no income unless I work. I will not cut back my employees hours as that's unfair to them. The mule ride will be down a driveway so it should be very smooth, but my goats are my babies & I have to be able to see them. I've wanted one for awhile to help with farm chores, but being able to get to the barn after surgery pushed me into getting it now.......I didn't really want the extra expense right now but I knew for my sanity I'd need to be able to get to the barn. The flattest area for walking around is there as well.
I was shocked & saddened when my kids told me they wouldn't help. I am sad that they're moving & will really miss my grandkids, but on the other hand it'll be a relief not to have the stress of their anger. Apparently over an incident 20 yrs ago, which they never mentioned over the almost 2 yrs of living here with no living expenses.
Your day nest of pillows- was it on the floor? I'd be concerned about being able to get up again from the floor . My furniture now is a bed & a dining room table with chairs. I've bought lots of quick easy things to eat, have dried fruit & frozen meals. My house is small & dust bunnies won't bother me. Just trying to figure what else I need to do ahead & if a recliner would be needed. I hope when the kids move they clean up after themselves, but no telling.

What kind of commute do you have to get to where you do the optometry? At three weeks, you may or may not be allowed to drive. Again, you need to check with your doctor on this, especially if you have a long commute.

Pillows on the floor: to be honest, I've always preferred to sit on the floor and don't have much in the way of conventional chairs, don't have a couch, etc. I used furniture and walls for support when going up or down, kept my torso straight and let my knees do the work. I had to take it more slowly than usually but otherwise had no problems.

Getting from a lying-down to a sitting position in order to stand up is a learned skill. I used a variant of the "log roll technique" - you can find this on YouTube. I rolled onto my side, bent my knees and then used my arm to push myself up sideways so that I ended up in a kneeling position. From there it was easy to stand up using furniture or walls for support.

Re: kids cleaning up after themselves after moving: if they don't, leave it. Deal with it after recovery. Also, rewrite your will.