What is the one thing you couldn't live without during post-surgery recovery?

[oo0My_Valve0oo]

What if we are alone, live alone, single, no family or friends to take care of us ?

That was my scenario. I did not need anyone. I took care of myself. Fortunately I had a sternum brace so I had arm mobility. I planned on taking the bus for lab work. But it required more than one route. Walking between the connecting stops made it impractical and I doubted I had the strength to make that trek during the first few weeks so I was driving within a week. I could have used Uber or a care service but I was in good enough shape to drive. The danger is to you not others. You cannot withstand the impact of the airbag. It will break open your sternum. Cardiologist said if it is interrupted during the healing process it never heals and you have movement forever. I took that risk.

The hospital needed a contact. Immediately after the surgery they want to tell someone about how you are doing. It relieves them of certain obligations and responsibilities knowing you have someone to take care of you. You can pay someone to be that if you do not know anyone willing to do it. There are care services and also individual caretakers, I had a friend vouch that they would be coming by checking on me regularly. Of course that is as far as it ever went. They did not come by. I took care of myself and I wanted it that way.

My advice is keep as much as possible to yourself. I made a mistake touching base with an old friend after I was released and home. I did not want to lie to this friend and upon hearing that I was taking care of myself and driving they proceeded to stir up trouble contacting mutual friends. It is my personal business and not theirs to divulge to anyone regardless of how they feel about it but this person is not that aware and was more interested in her feelings about everything than mine. Indirectly another friend heard I was driving and proceeded to pass judgement because they believed I was a danger to others. I was probably more careful driving than 90% of other drivers. I could not clarify how the danger was to me rather than others because it would have added drama to the almost gossip fashion in which this information had been spread. That third party never said anything to me so I did not get an opportunity to clarify anything.

Someone had almost psychic perception of me and set the reactive old friend straight on how I am fiercely independent and it was my desire to take care of myself. When this friend I had touched base with spouted off all these traits basically explaining my motivations I knew that could not have been her own perception of me. Someone described me to her. It was either that third party or she had asked a psychic about me. Seriously. She is not that aware. It was definitely not her own knowledge of me. It was in the realm of strong possibility that she would contact a psychic. The other strong possibility is that the third party described me in order to convince this old friend to back off. That person is that aware and perceptive.

 

[newarrior]

My family. I am blessed to have a very supportive family. I could snap my fingers and they will all bow down to me.

My family is completely dead.

 

[Protimenow]

A constant heartbeat. The other stuff won't be needed if my heart stops....


Newarrior -- your picture shows a cat. If you still have the cat, it'll certainly help. Four legged friends are often as good - or better - than some family. (I know from personal experience - kids moved away, living their own lives, don't seem to care about their parents - but my dogs always loved me. I hope to get another dog soon...and hope that my wife and I outlive it so we don't worry about its future after us).

 

[newarrior]

Hands down, it was the recliner. Happily slept in that thing for months. I also enjoyed wandering around in our local, small-town grocery store in the days right after surgery. Got to see people I knew and exercised at the same time, while avoiding the heat and humidity!

When did you start walking around your small town grocery store? How long after you came home? I know about the Heat and the humidity I live near the equator

 

[Superman]

When did you start walking around your small town grocery store? How long after you came home? I know about the Heat and the humidity I live near the equator

Walking is key. They’ll have you walking a ton in the hospital. They wouldn’t release me until I could walk up a flight of stairs.

I got home and went with a relative to the store the next day. Had to pick up some stuff for my son’s birthday. The relative was because I wasn’t cleared to drive. The store itself was no problem. I was supposed to be walking. Good there as anywhere.

It’s getting groceries home that you may need help with. Or a cart or stroller or something that rolls easy and is light. Carrying bags won’t be a great idea. I’d stock up for a couple weeks at least if I was on my own. Maybe even precook and freeze meals. Families from the kids school brought us meals for a couple weeks. That was super helpful so my wife (who was already doing everything) got a little respite.

 

[pellicle]

Walking is key. They’ll have you walking a ton in the hospital. They wouldn’t release me until I could walk up a flight of stairs.
...
It’s getting groceries home that you may need help with. Or a cart or stroller or something that rolls easy and is light. Carrying bags won’t be a great idea.

ifthe bags are light and the walk (in his part of Bangkok) is not far you can just do it ... I was "just doing it" walking about 400 meters up a steep hill on the way home with simple basics within 2 weeks of getting home (back in 1992).

Also @newarrior that was Brisbane in Summer which was 39C and 99% humidity ...

Sure I didn't go to the gym, but you may not grasp this yet "you won't feel like it" for long enough until you do start to feel like it don't do it.

Stop magnifying how horrible this is and start just focusing on doing it.

 

[Zoltania]

What surprised me during early recovery is that standing still was more tiring for me than walking. My brother drove me to the grocery store about two weeks after my surgery, and I was fine walking around the store but had to go sit in the car while he stood in the long checkout line.

 

[Protimenow]

Zoltania - I get it. I can do quite a bit of walking if I'm pushing a shopping cart. Standing isn't as easy. I've still got some balance issues, and standing or walking without some kind of stabilizer (shopping cart) isn't particularly easy. I like to walk. I don't want to use a walker or cane (it'll make me feel less capable and, frankly, like I'm starting to get old), so I try to walk without these crutches - and my balance seems to get worse the more I walk.

It seems like it's more work to stand - you're not moving your legs, you're using muscles just to stay up, you're probably not pumping as much blood. I prefer walking.