Kind of a gross question...

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My son was 19 and 6 foot about 18 pounds.(ooops 180 lol) when he had his last surgery, I'm 5 foot 3 with a bad back. I stay with him 24/7 and for the most part was fine (my husband was there the first 2 days during the day, then went to work, so he could be off Justin's first few days home)Chances are it will be a couple of days after surgery before you have a BM, but shouldn't have any problem wiping. As for getting up and down into a chair (which Justin did pretty often.) the first day after surgery and maybe the next, he needed a little help, but more the kind where I gave him my arm for suppport and didn't have to lift him, if that makes sense. The first couple times out of bed, the nurses usually helped him so he did it right. Then we were fine.
 
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Good for you Robb: You bought to light a most disturbing question. This is Jerry responding--less than two weeks away from my eighty-second birthday. Wiping one's bottom is almost the most private thing a person has to do and its damn disturbing if you can't do the chore yourself. Happy to say that I was able to manage and I was even able to lift my rear off of the pot--- however its understandable if one can't find the strength. Facing that possibility I'd reconciled to asking my companion (female) of many years for help. You've got to do what you've got to do!!.
 
Robb, You should feel free to ask your questions. Sad though it may be, you are not the first to worry about these things. I live alone so I was really concerned about being able to care for myself. My surgery was on Tuesday morning. The Foley catheter was removed on Thursday afternoon so I first needed the toilet later that evening. As it turned out, I had no problem at all and the next morning (Friday) I took my first shower. It was Saturday before I had a bowl movement because it takes about 48 hours for food to move through the digestive system. I got home on Sunday and never had any problem taking care of myself. The thing I did have a little difficult with was spreading a clean sheet over the bed. When I tried tossing it out into the air in the time honored fashion, I discovered that my chest muscles were not yet going to cooperate so I had to do it the slower way.

My friend, Dan, stayed with me for three days after I got home just in case I needed help. As it turned out, I never did but it was nice to have him there just for the companionship. By the time he left, I felt quite at ease at home. After the days of constant monitoring, being at home alone in a quiet house was very nice.

Larry
 
Good hospitals require that you summon a nurse or nurse's aide for help getting out of bed and ambulating to the toilet or elsewhere. This is very important when you are hooked up to IVs and cardiac telemetry devices. The bathrooms have a little string to pull or button to push when you are done, and need help returning to bed, or need help with anything else. In case this helps, I prefolded some toilet paper in the size and thickness I prefer, and even moistened a few from the sink faucet, before starting the toilet process. Thus, I did not have to do a lot of extra activity at cleanup/wipe time and without having to do any twisting of the torso. (If you are having a sternotomy you definitely want to avoid a lot of twisting around for awhile!)

Those who mentioned you will not have a BM right away are correct. They (nurses and doctors) will be very interested to know when that capability and need returns though, as some of the meds given for OHS patients can cause constipation, in addition to the brief interruption in consumption of solid food.
 
I found out the HARD Way.. Every pun intended about the constipation after the meds they gave me for the Heart Cath. Its nice to know that I can plan this out and I would probably not need someones help beyond my wife on the toilet. Thanks for the answers. Anymore answers or insights are GREATLY welcome.
 
I helped my husband through many thoracic surgeries. I cannot remember that I had to help him with wiping. You probably won't be very regular anyway for a few days, and by then, you should be able to do it yourself, for the most part. I wouldn't have minded if I had to help him. It's part of life. No biggie, really.

But I did have to help him with showering. That really took a lot out of him. Get yourself a shower chair, something plastic that you can sit on in the shower.

And as for the bathroom things, get some wet wipes, and also get some perineal cleansing spray that you can get in Walmart in the adult diaper section (not that you need diapers) but that spray, on a wet wipe can clean very well. It's handy to have.

Your surgeon may have you on something like Dulcolax which is a stool softener. They don't want patients grunting after this surgery, puts too much strain on the incision, seriously. :)
 
If you can take care of your business fine now before your surgery, it should be the same afterwards. You probably won't feel the urge to drop the kids off at the pool until towards the end of your hospital stay, and nurses and doctor will probably be glad that you do, even if it's only once, before you go home. They offered me stool softeners every day. I declined in ICU, but did the last 2 days when I was in a room. Wet wipes are a good thing to have. Pain medication can be quite constipating, so if you're taking it fairly much at home you might want to add a stool softener.
 
I concur with the majority. I live mostly alone and had the same concern. Not to worry - zero issues. I was amazed at that - didn't expect to have that much range of motion with my arms, but it truly was a non-issue.
 
Hope you have long monkey arms, that would be a big help. ;) My husband had to do my wiping for a few days, and the poor guy almost barfed. I felt so bad.....At home I needed help to get on and off the pot for another few days, but managed to wipe. Thereafter we bought some baby bum wipes and that was a huge help.
 
Well I'm jealous for those of you who had help in and out of the hospital. I was left to do everything on my own. No nurse offered assistance, but did ask from the other side of the door "if I was okay". Once at home I did 'things' on my own.
 
Toilet?

Toilet?

Using the toilet without assistance post-op presented no problems for me. It did some time to get my system moving on with regularity following surgery. Surgery tends to shut things off.

-Philip
 
Wal-Mart sells Shields. (Brand name) They are a bigger, thicker wet wipe that takes the place of perineal spray and can be used for bigger jobs and a couple is enough to really get a good sponge bath before one is able to take a shower. They are really refreshing. I have used them myself after surgery. as did my husband. We take them when we travel or when we are pretty sure we won't have access to water. I also supply the nursing home with them along with wet wipes to use on my mom.
They are one of the best things ever invented, I think!
 
When I was in the hospital, they had sumo-wrestler sized wet wipes and they microwaved them for you. For the one time I needed them, it was nice. If you get those, you might want to take any remaining in the pack home with you.
 
I was really weak after surgery - I was very ill beforehand, and had a rough go of it. Plus I got a pacemaker, so I really couldn't use my arms for much the first few weeks. My husband bought a toilet seat riser (about $40) at the medical supply store, so I could get up off the pot myself. I never did have a problem with the wiping part, though.

We've now replaced all the toilets in the house with high rise, low flow, Koehlers. They are so much more comfortable than the low to the ground builder's special, and you have to TRY to stop them up!
 
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