How to cook & keep house with one arm?!

Snow_Angel

I hope you can all think of some inventive ideas!

In a few weeks I have to have a shoulder operation (my own fault - I used to live in Austria and I was skiing far too quickly one day :rolleyes: ).

Anyway, I won't be able to use my left arm for at least 3 weeks :eek: - it will be in a sling and I am NOT ALLOWED TO USE IT (that's Doc shouting...not me :rotfl: ). p.s. I'm right handed....phew!

I can forsee lots of problems. Here's a few I can think of and I'm sure there are lots of others I have not even begun to consider :

I'm a veggie and eat fresh veg every day. I'm not going to be able to chop veg for 5 weeks so rather than have to buy pricey pre-chopped stuff, I'm going to buys LOADS of veg before my op, pre-chop them and put them in portion sized bags full in the freezer.

My kind housemate will be chief jar and milk carton opener! But he's only my housemate (acquaintance) so I can't ask him to do too much.

I have already bought loofah for showering and being able to reach my back :rolleyes:

Have bought slip on shoes from Ebay and quite a few shirts in january sales so I don't have to worry about getting dressed too much.

What I'd like you to do is try to think of anything I may have trouble with and potential solutions? I know it's asking a bit much but you're all so clever at thinking of things like this. And as always I can't afford to spend much money.

Thanks :A

vixtress

you are in luck!!! i had a major op on my right shoulder in november. (yes i am right handed!) i was in a sling for6 weeks (totally immobile for about 3 weeks) and i am at home with a 4 yr old and a just turned 2 yr old!!

i batch cooked tonnes of meals in foil containers that went straight into the oven so no faffing about trying to transfer from tupperware. that worked well. chop, blanche and freeze loads of veg is a good idea.

fastening my bra was a tricky one, i spent at least the first week in OH's outsize t-shirts and no bra (not a nice thought) elastic waist trackie bottoms are a good idea as jeans are tricky to fasten, its not going to be your most stylist period!

cut your toe/finger nails the night before the op and if you dye your hair do that. if you have long hair that you tie up invest in a hairband to keep hair out of you face, its impossible to tie hair up with one hand!!

i would clean your house just before and then dont worry about it!! i would also recommend wearing your sling under a t-shirt otherwise you will try to use it without thinking, that hurts!

am sure i will think of loads more daft stuff, at least its not your right arm.

good luck

jessicamb

I was going to say its got to be fastening jeans - almost impossible to do one handed.

Good luck with the op and for what its worth 3 weeks of not doing major housework wont be disastrous . I would leave it until I was well again and concentrate on catching up with daytime TV . Or if you have [STRIKE]minions[/STRIKE] family get them to do the running around if at all possible .

Sorry not much help - but I just wanted to say good luck and hope it all goes well.

Wickedkitten

I shattered my elbow rollerblading and was in a cast for over a year. About the only thing I didn't manage was the bra but luckily the OH was more than happy to do that for me.

magnolia65

This one may sound stupid but....

Instead of toilet rolls would it be better to buy boxes of man size tissue for the loo.

You need 2 hands sometime to get paper off a loo roll, with a box on the floor you can hold the box with your foot/feet and one hand to pull sheets out with.

Snow_Angel

vixtress - Thanks! That's really helpful from someone who has had to go through it! Thankfully I don't have kids You did amazingly well to stay sane after that I reckon! Good idea about the track suit bottoms. And I bought a few pretty hairbands already (forgot about those)...I tried to teach my OH to do my hair up......what a disaster :rotfl: Unfortunately he works away for weeks on end so he won't be here now for my op anyway.

jessicamb - didn't think about jeans :eek: ... I think some of mine have zippers *runs to check cupboard*. And no chance of sitting down and taking it easy.....believe it or not, I'm in the 3rd year of a physio degree!!! At least I can teach myself my own exercises :rotfl: Figured it's easier to get the op out of the way now than to have it when I'm trying to get a job later his year.

Wickedkitten - ouch!

magnolia65 - good point, must go to supermarket later.

Thanks all

nearlyrich

My mum who is RH broke her collar bone last October, she really struggled with simple things like getting dressed, try pulling clothes on with one hand it's not easy. As someone else posted you might be living in your PJ's for a few days. Hope it's not too painful and you make a quick recovery.

rls1973

hi snow angel

good luck with your op.

for information about doing everything one-sided, try looking at the website that's in my signature, hemihelp. they are all about advice for people who can only use one side.

(don't worry, it's not spam, and it's not selling you anything : it's a charity and i have got permission to use it in my sig!)

hope you're not offended, as i know your one-sidedness is going to be only temporary, but they do have some really good information leaflets (which you can download for free) about techniques for doing things one-sided, little gadgets that are helpful, etc.etc.

hope it helps.
rachael.

edit to say: there's a leaflet about dressing yourself as well

Uniscots97

Hello Snow Angel I spent three months in a cast and was only able to use one hand. Easiest way to put a bra on one handed is using your good hand tuck the edge of your bra under your sling pull the bra round so the clasp is at the front and fasten then turn it round and pull on straps. Drying your hair could be a problem. If you know anyone that works in a lab or a school get them to get you a clamp stand from the lab i used this for my hair drier leaving my good hand free to brush my hair.

calleyw

My husband had a stroke in september and has what is kindly called leftside weakness.

He has learnt do so many things with one hand. I still have to do up his zips.

He found it best to wear jogging type bottoms and has a hell of a job with things like socks and opening tin cans etc.

He has what is called coiler laces these are pricey but they save you having to do up your shoes.

He is not bad in the kitchen and can prep his own lunch as he has a board with edges on it so that he spread butter on his bread.

There are many things out there if you look to help you live with it long term. But for a short term thing I would not bother buring extra stuff.

Yours


Calley

calleyw

rls1973 wrote:

hi snow angel

good luck with your op.

for information about doing everything one-sided, try looking at the website that's in my signature, hemihelp. they are all about advice for people who can only use one side.

(don't worry, it's not spam, and it's not selling you anything : it's a charity and i have got permission to use it in my sig!)

hope you're not offended, as i know your one-sidedness is going to be only temporary, but they do have some really good information leaflets (which you can download for free) about techniques for doing things one-sided, little gadgets that are helpful, etc.etc.

hope it helps.
rachael.

edit to say: there's a leaflet about dressing yourself as well

Thank you. As I have just mentioned my husband (only 44) suffered a stroke in september and he has leftside weakeness and is is getting some movement back but not sure how much he will get back.

So long term we need to look at ways to deal with his leftside weakness just in case it does not all come back.

I will pass this website on to him.


Yours


Calley