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Coping with inactivity!

(20 Posts)
Saralou18 Sat 08-Apr-17 21:15:12

I am recuperating from a bunion op which means I have to spend at least 2 weeks sitting with my foot elevated. It's not too painful, just uncomfortable and I'm not used to doing nothing! My newly retired DH is great, almost too great as he has decided that he has to do everything exactly as I did especially with the meals. This means making soups, casseroles etc. He's always asking me and it's tricky as I rarely use recipes! I find it difficult to give all the detail necessary? I find myself wishing he would go fora ready meal or beans on toast!. Anyone else experienced this ? Alsoany tips on coping with a period of enforced inactivity, apart from reading all the posts on GN!,

tanith Sat 08-Apr-17 21:34:59

I'm going to be laid up for a couple of weeks after surgery soon, I have plans to catch up on lots of books, I'm knitting for a new Grt Grandchild, watch some Box sets that I never have time for usually.
If I were you I'd tell OH you fancy this or that rather than him ask you. That way you can ask for exactly what you fancy. Have plenty of quiz/crossword/adult colouring books handy if you like that sort of thing. I hate sitting still too but I know I'm taking it easy for a good reason.
Good luck.

tanith Sat 08-Apr-17 21:35:51

I was talking about food fancys by the way grin

Cherrytree59 Sat 08-Apr-17 21:47:35

What other Fancy's are there tanith??grin
I sympathies Saralou I also had a newly retired DH when I had an op last September,
luckily weather was still OK to sit outside for a while.
I also did a fair amount of reading and spent a lot a bit of time on GN.

trisher Sat 08-Apr-17 21:56:31

Find lots of complicated recipes on the internet, print them out and pass them on to him, that should keep him busy for a bit. Especially if you choose ones that mean he has to go shopping for ingredients.
Take up drawing and painting. Buy some pencils/ charcoal/paints and just go for it. You can draw the view from a window, set up a still life or make your DH sit for his portrait.
If you have lots of photos it might be an opportunity to sort them and label them.
Start to research your family tree on-line.

cornergran Sat 08-Apr-17 22:17:14

Fortunately Mr c was still working part time when I had a bunion op. He did insist on bringing in a 'minder' for his first work day, only the once you understand. shock. I am usually active, was working. I enjoyed those two weeks. I read, planned, dreamed, watched rubbish tv, sat with my foot propped by the computer, sorted photos and did some family research. I did far too much internet shopping and enjoyed not having to cook. Mr C is no cook so we did have jacket potato, beans, soup, eggs. I ate a lot of salad. So not hassled about food. Just let it happen, it is worth keeping your foot elevated, it does help healing. The two weeks soon passes, why not enjoy them?

Izabella Sun 09-Apr-17 08:32:43

I had both of mine done years ago plus my first toe on the R. Foot had some bone nibbled (removed) I was in plaster for 6 weeks which I don't think they do these days. Up and about on crutches and legs elevated during sitting. I was completing my second degree at the time so the time was very well spent doing that. The joy of time off instead of studying in a three shift system!!

Why not look at some future learn courses? Am sure you will find things better when all healed. I was able to do a full shift on my feet afterwards without pain and 3 or 4 changes of shoes. Bliss.

janeainsworth Sun 09-Apr-17 09:12:17

After I had a detached retina I had to sit still with my head lowered and not move.
I was allowed 5 minutes per hour to go to the loo, supervise what MrA had been doing in the kitchen and check he had done the washing properly etc.

I couldn't read comfortably but got out some abandoned knitting and finished a cardigan I had started many years previously.
A friend went to the library and got me some audio books which I really enjoyed, and alternated with Radio 4.

Hope your foot is soon better saralou

Saralou18 Sun 09-Apr-17 09:15:03

Thank you all for the responses! I am finding this community of GNers most helpful. I wish I could knit especially as a have a newish GD. I am a v keen gardener so I'm finding all this glorious weather difficult; if it were raining sitting around would be much easier.
I did think about getting out the kids old crayons and acquiring a colouring book.
I have a rather puritanical attitude to daytime TV but the radio is wonderful. I love radio 4 extra.
Family tree research is a great idea, I've been thinking about doing some for a while.
Enjoy the sunshine!!

janeainsworth Sun 09-Apr-17 09:33:40

Oh I sympathise re the garden Saralou!

Jalima1108 Sun 09-Apr-17 10:10:17

I had my leg in plaster last year and caught up with knitting, family history, dreaming about how I was going to rush round as soon as the plaster was off (I'm not exactly rushing).

I know it needs to be elevated but can you get around at all? I whizzed around on a typing chair and found I could do quite a lot. DH did a lot of cooking at first then discovered that M&S meals for two were not bad at all!
Giving him some recipes from the internet will keep him happy, good idea trisher, however he may soon get fed up - or he may find his hidden chef. DH's has disappeared again.

And getting some sunshine should help with the healing, you can plan what you're going to do in the garden - perhaps draw or paint some colourful garden plans.

Christinefrance Sun 09-Apr-17 10:11:13

I'm having a period of enforced inaction and it's so frustrating. Have to bite my tongue when things are not done as well as I would like. My husband has worked so hard keeping everything together. I am an avid reader but find there is only so much I can do, word games and puzzles help pass the time as does GN. Wish I had lost my appetite, it's very easy to sit and snack.smile

trisher Sun 09-Apr-17 10:49:17

Saralou18 forgot to say that sites like Ancestry do a 14 day free trial-as long as you cancel before the first payment date it is absolutely free. Of course you might find it addictive.
If you like doing science or history things you might look at Zooniverse
www.zooniverse.org
citizen research- keeps you busy for hours.

TriciaF Sun 09-Apr-17 11:11:48

Jalima's idea is good (typing chair.) Couldn't you borrow or hire a basic wheelchair for a while?
So difficult, it would drive me mad. But could happen to any of us, I fall often.

Jalima1108 Sun 09-Apr-17 11:51:44

The Red Cross hires out wheelchairs, I think £1 a day, but I could get around at home on hard floors in the typing chair by pushing with the good foot.
Mind the paintwork though!

Saralou18 Sun 09-Apr-17 12:04:12

Agree with having to avoid the snacking!

Saralou18 Sun 09-Apr-17 12:06:10

And avoiding the comments when things are not done exactly as I would like!

Charleygirl Sun 09-Apr-17 13:09:47

Not all wheelchairs have a leg elevator attached to them. The vast majority are basic, getting people around from A to B with most needing somebody to push the chair.

Jalima1108 Sun 09-Apr-17 17:54:07

Oh dear, yes, I am trying to get off the weight I seem to have gained when I wasn't active.
Despite my resolutions, it seemed to come from nowhere!

Were the instructions to keep it elevated? I did try to do that as much as possible but some of the time it just wasn't possible and too much activity could lead to osteoporosis in that bone I was told.

Jalima1108 Sun 09-Apr-17 17:54:32

Sorry Sorry!!

Too much INACTIVITY!