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Getting home from hospital and support once home

Posted , 14 users are following.

angela61719
angela61719

Can anyone share details of how they got back home from hospital after their operation? I'm a bit concerned about this as my husband doesn't drive and I don't know how easy it will be to get into a taxi. did the hospital provide anything, or did you get back under your own steam.

Also as my husband is increasingly unwell - really bad timing - I'm wondering about how to access support if we need it afterwards. I'm getting to the point of wondering if I should cancel my own operation while hubby has various tests that the consultant has recommended. Quite stressed out! We never imagined being in this situation, but we have no family near by.

Thanks for any suggestions,

Angela

5 likes, 37 replies

37 Replies

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  • Swindon60
    Swindon60 angela61719

    Posted

    Hi Angela what a difficult situation you are in ! Firstly I would ask the hospital where you due to have your op ! Certainly the care I received in swindon was brilliant I'm sure yours will be able to advise you .Also make sure if hubby not well that you can access everything in your home without bending . Occupational therapists will be able to help you too . Bending is very difficult after your op and you will need help . Also if your hospital still discharges you with Teds ( those lovely white support stockings ) you will definitely need someone to help get them on and off . This website is brilliant for hints and ideas as we are all hippies. If you really worried maybe if you have good gp or practice nurse you could speak to them.

    Good luck and take care

    Regards Denise

    • angela61719
      angela61719 Swindon60

      Posted

      Thank you Denise for your advice. I've been given the name of someone at our GP practice to contact tomorrow and will also ring the hospital.
  • sue1957Geo
    sue1957Geo angela61719

    Posted

    Angela I was wondering the same, my sister who will be there for me thank you god, drives, but if we cannot bend how will i get into her car, will I have to talk to the hospital or do they offer, just one of the many questions before november 13th. Alos I live above a shop, so we have stairs breeding stairs 10 stone ones to the front door, will I be able to manage them or do i need to pitch a tent in the garden.

    Sue

    • Swindon60
      Swindon60 sue1957Geo

      Posted

      Hi sue obviously you can bend ! But not more than 90 degrees so just won't be able to get in car with very low seats ! I still cannot get in ours but am fine in my parents car . Your sister will have to do stairs before she is discharged so physio will go through this with her .

      Good luck

      Denise

    • angela61719
      angela61719 sue1957Geo

      Posted

      Hi Sue,

      I hope all will be well with your return, and all of those steps. That at least is one problem I don't have. Let us know how it all goes.

      Angela

  • maggiefabrianne
    maggiefabrianne angela61719

    Posted

    Hello

    the physio had me practice how to get in and out of car before I left.she did the same with stairs. she also asked if anyone at home to help. I fortunately had my husband but I am sure they would arrange carers or help for you. my mum just left hospital with cracked vertebrae but hospital arranged carers twice a day until she is capable herself. check with hospital but don't cancel operation.

    maggiex

    • angela61719
      angela61719 maggiefabrianne

      Posted

      Thanks Maggie, My husband is emphatic that I shouldn't cancel the operation and I will, as everyone is suggesting, push all the buttons I can find. When I had my pre-op, things weren't so bad, or I would have done this earlier.

      Angela

  • ali2301
    ali2301 angela61719

    Posted

    Hi Angela,

    I've been thinking about you. Am I right in assuming that the hospital weren't able to progress things for your husband?

    Also, all hospitals have patient transport attached to them but you need to find out if the hospital can arrange this for you or if it needs to be done via your GP. Stupid I know but this red tape malarkey doesn't always make a lot of sense. You should be able to arrange transport home though. You just need to find out how to do it before you go in.

    Good luck in sorting this out. There are ways round pretty much everything.

    Also, if you need practical help, the British Red Cross offer lots of help and only usually require a donation. They will come and offer practical assistance like housework, cooking, shopping etc and the beauty of them being volunteers is that you know they genuinely want to help. They aren't just doing it for the money and have all been thoroughly CRB checked etc so will be trustworthy.

    Good luck and it will all be over before you know it.

    Take care.

    Ali xx

    • angela61719
      angela61719 ali2301

      Posted

      Thanks Ali, I've been meaning to reply, but things have got a bit manic, what with me, sick husband and trying to get everything finished at work before the op.

      Anyway, to cut a long story short, we ended up having a private consultation at the local Spire on Monday and my husband is now lined up for an endoscopy - but, the day after my operation argggh! - and a CT scan, with the same consultant, but on the NHS. So there has been progress, but also lots of worry about what is wrong with him.

      I was told at my pre-op assessment to ask about transport home once I'm in hospital, but I'd rather know in advance, otherwise I just stress too much (a bit of a control freak, I'm afraid). I'm also, as I said above to Denise, going to contact the GPs tomorrow to see what they can do, about care if husband is really not well enough to help and also  about getting him (non-driving) and taking care of him if he needs sedation for the procedure.

      The tip about the Red Cross is a good one and I'll follow that up too. Thank you so much, I'm overwhelmed at people's kindness and good thoughts. I feel much less alone with all this.

      Glad to hear your recovery is going so well.

      Angela

      x

    • ali2301
      ali2301 angela61719

      Posted

      Hi Angela,

      I'm glad that progress has been made although not quite within the time constraints that would give bern useful to you. Endoscopy often requires sedation but in small amounts as the doctor doing the procedure needs your hubby to swallow and too much sedation would make him too drowsy for the swallow reflex needed. The CT scan doesn't need sedation. Something the Red Cross do now is called 'help to hospital' in that they could take your hubby to the hospital and home again with someone with him the whole time. Again these people are vetted and use their own transport so are trustworthy. Some may even have some medical training which is always a bonus.

      Hopefully these investigations will show quite quickly what us troubling your hubby and he gets the treatment needed to get him back to full strength ASAP.  After about a week you should be managing to get about quite well so your hubby's assistance could well be minimal. It's amazing how resilient we humans can be when it's required.

      I'm glad you don't feel alone. We are here to give support and advice and if any of our suggestions help in any way then it's a job well done.

      Thinking of you both. Take care of yourselves.

      Ali xx

  • laura85375
    laura85375 angela61719

    Posted

    Cars and stairs are all manageable with a few adjustments. I had a spare cushion that I could take wherever I might be sitting on a low seat.  Even your normal living room seats may need to be raised so that you are not bending as you get on and off the seat. 

    We have a lot of stairs and I made sure that the banisters were secured before I went into hospital. You will be taught how to use stairs with your stick or crutch.  

    There is little you will not be able to do but you will need to rest a lot and you will need some means of carrying food and drinks.  You will also need help with your TED stockings. Many of us were told to wear these 24/ 7 for 6 weeks. 

    The best people to advise you will be your medical team. You won't need help for long and you will soon be independent again. 

    Hope your husband is okay. Maybe ask the GP who knows both your situations what they can advise and what help might be available. 

    Laura 

    • angela61719
      angela61719 laura85375

      Posted

      Thanks for your kind advice Laura, I'm so grateful to everyone who has replied to my question. It's hugely reassuring. I'm getting on to the GP tomorrow.

      Angela

  • val14381
    val14381 angela61719

    Posted

    Hi Angela

    Are you in the UK? You must tell them your situation & they  should be able to help you. They have to provide transport home for you & arrange for someone to call in daily to assist with whatever you need.This is why we pay for NHS .

     

    Make sure they are aware of your situation or they will just assume that you can manage as most people can. Please don't stress yourself too much as it will only make it worse. There is help but you do need to ask for it.x

    • angela61719
      angela61719 val14381

      Posted

      Thank you Val. Yes, I am in the UK (East Yorkshire), and as I've said above, I'm going to be pressing all sorts of buttons tomorrow to try to ensure that we can get through all of this unscathed. I'm so used to being able to manage that I'm not very good at asking for help. I've just to do it.

      Angela

    • val14381
      val14381 angela61719

      Posted

      Hi Angela

      I'm in East Yorks too! Had my op in Goole. They were brilliant & it was so much easier than I had imagined. 

      Hopefully you will will be able to get some help, let us know how you get on.x

    • angela61719
      angela61719 val14381

      Posted

      Hi Val, I'll be going into Castle Hill in Cottingham. I've been phoning around this morning, but precious little is available. I have to use a taxi to get home - no ambulance service available and we would have to pay to get carers in. Not a problem in itself, but it is annoying that when you do need support for the first time ever, there is nothing there. Still got to try the Red Cross, as advised by Ali in this column.
    • val14381
      val14381 angela61719

      Posted

      How ridiculous that they can't provide transport home for you! Not everyone has a car or has family around to help. This is classed as a major operation & surely they have an obligation to make sure you are ok once you are discharged.

       

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