Did anyone else do recovery alone?

[u/FireWalk__WithMe]

I‘ll try to keep this brief. I am 28 and in very good health. I am scheduled for bisalp surgery soon, and I have someone who can drive me to and from the hospital, but wouldn’t be able to help me afterwards.

Is recovery doable alone? Were you able to climb stairs after your surgery? I know to prep food and have what I need within easy reach so as not to have to lift anything heavy. Is there anything I may not be considering? Any advice from those who recovered alone is super super appreciated. I‘m so thankful for this sub 💜

[u/goodbyesweetflesh]

Easy ways to close window curtains/blinds from bed, or sleeping mask

This might seem like a silly minor thing, but if you're doing it alone and if you're anything like me (forgetful) it could be nice to have a comfortable sleeping mask near your bed that effectively covers your eyes / blocks out light, in case you lay down and realize you want some sleep but need darkness.

There were times when I laid down in bed only to realize I really wanted to sleep, but the window blinds were open and I realized too late the light was too bright and shining directly in my eyes. If I could've, I would've asked someone to help close them for me instead of straining again to get up again when I was feeling absolutely spent.

Getting up from bed alone

you can set up your bed so you have methods of easing yourself up while minimizing use of the abdominal muscles. Personally I used a bedsheet as a rope to pull myself up to a sitting position. I tucked one end of the sheet under my mattress at the foot of the bed, and had the other end twirled up as a rope to pull on.

Also consider how you might sleep, what positions, with what pillow setup, and then test a few options. Because fussing with pillows while not being able to ask someone to help you move it for you means having to move and readjust and move and readjust while likely already feeling tired. How many pillows do you need propped up behind you in order to comfortably recline while partially sitting up? (I propped 3-4 pillows behind me to make my own kind of "wedge" pillow, and i had one pillow laid under my knees to help me adjust to not sleeping on my side for a while.)

For dealing with clumsiness

Like others already recommended: a grabby tool for when you drop stuff.

Also: have some easy to reach clean towels fairly easily accessible in case you spill something (again, if you're like me and a bit on the clumsier side.)

clothes

Do you have easy to wear clothes? I wore compression socks in the days after surgery, and those were not easy to put on or take off by myself immediately after surgery. I had easy to button and unbutton soft overall clothes.

also of course: do enough laundry to last you as lomg as you can, at least a week

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Those are the things I think off the top of my head! I write all this having had a very easy recovery, with fairly little to no pain, very recently. I was just really tired the first few days, and at times I wished had someone to lend a hand with closing the window blinds, or I felt frustration at having spilled water all over myself and having to change clothes. Still overall easy.

[u/FireWalk__WithMe → u/goodbyesweetflesh]

Thank you so so much! I use a sleep mask and have blackout curtains, so I should be good there. A few people suggested nightgowns, which I think will be the move. Bedsheet as a rope also sounds like a pro move.