My DIY Hip Kit
1. Patience – an endless source is required, to deal with;
a. Constantly dropping things (full pet bowls, grabbers, crutches, anything in your hands which suddenly seem to be full of jumping beans)
b. People asking dam fool questions/making silly statements (you’re far too young to need the op; why aren’t you walking properly yet, you had the op a week ago)
c. For partners/family/friends who, despite you constantly telling them, seem to forget that you can’t bend down to pet the cat, pick something up, tidy up etc)
d. Yourself – there is no hurry to do things, take your time, allow yourself to sleep if you need to, do nothing if that’s what you feel like doing. This one is probably the hardest
2. How to deal with no upstairs bathroom – plastic bottle and a Sheewee. Not a 100% successful solution but best one so far.
3. Make sure you have at least 4 grabbers (living room/kitchen/bathroom/bedroom) – otherwise the grabber will always be in the wrong room.
4. Grabbers are multi-purpose, they can grab (of course), pick up, put down, hold things – (yet more) patience is needed to learn the other things.
5. Helpful spouses – a bit of a rare breed, so do not get impatient with them (see point 1c). Remember they are trying hard. Accept that just because they don’t do things the way that you do, it doesn’t mean they’re doing it wrong – just differently.
Finally, just accept that, for the moment, you can't do what you normally do and enjoy the me-time that this gives you.
Happy healing.