When you First Came Home.....

[MNmom]

Really? I can't stand to be in the car. I went to the doctor today and i was sooooo glad when the car ride part was over.

Well, our rides were short and we live in a town where everything is around the corner. We didnt go on super long car rides or anything. Mostly driving to the dr or activites with the kids. If I didnt get out of the house, I would get stir crazy. Here in MN, we have to take advantage of the summer and get out of our houses!

 

[Bonzo Dog]

But when did you people come home?

It seems the typical N. American OHS patient leaves hospital much sooner than a UK patient would under the NHS. A 7 to 10 day post op hospital inpatient stay after VR would be quite usual over here.

So we would be more up and about and self sufficient on home discharge than you guys.

That said, the vast majority of my fellow OHS inpatients and me tried to get into a normal up and showered into street clothes routine as soon as possible. It was the culture on the ward. There is a lot to be said for doing things as a group on the ward; those further down the recovery route show the way forward for others. If a recovering patient started to feel sorry for themselves and malinger the others would drag them out of it.

A family friend had a VR in the UK private sector. Post op he was solo in a room. We compared experiences. His recovery mobility was slower and at times stagnant by comparison. We agreed lack of peer pressure was a factor. His hospital food was however far superior!

 

[ctyguy]

I was in gym shorts and my bathroom for at least a week. It was still winter and since I wasn't going outside I saw no real reason to worry about getting "dressed". Comfortable was the first priority.

 

[khawkk]

Staying flat in bed bothered me and sleeping was difficult.

I think for the 1st month my longest time asleep was 4 hrs.

If you can get 6 or 7 hrs sleep, enjoy it. Your body needs it!

Recliners are wonderful but I didn't have one. I was warned if I did

and had the type with the adjustment on the side, "not to reach over

and push or pull. I could screw up my wire job."

 

[hall]

I got dressed and shower every day. My DH helped me and gradually I could do it myself. I had home nursing too. They came about 4 times. I must be different from everyone. I slept all the time! ( on the couch for the first month) I had to force myself to get up the first couple of weeks. We went out to dinner and then I would go walking in one of the stores.

Deb

 

[DebbyA]

I was issued a small chart titled Recovering Heart Home Plan. The first item was "Get dressed", and farther down, "shower daily".

I was in the hospital Wed am through Sat afternoon. The first week or so at home, I wore fleece pants and a tee shirt until the 20 lb fluid gain was gone and the chest tube sites stopped oozing.

I ate all meals at the table, but remember that for about 2 weeks the two things that tired me out the most were the morning shower and eating supper.

 

[Smiley2000]

I have 2 small children (3 and 6 yrs old) and the "OHS honeymoon" didn't last very long

I was discharged from Hospital 10 days after surgery and I insisted on sleeping in my own bed and only sat in the recliner when we had visitors. I stayed in my pj's whenever I felt like it and I can remember it being uncomfortable to lift my hands above my head, so I tried to wear lose-fitting bottoned tops and nice fitting pants.

Just listen to your body and if you feel comfortable in pj's, wear them and if you feel like dressing up and going out, do it. Take one day at a time and rest as much as you can.

 

[ruthienc1]

I was released (to a motel) on the 5th post-op day and was totally done in by walking to the fitness center to get weighed in the am and, then, to the in-house restaurant for meals. We flew home on day 9 and I was feeling well enough to go to church the next day......but that did me in! Our daughter came down with their dog to be caregiver for 2 weeks and the help was great to have. I didn't cook (neither did she, since friends brought food often). By her last week there I was riding along with her on errands, glad to get out of the house! Again, everyone's different and I was lucky not to have any post-op problems .