Jewish Musings, Sunday 7/14

[lee058]

What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.



Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:



Frieda (hopefully)?

Holly

Lee

Louise

Lynne

Peachy



And for those of you that stop by to read this thread without posting — you are welcome to, but you are also welcome to chime in. Don’t be shy!

[lee058]

Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well and SAFE! Please pray for Israel.

Today's topic: Getting ready for complicated situations.

What have you got going on that you need to plan for, work around, and/or pray about?

For me, DH is having hip surgery tomorrow. DH, DS and I have been planning for this, and we will be working around his upcoming leg problems. I have been and will be praying for strength, patience and kindness (among other things) in dealing with the situation.

What has helped you in the past in similar situations? I would appreciate suggestions.

We have a lot of food that will be easy to prepare/reheat, and DH is going to cook today, so we will have ready to eat meals for at least a week (hopefully two). DS and I are going to help him today, as usual, and when DH isn't able to cook or clean up, we will take care of everything.

As for working around his upcoming leg problems, DH got a special chair that needs to be put in front of his computer. He got a cane and a walker, a raised toilet seat, and other apparatus. Of course, DS will be bringing him whatever he needs, and I will do what I can.

As for praying, I know I will need strength, patience and kindness. I'm working on these!!

I'm trying to remind myself that we have lived through difficult situations before, and we can do it again, God willing. I'm not looking forward to this, but am not frantic with worry or fear. I told DH that DS and I will do whatever is needed.

Have a peaceful day, Lee

[louise]

Wow, Lee, you sound really well prepared. It's important to be open to and ask for help as needed - I believe you are that. Please use your posts this week to tell us what is going on day by day. In this way we can support you and you share/vent as needed.

For myself I have to face moving my email from one computer to another and I have not been able to do that yet. Am always hopi ng today will be the day!

[gazelle18]

Lee, Best of luck and all good wishes to your DH, and the family!

Here is great advice I heard on the subject of prepping for difficult situations:

One time, years ago, we were in the car, evacuating because a hurricane was bearing down on the city. The traffic was bumper to bumper. We knew we had a few days of anxiety and tedium ahead of us. On the radio, a psychologist was asked: “What is your advice as we all prep for this hurricane?” He replied, “understand that just as you are anxious and scared, so are your loved ones. Be even kinder and more patient than you feel like being. Give those around you a pass when they act grouchy, and ignore as best you can mean words uttered in frustration.”

[peachymom1]

It sounds like you've done a lot of great planning and preparing, Lee, and I wish your DH an easy operation and a quick recovery!

When my DH had his hip replacement, he found three things particularly useful. The first is a sock-grabber - I don't know what else to call it. It's a nifty little thing he got on Amazon that helps you pull up your socks. The second is a long-handled shoehorn. The third is something you might already have - a grabber/reacher tool. DH was pretty self-sufficient during his recovery. I did have to help him with his compression socks. In fact, if you find some that zip up, those are great.

It's been nine years since DH's hip replacement, so things may have changed since then, but he was in the hospital only one night. The surgery was on a Thursday morning, and they released him Friday afternoon (I remember that we made it home in plenty of time for Shabbat). They had him up and walking the same day of surgery, and since we live in an upstairs apartment, they had him practicing in the hospital stairwells and made sure he could go up and down the stairs safely before they sent him home. A physical therapist (or maybe she was an occupational therapist) came over several times in the following couple of weeks to make sure he was getting around all right at home, and to show him some gentle exercises. Both sons were still at home at the time, and they helped me with all the cooking and cleaning, so DH could recuperate.

I like what Lynne said about thinking of others, because I know in times like this, my best support is to not only receive it from others, but to give it to others too. That way I don't focus overly much on myself.

I've been sick since Thursday and am feeling better today. It's just a cold, but Friday was bad enough that I took a sick day from work, and yesterday was the worst. I slept better last night though, and that helped. I think I'll be well enough to work tomorrow, so I'm going in the right direction!

[hollygail]

My DH had both of his hips replaced (about eight years apart). His main health care is through the Veterans Administration (and they provided all the hardware to take home, so we too have the cane, the thing that helps put on sox, the grabber thingy, and something that can be used both as a raised toilet seat or as a chair (with not much of a "back rest"). I didn't have to do much for him either time. The first few nights, he slept downstairs on an air mattress with the first hip; the second time, he was able to walk upstairs to sleep from the first night he was home (although I don't remember how many days he stayed at the hospital after the surgery either time; I seriously doubt it was only one night with the second hip replacement).

It sounds to me too like you're doing all the important things to prepare for his recuperation at home. Please keep us updated.

[lee058]

Thank you everybody!! The plan now is that DH will have his surgery (first one of the day), spend awhile in recovery, and then come home. If, God forbid, there are any problems, he may stay overnight, but the doctor is positive about DH's ability to make it home tomorrow afternoon.

We did a lot of prep and cooking today. There are still a few things that need to be done around the house, but I'd say we are mostly ready.

I hope I won't bend your ears too much about how I feel about the whole situation; I appreciate your help!!

Have a peaceful rest of the day/evening, Lee