Lifting restrictions

[judecorp]

Next week is school vacation week. My mother is coming to visit at the end of the week and Jen is having gall bladder surgery on Friday, a week from today. I'm more than a little concerned about the lifting restrictions. She said she was told not to lift anything more than 10lbs for 4-6 weeks. 4-6 weeks of no help with the toddler? Are you freaking

Comments

[_delphiki_]

I was a single mom and I picked up my 18lb kid without any issues. He kicked me in the stomach so hard he busted my stitches too and I survived. That one did cause some issues though.

[judecorp]

I just worry that she's going to stick to the 4-6 weeks even if she is feeling good and I am going to be SCREWED. There is no way I can do everything, especially in the morning. It is too crazy. I mean, I /can/ but I am going to be fantastically late for work every day.

[_delphiki_]

I've never had that luxury, tbh. I know people hate the "bootstraps" argument, but in this case it's true. I've had several surgeries and my gallbladder removal was the least painful with the fastest recover time. Now, sinus surgery? That one was worse than a c-section by FAR.

[hep]

cosigned. gallbladder was so easy i almost didn't notice the surgery compared to my others. and i had a full incision for it, no camera :(

[hep]

i had my own surgery when my kids were about the same age. i also lifted stuff against dr recs. mostly tho i got down on the floor and played with the kids a lot for a few weeks. is it laparoscopic? the healing time for that is insanely fast. something like a day and a half and you feel totally normal. i've both laparoscopic procedures and full incision procedures and if they are using the camera to do the surgery she will feel almost normal by a couple days after.

[judecorp]

I hope that's true. The plan is for laparoscopic. She had a different laparoscopic abdominal surgery a little over a year ago. She had the surgery on a Thursday and went back to work that next Monday but she was mostly useless at home after work because she was wiped out for a good bit after that, maybe a week or two? And the baby was only a couple of weeks old at that point so lifting him was no big.

[jost]

I have no idea what the medical concerns about lifting weight after a surgery are, but I can tell you that I know a girl who had her gall bladder removed on a Thursday and the next night was drinking many tasty gin drinks with me, so there's that.

[judecorp]

I wish I was drinking tasty gin drinks with you!

[jost]

I'm Jost and I approve this message

[marshmelococoa]

Come up with a plan now - figure out the things she will be able to help out with that don't interfere with the lifting restrictions in case she doesn't handle it so well. If she handles it better and can help sooner - bonus. Also, find where you can enlist August for help

[judecorp]

Thanks for all of your great ideas.

I don't think she'll really be able to manage him at all. He is incredibly rough and squirmy and did I mention rough? Lots of pushing/hitting/kicking. Climbs on things and needs to be taken down. Good times.

Jen really has a difficult time recovering from things and I am worried that by the time she gets home from work, she's not even going to be up to standing. Perhaps I can get her to make the kids breakfast so I can grab a quick shower if I can get Elias into the high chair. My biggest worry is the early morning. Usually Jen is up with Elias from 6-7 while I catch an hour of sleep - sometimes the only real sleep I get. If she is not able to take him, I am going to have to get up with him in addition to sleeping with him. For 4-6 weeks. That is not going to be pretty.

[marshmelococoa]

Lucas is rough and wiggly too - I hate it. He makes all kinda of things uh harder than they need to be. I'm no help on getting the baby to sleep more either. We keep trying all kinds of things. Some things work for a day or two and then he reverts. It's really frustrating. And I know you and I agree - sleep is everything. If we got more/better of it - south would be so much easier. It's 11pm and Lucas is still running manic while fussing from exhaustion. Shoot me now. James has to get up in 6 hours which means we will all be up. Wish I had more ideas. I hope it all goes smoother than expected for you all!

[judecorp]

It's good to know that we're in the trenches together. xoxo

[rexlezard]

Oh poop!

Gaah. Hopefully she'll heal faster than that. I know several people who've had gallbladder surgery and they all felt so much better as soon as it was out, and then recovery was easy.

[judecorp]

From your fingers to God's LJ.