I am having knee replacement surgery in 6 weeks and I need everyone's help. I will be out of commission for 4 to 6 weeks. I want to make sure my house is clean and bills paid so DH doesn't have to do so much, except take care of me :) Anyone have have any ideas of what I should do beforehand?
Thank you all so much!
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Posted 7 months ago #
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I'd be checking around right now to get recommendations for a housecleaner for the duration of your recovery. Best to start with someone at least a couple of weeks before your surgery to make sure it all works to your satisfaction.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Have you set up auto-pay on the bills? Is the medical equipment, such as the walker, raised toilet seat, crutches, reach extender devices, etc arranged for yet? Have you practiced using crutches? Do you have a maid service? Is there a freezer that will hold a lot of prepared meals? I guess we need to know what you have thought of so far.
Also, have you cancelled or put on hold things like gym memberships, massage subscriptions?
Get your dental, hair and other appointments taken care of ahead of time so you won't need to go early in the recovery.
I googled "Preparing your home for knee replacement surgery" and found a links with good ideas. Most repeat the same, so here is a typical sample.
Best of luck!
Posted 7 months ago # -
Online grocery shopping? With delivery timed for when your dh will be home to bring it in and unpack.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Put things that won't be needed well out of the way so you are able to move freely around the house. Clean the house thoroughly so it will just require basic cleaning for a while.
How will you shower when you come home? You can get plastic bench seats that fit over the bath or a shower chair. You may be able to hire stuff rather than buy it.
Good luck. I hope you are dancing around in no time.
Posted 7 months ago # -
great suggestions already.
a cleaner is a wonderful idea.
get your bedroom, bathroom, and hanging-out areas all sorted out well in advance.....life will boil down to some incredibly basic essentials and you'll soon figure out what is most important.
practice moving around on a walker, so you can see just how limited you will be.
you cannot make things too simple or too easy for your post-surgical self.
also....you'll be weaker than you think, post-surgery.
so, you cannot rely on your normal upper-body strength for a few days afterwards.you'll be very busy healing, so don't plan any ambitious projects!
i was laid up for weeks and weeks after surgery; organising the travel insurance claim and rearranging a couple of company systems took me all my time and energy.
i think it is tremendous that you have six weeks notice for this.
it gives you lots of time to get ready.
if i'd had warning, i would have decluttered a lot more stuff.
i had to lie there and look at things that i knew needed to be in new homes!
however, the extent to which we have already decluttered meant that i had loads of room for my wheelchair, that cleaning was fast and simple, that after a while i could manage laundry and cooking without it being a huge ordeal.
the simpler things (any things) are before you have your surgery, the easier life will be afterwards.and as you lie there, you'll be making loads of plans for further decluttering as soon as you are up again!
Posted 7 months ago # -
yes, great suggestions! i´d also like to point out that it is hard to imagine (if you are fit) how weak you can be if you are ill. i remember that i had to sleep for two hours after preparing a frozen meal (took me 3 minutes to heat the pan plus the time to eat) - i was completely knocked out after this "effort" that is usualy a break. so try to get help for cleaning, shopping, errands and stuff your freezer with food that does not need any preparations - if you feel so well that you do not need the help and frozen stuff: wonderful, but in case you need it, you don´t have to think about it when you are ill.
another suggestion: are there any movies or audio books that you like? just get them now! you will possibly reach a point when you feel better but not strong enough to move a lot and it is really nice to have some entertainment at this point of time.and i´d make a list to be checked every morning before your partner leaves the house... note what you need to do with his help, so that he knows what to expect (e.g.: you would like to take a shower, brush your teeth and be "dressed" before he leaves and you need one bottle of water and a cup of tea at the table next to the couch etc.) for somebody who knows you as a strong person it´s hard to imagine that you will possibly need him near you while brushing teeth, just because you are _afraid_ to fall...
Posted 7 months ago # -
Best of luck to you, sky. The people I know who have had this have experienced immense improvement to their quality of life.
I'd look at the clothing situation and make sure you have some things that are easy to get on and off and easy to throw in the washer and dryer. I'd also look into the procedures in your area for getting a temp handicapped tag -- you might even get your doctor to approve it now to get that chore out of the way.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Thank you all so much for the great suggestions and Another Deb, that's a good website. I should know these things but I'm rattled at the thought of the whole ordeal.
I'm cooking double now and freezing meals and stocking up on non-perishables. My husband is wonderful and will do whatever he needs to do but I want to help him as much as possible beforehand and a cleaner would be very nice....for both of us
I'm looking around my living room and bedroom, imagining walking with a walker. Thank goodness I've decluttered but we'll have to move some furniture out so I can get around.
I have so many pre-operation appointments it's ridiculous but that's a good idea to schedule dental, hair, etc. appointments now. So much to do!
Posted 7 months ago # -
So, just in case you "do" Christmas, you might want to get the gifts purchased and wrapped, ready to ship, etc. It's THAT time already! Cards too!
Posted 7 months ago # -
Another Deb, that's what I did last year. I had shoulder surgery December 1st and knew I wouldn't be able to use my hand/arm for anything, so I bought and wrapped all my gifts prior to the surgery. It was so nice having all that done ahead of time, it made me realize I should do it every year!
Sky, I wish you the very best of luck in the surgery and healing process. One other thing that I don't think anyone has mentioned yet about food -- I wasn't very hungry the first few days after surgery (and occasionally during the first few weeks) and sometimes didn't want the wonderful meals my husband usually prepared (and I was *so* lucky to have an awesome cook as a husband during that time). I tended to want lighter fare like creamy soups. You might want to stock up on some "instant" type foods that are fast and easy.
I'm not that far from you, so let me know if I can do anything to help! I work from home and, except for the weeks I'm out of town for work (like this one!) my schedule is pretty flexible.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Best wishes on your surgery.
Re pre-op, the docs may have instructed you to stop unneeded meds or supplements that cause blood to thin (in order to prevent too much bleeding during the operation) such as fish oil/krill oil and coQ10. Check with docS re any pre-operation instructions about this if they haven't already done so.
Eating green lettuce beforehand also helps prevent thin blood and bleeding.
If you will be given antibiotics, probiotics and yogurt would be recommended to help replace the good bacteria in your system.
If you are a reader I would suggest you stock up on books to read or did you say you just got a kindle in which case you could either preload books or if you can download them while you are in bed you can wait to download them there.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Thank you, happymonkey....you are so kind.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Another thought... getting to the toilet will take longer than usual, and your bladder might get impatient on the way. So stock up now on some incontinence products in case of little accidents. It's much easier to deal with those throwaways than doing extra laundry and donning a fresh change of clothes.
Posted 7 months ago # -
If you're home alone, wear something with pockets or a strap so your cell phone is on you at all times... Justin Case of a fall.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Oh, Ella, I gotta deal with peeing my pants and surgery? Bummer!
Posted 7 months ago # -
Shortly after surgery, they will get you up on your feet whether you want to or not. :) It is important to follow all of your doctors orders and be devoted to your physical therapy exercises. Don't underestimate how important therapy is along with the exercises you are told to do at home. Some people let this slide then regret it.
The best thing you can do is stay positive....> Start imagining the best possible outcome from beginning to end. You will have a successful surgery and recovery. Don't think about it as being out of commission. Instead, think about it as guiding the healing process. You'll do great.
Posted 7 months ago # -
JJ is quite right.
and consider this.
we don't get a lot of sanctioned time off in our lives....convalescence is one of the few times you can lie back and rest and heal at your leisure.
it's a good time to ponder life and think about things.
i personally got a lot out of it.
and i did a lot of meditation, with meditation oasis' excellent podcasts. she (mary maddux) has a lovely voice and a very flexible, caring style.one more thing.
i am now a regular at the local pool. daily!
you may also find some pool therapy a good thing.
talk to your physio.
and organise your swimsuit and any other gear you'll need, and pool access in advance....so it is as easy as possible to get INTO the pool when you are ready.Posted 7 months ago # -
*Get a massage.
Make a list of what you want to do pre-surgery, then put it in count-down form. For example, you can put some bills into auto withdraw right now, but you'll want to stock your fridge a day or two before.
Borrow a cane or walker and practice using it.
Make sure there will be someone home with you for at least a couple days after the surgery.
Change the batteries in the tv remote ;)
*Get a massage
Make a list of household chores by day and by week. If you do hire a housekeeper or have a friend come in to help, this will be sooooo useful.
Take your pain medication as prescribed. DO NOT WAIT until you're ready to scream. The medicine needs to stay at a certain level in your system. If you wait until you're hurting, it's not going to work as well. I know.
*Arrange for a massage at home, maybe a week or two past surgery. Maybe book one for Hubby, too.
Somebody else already said to keep up with your physical therapy. Right on!
Good luck!Posted 7 months ago # -
All your suggestions are great and I appreciate them so much, thank you! :)
Posted 7 months ago #
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