PART XII: coming home from hospital (Jan 29)

 Home from the hospital

White board with his info.

Surgery went well, the surgeon phoned me in the 15 minutes between his two six-hour surgeries on the day. My task was to bring hubby home.

Impending snow storm

I was terribly relieved to have a good night's sleep the night after his surgery.
I could have stayed in the city, or with my kids. It was better to be in my own bed, and get some rest.
I recall the stories of the new moms in hospital, when the nursing staff try to bring the babies to the moms, to begin the bonding process.
They began to imagine that one mom wasn't bonding, except that she had had child #6, and knew she should get some needed rest before going home!
This is an important part of being a caregiver. I find that many client's families feel the need to keep 24-hour watch of their loved ones in hospital. This is when they call in community home support volunteers to support the family. It is best to visit, have a good visit, and go home to have a break. It is better to get your rest when you can.

He's up!

It was a long hour and a half drive, but the snow storm didn't materialise into much. Thankfully.

What do we need?

• To get the prescriptions filled
• Get in high fibre foods: bran, roughage, as the pain killers tend to constipate one!
• Get in antiseptic wipes, to clean the catheter equipment
• I cleaned the bathroom



He's been taking walks

• Gathered a garbage can, and a heavy book, to hold the catheter bag at night.

This is our life for the next week or two.

There is a day catheter bag, straps to the leg,
and the night bag, which holds far more urine.

Watching for infection, washing hands at every moment, ensuring he is well-medicated, pain-free, and walking, to keep his circulation going.

He was in bed early. Slept like a log.

He didn't need a pain pill (1 every 4 hours) in the middle of the night, which was something I worried about.

It wasn't until the morning that I suggested one. We both woke at 5:30 a.m., I got up and got going! He read for awhile.

Hooray for bendy straws!

I laud all caregivers.

Buster, the cat, was keeping him warm!