Do I need a caretaker immediately after wls?

Yes you absolutely will need a friend . I had a devoted pet who walked circles with me every fifteen minutes for weeks and trustworthy( cluttery also) bestfriend who pickedme up visited drove me home etc...

I felt and looked like a Mack truck hit me... and I don'tregret a minute :)

I looked after both myself and my 11 month old baby ... needs must. I stopped narcotics on the day of surgery and so was fine to do everything, include drive, the day after discharge.

I am 54 years old. Just me and my husband at home. He leaves for work everyday at 4:45 and usually gets home around 3:30 everyday. I was fine home alone. I too did a lot of sleeping most of the first week. But did get up and down without issue and walk and get my drinks, bathroom, showers etc. In the evening he was home but I still cared for myself. I felt much better in my own bed than I would have anywhere other than home. I think you will do fine. Stock up on things you think you will need before surgery. Get your house in order ahead of time. You only have yourself to care for you should do fine. Have someone you can call if you need something.

Wow..I had to look twice to make sure I did not write this,,lol..my surgery date is also dec 7.,at Cleveland clinic and I also will be doing it by myself...I know I won't need anyone there with me when I get home,,my friend will stop over in the mid afternoon,but I prefer to be by myself,,good luck with your surgery..you will be fine

You should be fine on your own.

On another note. I hope that wonderful friend who offered to take you in and take care of you never reads what you posted about her on a public forum.

I want to thank everybody for their help. I think I will thank my friend and stay at home for recovery.

Janice

I was in the hospital for three nights, and by the time I got home I was able to get around just fine. I had made arrangements for friends to say for a week or so to help me, but they didn't have anything to do. I was even able to drive, in case I needed to pick up anything.

So I guess it depends on how long you'll be in the hospital and whether you'll be able to drive when you get home. I agree with PPs that it might be helpful to have someone on call for errands.

I did need someone with me, for the first week or so---but my surgery was done open, and I had mobility issues before surgery. You do NOT need any added stress, so if your friend's home stresses you, don't go there. Is there any chance you could persuade your friend to come to YOUR house and help you out?

I stayed at my MIL house for a couple nights primarily because it was the dead of winter and I needed space to walk, since I think that was a huge factor in my healing. Other than that, I would've been ok at home. After several days I started going to the grocery store and Walmart with my husband to walk laps.

I would much rather be comfortable. Feeling anxious the whole time will only slow down the healing process.

The reason to be around someone is so if you have an emergency, some one is there so they can call 911. You are having major surgery and at least for the first few days home - I would not be alone. (My surgeon told me that the surgical risks are similar to gall bladder surgery.) You cannot drive until you are cleared by the surgeon. I don;t know what kind/how many pets you have, but you will not be moving as quickly as usual and you do not want to trip over a playful dog or need to walk them after you took pain medication (they may need to be boarded for a few days - maybe not the entire week). This is about your safety and being conservative to prevent problems. I did not have any problems, but if you do, you do not want a small problem to get to be a major problem because you are passed out on the bathroom floor. People may disagree with me, but go with the surgical recommendations.

You have some time to get a plan together. I was in a similar situation - And I got out of the hospital last Christmas Eve (12/24) at 4pm - a few weeks earlier I called around and was surprised to tears that people rallied and different people stayed with me for a few days and then I went to stay with a friend for the rest of the week. The first few days were the worst - after 4 days I was just tired. I had RNY.

If your friend's place is really your only option, which is probably isn't, you might be able to clean a space for yourself before surgery, so you would be more comfortable.