The Straight Dope

Go Back   Straight Dope Message Board > Main > General Questions

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 07-02-2010, 07:32 PM
Lacunae Matata Lacunae Matata is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
What else will my less-than-mobile husband need overnight?

Quick background:

Hubby had knee replacement surgery on Monday. He is home now, using a walker, but not exactly ready to run a marathon. (This is his third knee surgery since January. His "good" knee is in bad shape, and his bad knee caused the surgeon to wonder how he had been functioning at all prior to replacement.) I have to go to work tonight - can't take any more time off, especially on a busy holiday weekend. Baby is going to work with me, and I'll make sure that the dog's needs are handled before I leave.

Normally, the two older kids - remarkably self-sufficient for ages 12 and 9, and normally a huge help for fetching, carrying, and basic helpful stuff - would be home overnight, but they're gone to the mountains with their grandma this weekend. (They won't have much other chance for vacation this summer, given our finances, so I couldn't in good conscience tell my mom that the kids couldn't leave this weekend.) So, husband will be alone tonight. (My dad is 4 blocks away, and a friend of hubby's is available for emergencies overnight, so he's not completely without resources while I'm away.)

I'm trying to make sure that hubby has everything he might possibly need overnight. So far, I have the following:

Small cooler, equipped with bottled water and a couple of flavor packs in case he's sick to death of plain water, ice packs for his knee, and a couple of snacks in case he needs something with his medicine.

All of his prescriptions.

A roll of paper towels, and a couple of towels.

A "Monkey Bag" - designed for motorcycles, but adequate to Velcro around a walker - equipped with cell phone, pocket knife, pen and paper, a couple of magazines, an extra water bottle (in case he winds up on the other end of the house without beverage,) a portable urinal, a barf bag, paper towels, bandages, ointment, and a pair of scissors.

Laptop and wireless mouse by the bed.

Anything else you can think of that one might need for 8-9 hours alone, 5 days post-surgery?

Oh, yeah: I'm leaving here at 10:30-ish, so need answers fast!

Last edited by Lacunae Matata; 07-02-2010 at 07:34 PM. Reason: Need answers fast?! No, really!
Reply With Quote
Advertisements  
  #2  
Old 07-02-2010, 07:37 PM
FoieGrasIsEvil FoieGrasIsEvil is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: The Nasty Nati
Posts: 13,531
I think you've got it covered. How old is he?
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 07-02-2010, 07:54 PM
chorpler chorpler is online now
Charter Member
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Vegas, baby!
Posts: 3,058
It sounds like most everything is good, but what will he do if he has ... um ... excretory needs ... that the portable urinal is insufficient for? Can he move around at all?
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 07-02-2010, 09:04 PM
Lacunae Matata Lacunae Matata is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Quote:
Originally Posted by FoieGrasIsEvil View Post
I think you've got it covered. How old is he?
He's 41. And chorpler, he can get around, just not very quickly. I think that excretory needs are taken care of. If not, that's what the extra towels might serve for, I guess. (And, since after surgery, these things become fairly common knowledge, I know when his last BM was. Under normal circumstances, he should be okay.)

Also, I just ran out and grabbed him some ginger ale. He became nauseous after getting a shower earlier, so I figured he might need that...
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 07-02-2010, 11:12 PM
ZipperJJ ZipperJJ is online now
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Northeast Ohio
Posts: 16,649
I know this is not "need answer fast" quality but...

Did you guys outfit the bathroom for him? After my SIL's knee surgery, my brother hooked her up with a raised toilet seat and I think even a toilet safety frame. IIRC she used them for over a month.

If he's going to be having more surgery, you might consider outfitting the bathroom, just so you can feel safe about him going in there alone.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 07-03-2010, 09:34 PM
maggenpye maggenpye is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Antibacterial moist towelettes for the toilet. I was in a no-walk cast recently and made sure that, both at home and at work, I could clean my hands before using my crutches. You can even add a little pack to the monkey bag.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:13 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

Send questions for Cecil Adams to: cecil@chicagoreader.com

Send comments about this website to: webmaster@straightdope.com

Terms of Use / Privacy Policy

Advertise on the Straight Dope!
(Your direct line to thousands of the smartest, hippest people on the planet, plus a few total dipsticks.)

Publishers - interested in subscribing to the Straight Dope?
Write to: sdsubscriptions@chicagoreader.com.

Copyright © 2013 Sun-Times Media, LLC.