After care advice

Hello Ladies!

Been a few days since I could find the time to get back here. My surgery is planned for tomorrow. I'm not worried at all about the LAVH (at least I think those are the right letters, heh), I know deep down this is exactly what I am supposd to be doing. That is not saying that I'm not stressed though....no no no, my stress level is through the roof! Thank goodness for my low blood pressure.

One thing that has become a concern for me is my after care, and I was hoping to get some advice. I live about an hour away from the hospital, in a log cabin, out in the country. Now, there are people out that way, and I even have a cousin around the corner, but with my husband not being able to take time off of work, and my kids are in elementary school all day, I'd be alone. Obviously, this is not ideal for the first few days out, so I made arrangements with my aunt that she would come stay with me at the hospital, then take me home with her for a few days. This was all good until.....

She is moving in to a new house and they changed the moving date to the week after my surgery, so she informed me that she can't stay at the hospital with me, cause she has to pack, but she got another relative (who babbles incessantly) to come up there. A few days later she tells me that there will be people at her house helping to pack, and that I will have to stay upstairs (I didn't think that stairs would be very pleasant). Finally she calls to tell me I need to bring my own food, because she has nothing there.

It was at this point that I decided to call my 82 year old Grandmother and beg her to let me stay there. I know my grandparents are not in the greatest shape to be taking care of me, but at least I'll be on the first floor and I won't have to get my own food all the time!!!

Ok, so I am I being hyper sensitive??? I know that it is possible since my stress level is a weee bit elevated.

-Maggie

Oh my goodness, how insensitive of your aunt! wow wow wow. You are not being hypersensitive, and now you're dealing with all of this the day before the surgery. You poor thing. I'm so sorry. I don't have any advice, except maybe stay in the hospital as long as they can and hope that recovery time -- since you won't have an abdominal incision -- won't be so long that is is a bad idea for you to stay at home alone during the day.

I wonder if you stay at home if you can line up your husband and your cousin who lives near by to check up on you at agreed upon times during the day, allowing you to stay home? Just a thought.

Just wondering....are you able to get a home health aid for a week or two? They will be able to help you, get food for you...basically everything! You should check into it!

when my mom was 82, she would have loved to take care of me. she was still very active then. i know she would have had me on the couch and a tv tray would have been right by me. she would have made all of my favorite foods. she also would have helped me with my shower and fixed my hair. i think you should ask your grandma if you could stay with her for a few days. if she says no, i am certain that you would understand. good luck finding help.

Oh my Grandmother is fully on board with me coming over, and she has told my grandfather that they have to make me all my favorite meals. My aunt though....she thinks that it is a terrible idea to burden them like that. I have a feeling that the decision may be made for me while I'm iin the hospital (being to drugged up to think clearly, hehehe), but I'm not packing a bag of food, and I will pitch a huge hormonal fit if she tries to send me up the stairs!!!

You go girl!

it would not have been a burden for me to stay with my 80 ish parents. it would have made them feel very useful. my parents loved to "do" for all of us kids. my husband had to have brain surgery once, and my parents were so much help. they went to the store for my husband, helped him wash his hair, etc. i think it was a good experience for my parents. my mom just loved to sit close and pat my husband.

I had a LAVH in Dec. If your surgery and recovery are similar to mine, you will be fine. I came home from the hospital after 18 hours and was pretty mobile. I came downstairs to dinner that first night. I was not a "burden" as I did not really require much care. My 88 year old Dad came over the day after I got home from the hospital to "take care of me". I sat/laid on the couch most of the day and visited with him. He fixed my lunch and that was the extent of the care I needed. I had no real pain and did not need prescription pain med after that 2nd day home. If your grandmother wants to come help you, please encourage her to do so. It will end up meaning so much to both of you.