Help at home

Who will be helping you when you get home? My kids (25 & 22) cleaned and took care of me when I got home.It was fun to lay there and point out things that needed done.LOL!

My DH will be looking after me, assisted by my kids who are 19 & 22!!

Luckily my SIL lives very close, so she will be popping in and doing the 'obvious' things that kids and men don't see.

Actually I suppose it won't be bad to be waited on for a few weeks!

Debz

Before my first operation they asked me my concerns I told them I feared never waking or waking during surgery because i'm so sensitive to meds. This helped to alleviate some nerves. Then, the anesthesiologist gave me a sedative in my IV just before the OR, i was asleep quickly and it seemed like less than 1 hr passed when i finally awoke. it really helped and i survived the 4 hrs/20min surgery. i will ask for sedative again as this surgery is different than the first, though only supposed to be 1hr/40mins!

What helped me was reading EVERYTHING on here - especially the stories from the women who were telling about their experiences. When my time came - I felt like I knew what was going to happen before it happened and I went in with a great attitude! I remember nothing - and am so very thankful.

Also, spend some time pre op with your anesthia nurse - mine was an angel and took away all of my fear.

My husband's job allows him to use his sick time to care for sick members of his immediate family. Since he's never sick, he has a bunch of time stock piled! My surgery is on a Thursday (2/28); he has already filled out paperwork to be off that day and Friday (no sense taking off Thursday, and going all the way back just for Friday), then for two full weeks after that. I also have a 16YO daughter who attends the community college part-time (M-W-F from 9AM to 3PM), and an 8YO daughter. The older one will be a huge help with the younger one, for as long as I need her to be.

In addition to this, there's a young woman who will come in two or three times a week for a couple of hours to help with household chores (my husband's a great, great man, but he's worth zip when it comes to housework! Lol).

I also have a number of close friends that will pitch in with other stuff I may need (transportation for the kids once dh goes back to work, etc.)

Dh is going to spend the first night in the hospital with me, dd16 is going to spend the second night.

I'm very blessed to have a good support system!

My mom is flying in on the 16th (my surgery is the 18th). She'll be here until the 22nd. My MIL is flying in on the 21st to take my mom back to the airport on the 22nd and she will stay 6-7 days depending on how we're doing. I also have a 15 year old daughter. I'm hoping she'll help out with the five year old. My husband is taking off the entire week I'm in the hospital but probably nothing beyond that.

And, I've hired two women to come in and help with the housework for a couple weeks and do all my laundry. This is probably over-kill but dh doesn't do well with the laundry (his pink underwear are a tribute to that statement).

We own two Subway restaurants and our managers are really stepping up to the plate to help with some of the paperwork (payroll, etc.). I think we'll be doing ok. And, I'm trying to double up all the meals I'm cooking now and freezing 1/2 of what I cook. This should help dh with that part of things but I expect he'll order alot of pizza. LOL.

It sounds like a lot of you have good resources. I did not have anyone but Dh and that only lasted for two or three days before I was back to doing too much. I really had an easy time of it and I guess being retired with no kids to take care has made it okay not to have a lot of help. The dust bunnies have names but that's okay. I'll catch them all in the next few weeks after I'm allowed to vacuum again.

Just don't overdo it. TAH are much harder to recover from than the TVH with repairs that I had.

Good luck to all of you.

Kay

My DH is taking off the week of my surgery, he will be taking care of our three year old while I'm in the hospital. Then my mother-in law will be with me for the first week home. DH is taking off the following week. I also have a 12 and 15 year old who I'm hoping will help with our daughter who is three. I have plenty of help. My concern will be the noise level. thats a full house.

My life partner and I both are tech consultants who work from home.. so I have a pretty ideal situation. We're also childfree by choice, so no kids to worry about.. although, we do have a demanding cat. He'll be home to take care of me without needing to take off of work. All of our clients also know what's going on, and have been alerted to not contact us in that first week unless it's critical.

Aside from that, we have a housemate (who is also my ex.. yes, it works out great and we're all friends) who will be around to help out too. My parents live in the area, and will be available to come over and help out, and I have a handful of close friends who I have my partner's speed dial to call. I'm insisting that he call them to come take over for a couple hours so he can get out and be officially 'off duty'. But at the very least, I look forward to these folks coming over and keeping us company.. people I feel comfortable with falling asleep to a movie with


In the aftercare support department.. I feel especially blessed.