So I am getting sleeved on July 16th. Will I be able to take care of myself and dogs or should I hire in nurse? I know it sounds crazy but trying to gauge my needs.

So I am getting sleeved on July 16th. Will I be able to take care of myself and dogs or should I hire in nurse? I know it sounds crazy but trying to gauge my needs.

I am single and family lives far away.

I think you should be fine. Just no bending or lifting for the first couple weeks. Talk to your doc.

Each person is different. I caught an upper respiratory virus in the hospital and was miserable for 2 weeks, but I was able to take basic care of myself and my cats. Dogs can be more work. Maybe you could hire someone to come in and take care of the dogs for the first week (walking, feeding, cleaning up the yard).

My Mom came down to be with me for the first week I was home and it was nice to have someone here, but I didn't need help going to the bathroom or showering.

Do you have friends that you could call on if you need something? How long will you be in the hospital? I think I have healed much slower than other people on this website, but I never needed a nurse after day 3 and I went home from the hospital.

Good luck, and I hope your surgery goes smoothly!

I think a nurse might be overkill, but you will probably need someone to get you home and maybe stick around that first day you're home (many surgeons require that before they'll release you). Do you have any local friends who might stand in for that short of a time?

As far as looking after yourself and your dogs, you should be pretty much good to go. I was reasonably mobile and functional within the first 36 hours after surgery. I probably wouldn't want to be hoisting a heavy dog around, but if it's a matter of letting them out, going for a short walk with them, and feeding them, I didn't have any issues doing that for my dogs during the day while my husband was at work, and I could have done it in the evening if he didn't do it.

You need someone to drive you home. I was perfectly able to care for myself as soon as I got home.

I will have someone drive me home. I don't have to walk the dog they can head out to yard. But didn't know about the bending to feed them and stuff.

Thank you everyone for your advice.