I am having surgery in December and will be unable to lift anything or do much for four weeks. I’m trying to figure out how to prep for this because I have 3 small (but not tiny) kids. Help!
For four weeks I won’t be able to lift anything and can’t bring my arms above my chest. It’s going to be right during the holidays. I’m thinking I need to wrap presents before the surgery. Maybe prepare easy freezer meals? What else? I need hive brainstorming here!
2 answers
Do you have stools that the kids can use to get up to places you’d normally help them?
I had to go 2 days without lifting for a medical procedure and had someone come over to help me. Four weeks is a lot longer, but I’d see what help you can get.
Pay attention now to the things you’re doing that you won’t be able to do during recovery and make adjustments. Dishes in the upper cupboards above your head that you use regularly? Move them down below. things like that.
- rachel—Moving the dishes down is a fantastic idea. As is a stool for getting the things that aren’t realistic to move down.
mamakat30
Ok a bunch of thoughts, some from helping my mom who has very limited abilities in both shoulders.
I’d do a run through day where you anticipate the needs you will soon have throughout the whole day. You’ll find lots of things you didn’t even think about. It will help to teach the kids any additional skills now so they can help such as knowing where all the cooking ingredients are located and how to carry laundry baskets. Also moving laundry from one machine to the next could potentially be difficult, not because of weight but just what you will need your arms to do.
Have the older kids learning to help with younger for car seat/backpack/sports gear needs.
It’s super helpful to have one of those lightweight three tier carts to have on hand, this will help you get things moved from room to room without carrying them. The kids can help push it too!
We switch over to using paper plates and bowls when a parent is not a full capacity and it makes a big difference!
Also a sling purse/fanny pack for your keys, wallet, phone ONLY…weighs close to nothing. Mine can clip on and off so you don’t have to put over head.
One possible area to consider is pulling open heavy doors and sliding open some glass outdoor doors that need a lot of force to open- these are also ones that your child at three and four would’ve struggled with. Do you have any of those that you will have to deal with?