Aftercare

I need to know how long I might need assistance from my wife. Right now she is taking the day of surgery and the day after surgery off work. My surgery is Monday May 19th. I will be taking 2-3 weeks off depending on how I feel.  But the question here is...How long did you need help from someone-else? How long before you were able to go up and down stairs , clean yourself  and bathe yourself? I can do all that stuff now but after having surgery it might be different... IDK because I have never in my life had any type of surgery. Should I have someone here for the first week? or will I be fine by myself once at home? Thanks in advance for any input. cdecker

My own was a lap-RNY, on a Tues at 11 am and I was released from the Hosp on Thursday afternoon. My wife stayed home with me the Friday, Sat and Sun and then went back to work Monday....and I stayed at home on the couch I think till Wed...when I went to work (self employed) So really, only 3 days, I'd guess. And I too had never ever had surgery before nor for that matter ever needed help either. I'd think your own timeline would be similar, but others here can offer their own timelines too... :-) Jim PS wifely "assistance" is still great tho....she was a godsend in getting me my 2 oz of chicken soup!

My opinion may be jaded because I'm having back problems right now (at 21 yrs old, growing older is looking better and better grrr).  But I had my g/f help me in the shower for a day or two after I got out of surgery, other than that I was fine, just sore.  The only real trouble I have is my back right now (CT scan scheduled for Thursday) but you shouldn't have too much to worry about. I doubt you'll feel like running a marathon after the surgery anyway, you'll likely just be lying around for a few days.

I had surgery on Monday morning, went home Weds afternoon and my wife went back to work Thursday morning. I wouldn't have minded having her around the rest of the week, but she is chronically low on sick leave. But I did fine without her. Couldn't put on socks or tie shoes because of stomach soreness, but other than that I could perform all the basic functions. I went back to work the next Monday, 7 days post op.

Had surgery Friday a.m. came home Sunday a.m. (Wife left with kid for the beach that evening and i never checked up. The only problem i had , was finding a great position to sleep. I stayed home for three weeks. Not because of surgery, but because i just wanted to exercise the whole three weeks. Good luck to ya and if your old lady is cool to be around can't hurt. Ken

I was on my own after the hospital. Just don't drive for a couple of days cause of the anathesia is still in your system.  You should be fine at home by yourself

I had someone drive me around for the first week out of the hospital but other than that I pretty much didn't need any help.

Decker, I’m a Really Bad person to ask… But, Have a “back-up plan” in case you need someone longer. Got a relative close by that could drop in? You can be on your own for long periods of time If you just prep for it. Set up a place with everything you might need close at hand. And save up Showers and such for when she’s home from work. Get some loose-azzed clothes to live in for a while And don’t worry about shoes to tie and such. Many find sleeping in a recliner for a few days when first home Is very helpful in getting up and down, and more comfortable to sleep in. Everyone is different. Best Wishes- Dx

I think it's important to have someone "around" for the first week, but "around" need not mean 24/7.  The schedule that you and your wife have planned seems like a good first pass (of course, if you don't have a smooth post-op recovery--unlikely--that might need to be modified.)  It also might be different if you end up having an open procedure rather than a laparoscopic one. I needed someone around to run to the pharmacy, grocery store, do laundry, etc. for the first week or so, and it was great to be waited on for the first couple of days, but I was honestly surprised by how self-sufficient I was around the house from the moment I got home.  My house doesn't have a bathroom on the first floor, so I needed to use the stairs right away.  A little achey, but nothing breakey, especially with my week's worth of oral pain meds.  I also wondered about showering once I was home (stepping over the tub, etc.) and it turned out to be a non-issue. /Steve

Well, my wife was no support, she didnt even show up for my surgery, she showed up afterwards and visited my sister(we had GBS the same day, same dr, same recovery room) for a few minutes and left. The next day she showed up to drive me home(what a horror story that was, no courtesy for the bumps in the road). I was basically by myself after that and I did just fine, I had a 2 story house and the stairs werent a problem considering I had been walking off the pain, etc at the hospitol. Anyway, you should be ok but make sure you get a lot of walking in at the hospitol to prepare you for your journey home.