Home Alone

I've had a number of surgeries over the years and feel I have a fairly good idea of what my surgery and stay in the hospital will be like. I figured that while I would probably have a heck of a headache this wouldn't be as bad as being cut across the abdomen, through muscles, from hip to hip with a bunch of surgical staples as far as being able to get up and walk around. I knew I would get tired easily but thought that I would be able to make it to the kitchen or bathroom since our house is small and I won't have any stairs to worry about. My plan when I came home from the hospital was for my husband Frank to be home the first day and then he would need to go back to work. I would have someone come in the AM to let my dogs out, come back around noon to check on me and water or bring in the dogs (depending on weather), and then Frank would be home from work around 4 to 6pm. I'd stay on the daybed in the living room and have a cooler near the bed with snacks and drinks. My bathroom is about 20 steps away. This is what we did for my last surgery and it worked out fine.

I have since found out that this is not a good idea. I have been told by a number of people that I need someone with me 24/7 for at least the first week or two and preferably the first 4 weeks. As I considered how I was going to be able to have someone with me all the time (and how bored they would be while I slept) I realized that there was no one that I knew that could come here without being severely inconvenienced. I really didn't think it was a problem for me to be home alone for parts of the day but one person reminded me that I don't have any neighbors, the closest house being about 1/2 mile away through the woods. There is a slight chance of seizure, losing consciousness, or other need for emergency care, and I was also told that I would have dizziness and nausea when standing. So after a phone call to my Mom I will be going to her house (on Cape Cod, about 25 miles from my house) and my Grandma K will stay there to take care of me when my Mom goes to work. Mom is using up all her vacation days the week that I'll be in the hospital. I'll stay there a week or until I feel I can be on my own. On one hand I am grateful to have a nice place to stay and someone to take care of me, the other hand is a bit sad that I will be away from home for about 2 weeks. I'm going to miss being there, and especially Pumba (my Gordon Setter Bestfriend). I know she is going to be upset with me gone for that long. She gets anxious when I go to the store! I told Frank and my Mom that they have to drive me home before I go to her house when I get out of the hospital...I don't think that went over to well (lol).