My world at the moment!

Let's look at the positives, your husband may be just a little stronger than you think.  Perhaps if he were worse they would rush him through; by "passing him from one department to the other" they are thinking the best way to treat him (Doesn't help you, I know). It must be heart-rending to see your loved one in such a vulnerable position, but by being there and touching him can sometimes allow both of you to connect in such a way that only long married couples can.  DO you have a friend that can drop you off and pick you up after visiting him. Then you do not leave the hospital alone. 

Then there is your mother, she is home (good news but your workload has now increased) and talking nineteen to the dozen.  You are not too old to wear earplugs and listen to music, audiobooks and depending on your phone; the radio.  That way although you can still hear her, there's just a slight audible diversion going on!  Think of it as her brain is still functioning, if she couldn't talk you would have to keep an eye on her all the time, at least by her talking you can safely go from room to room.

Your sister is coming home at the weekend, good news, she will still be very poorly, but at least she is in hugging range. No more 100 miles round trips.  She can keep your mother company (until she is strong enough to say "enough")

You,  how is your recovery coming along.  You are still in the early stages, (where most of us are feeling down in the dumps & sorry for ouselves and wondering when the pain will ever just stop and go away) Are you eating, sleeping properly. The stress of your family must be having a counter effect on your healing.  Do you have people around you that are supportive (apart from this forum), that can run errands for you, or just keep you company, share a glas of wine or two.

There will always people on here rooting for you, but go and get a hug from someone (even if it's just a neighbour).

I hope you haven't taken offence to some of the comments I have made above. It is not my intention to diminish how you are feeling, I'm just looking at your life as it is from a different angle.

Hope you can open the attachment,  keep sane, let the sun shine on your face x

Keep trying to make time for yourself, that's good coming from me, pot, kettle, black, as they say.  I've not done my exercises as not had time.  Sitting with an ice pack on and I'm quite a bit ahead of you.  Feet up, tell your mum you're just having a wee bit of shut-eye, headphones on, exercise and keep your sense of humour.

ive got people coming round tonight and I wish now I hadn't but I will rest exercise and get on with it.  Floors won't be mopped but who's looking and the bathroom will be clean.

good luck with your hubby and the hospital.

Liz

Just mopped the floor!

Just not in the zone to cope with my mother at the moment and feel guilty because  I'm not.  Normally I would go over every Friday - pre TKR- and do  her heavy housework and garden, stay over night, and bring her home with me, or my sister would for the weekend.

Never realised she must be going deaf too!

Going to retire to bedroom and ice knee.  Up since 6.00am so needs another go! Well thats my story anyway!

I am so happy to hear from you. I thought of you all day.

Great news about your mum and sister. I love your humor-it's the only way to get through the day!!

How disappointing about the delay in surgery for hubby. You must be exhausted- mentally, physically, emotionally. This where the chocolate comes in handy.

Remember to treat yourself well. Good girl , you're doing your exercizes.

I am having a cup of coffee with the dog's head in my lap. He's a drooler, a Golden Retriever named Buddy. He's waiting for his morning biscuit.

Take care today and keep us posted.

Sending good wishes from Michigan

Love, Elaine

Thanks for the update on you and your family. You have MANY challenges but also have MANY praying for you and your family members during this challenging time.

Glad to hear that Mom was well enough to come home. This has been a SCARY experience for her, so she's going over and over it in her head until she is comfortable about it. My 99-year-old mother lived with us after her bad fall, subsequent stroke, then stroke-enduced epilepsy. She needed to go over everything again and again to process all that had taken place. We realized then that Dementia had set in and it was her way of REMINDING HERSELF of all that had happened.

It definitely is nerve-racking!

Glad your sister is doing better.

So sorry to hear that things are so up in the air for your husband and his medical procedures. Insurance or the absence of it and even the type of insurance an individual has seems to dictate the level of care a person receives. It sounds ABSURD that that would be true, but it IS true!

I am praying that common sense will win out and that a CLEAR plan of action will emerge from all of the confusion so that your husband will get the treatment he needs.

Hospitals also have a strict protocol about surgical issues and will call off surgery if they feel that a person is not well enough to undergo the procedure. Even a fever will halt a TKR and cause it to be postponed. It is possible that each group of doctors/ surgeons is wary about proceeding with your husband because they are unsure of whether they will do more harm by operating at this time. There are SO MANY things that enter into medical decisions!

I am happy to hear that you are relaxing a bit and listening to YOUR body as YOU recover! A nice cup of tea is very soothing, and ice packs are definitely your friend at this stage of the game! It's nice when the painkillers kick in!

In the early stages of my recovery I would write down the time I COULD have a pain pill if I NEEDED one. That way I didn't overdo pain medication. I used my hand as my own personal whiteboard like they would write on my whiteboard in the hospital. It helped a lot because I could plan how I was going to handle what I needed to handle while NOT overdoing pain medication. Having that info written on my hand made sure that I knew my schedule yet could delay taking medication IF I really could do without it. ( A byproduct of the hand whiteboard system was that I discovered that gradually I actually DIDN'T need medication for pain as often as I did previously. That encouraged me and helped me to realize I was making progress.)

Sending prayers of strength to you as you juggle many issues today. God is RIGHT THERE with you. Lean on Him. Everything will be OK.

oh to be back the way we were before our TKR.  Someone said to me I should have had this done before it reached the stage of needing a TKR. Would have liked to have slapped them.  My surgeon said he wouldn't  know what I would need till the day of the op.  Also I was told a year ago I definitely did not need it done.

feet up, chill Ann, that should be our mantra.

Liz

Colm worked in that hospital until his retirement!!!!

Its like a third world country hospital

There are four patients in every corridor of the wards with screens around them!  The only thing is its better than A & E which is a war zone.

Not one lift is working. Colm is on the 4th floor - Great exercise for the knee!  The car park is always full so its 3rd or 4th floor.  No lift there either!

Its a disgrace!

Dont get sick in Ireland unless you have private health care!

The political parties here are a joke!

Promise the moon until they get into office then renege on them all,

I will vote but I wil vote for the independents.

I am part of the grey army - well I'm really a blonde.  We are the ones that always vote in this country.  I had gone on all the Marches in Dublin, on my own,  re Water Charges. until I got my knee done.

Emailed TV3 to complain about the hospital yesterdayand sent a letter of complaint to the hospital itself

Going to try and get Leo Varadkar's email address today and eat the head off him too

Who knew I would become a protester in my retirement !

Ann X

Note, I said file, not record.

How would you like to be in fear of Trump getting elected Prez?

Can you believe people would consider him for an important position - he's a clown, buffoon, ignorant and has a big mouth. Arghhhh

It sounds like Ireland has their own problems. All the politicians, everywhere are corrupt to varying degrees. Oh yeah, except Trump, he's just stupid.

Now that's a rant. Excuse me for hijacking website.

I'm off to the river to slug rats, I guess.

(don't worry, just an expression).

I hate politics because of all the talk just aimed at getting us to vote for them, but of course I do my due diligence by educating myself and voting. God help us!!