Learning curve questions

Hi and welcome to the online community and I'm sorry to hear about your friend.

Depending on how the operation is carried out will determine the length of time but I would think possibly a week plus. The recovery time is a different matter and could be in excess of 6 weeks and she won't be allowed to lift anything heavier than a kettle.

Before your friend leaves home she will be accessed to see if she is able to go home and what help she has available before a decision is made. Her assessment will probably be made by the hospital OT and if the hospital has an in-house Adult care social worker from the local authority. I would leave looking and thinking about carers until she gets the hospital assessment, you never know she might be sent to a rehab home for a few weeks.

If you can try and be at the assessment meetings or if you can't manage is there someone else who could go to be in on the discussions.

You don't really want to be caring for someone even a good friend as you're in the process of recovering from your own cancer.

Hopefully someone will be along soon to answer the first of your questions.

Please keep in touch and ask us as many questions as you like, we are here to help you.

Ian 

Many thanks for explaining the process.  She is taking a sensible friend with her to assessments prior to admission. Although she lives not far from me, she is going to a hospital in the next county, and I don't like to commit to driving too far.

Hi 

Just a short ps to my previous message.

In my local area the Adult Social Care Team have produced this booklet, whilst it might be different in your area, you or your friend should have a word with your local county council to see what help is available

Returning home from hospital

Finding Adult Social Care from your local council

Age UK also can help and you can access your local branch here

Age UK in your area

I hope the above is of help and would ask you to note that if your friend is like the rest of us in her age group she will be reluctant to ask for help, it's not charity it's something she needs. Some of the services are free others are paid for but she has nothing to lose by having a care assessment, at the very least she will be on the Adult Social Care Teams "radar" for the future.

Feel free to come back to me if you have any more questions, it will be my pleasure to help where I can

Ian

By clicking on any of the green text above will open up new pages for you.

Thanks again. I have trod some of this path already with my own cancer, though I didn't have surgery, just very harsh chemo and a stem cell transplant. Unfortunately Age Uk doesn't cover our area as we are very rural. I got some help from the Royal Voluntary Service but that depends on there being a volunteer available nearby. I think my friend will probably qualify for some free care, she has already had help with adapting her flat. I feel she probably has enough people rallying around her at the moment, but I know from experience that they can fade away when they feel the initial crisis has passed.

Hi ,

Recovery at home will depend a lot on how fit and active she is at the moment. I was able to go to the loo and shower myself two days after the surgery (although I sat on a chair in the shower and it took absolutely ages). By the time I was discharged I was comfortable with taking showers on my own (and no chair), but then I am almost half your friend's age. That would be the main thing in my opinion for any consideration to get extra care in.

Other practicalities to consider:

• Cleaning: She won't be able to do any heavy cleaning in the first 3-4 weeks after surgery. I found it useful to give my house a good spring clean before surgery, and made sure that all the laundry was done.
• Shopping: Walking around in the supermarket was not an issue (apart from getting tired easily in the early days) but carrying heavy shopping bags is a big no especially in the first 4-6 weeks. I would make sure that kitchen cupboards were filled up before surgery, and with a friend or two to run by the shop every now and then for essentials like milk, etc.
• Stretching: Stretching to reach anything high up is also a big no in the early weeks (and it will be too painful anyway). And it is worse if you are very short like me! So maybe a quick rearrange of things like kitchen cupboards to make sure anything that will be used on a regular basis is within very easy reach.
• Cooking: In each of my three surgeries last year I stayed with friends for the first week after discharge, but after that were able to cook for myself relatively easily (of course I wasn't doing big roasts or trying to chop up butternut squash or anything like that). It is not the most appetising, but maybe a supply of ready meals in the freezer for the first couple of weeks?

She should mention it to the hospital during her pre-op assessment that she live on her own. 

Do let us know how she gets on.  Give her all our best wishes for the surgery.

Kind regards,

Yolande

I am 70. My Op. was on May 16th.I had a left Hemicolectomy & approx. 6" of my colon was removed. Fortunately, I did not need Chemo. after. If she's been diagnosed with Bowel cancer, then yes...it is. My Op. was on Thursday & I was discharged the following Monday (Should have been Sunday, but I had no one to drive me home.) I relied on a good friend to shop for me for a week.Thereafter, I just went on as normal....shopping, housework etc. (I live alone.) However, everyone will have a different experience. You can't determine from the outset how she will be/ feel. Very much hope that all goes well with her.

Many thanks for all this. Because of her existing mobility problems she pretty much lives like this anyway. Glad you can both look forward to regaining normality.