What can I do here - hospital/covid related

[DifficultPifcultLemonDifficult]

I have to get an operation in the next 6 weeks. Can't be put off at all.

I got all the details from the hospital earlier, and I really cannot see how I can stick to the guidelines.

They have requested that my whole household self isolates for 2 weeks prior to my operation.

I have 5 dc here, they go to nursery, college and school. I'm quite poorly a lot of the time at the moment so my 19yo comes back to stay/help me, and my partner comes by to stay/help out too (I have days where I sleep, or am up to my eyeballs on strong meds and can't deal with kids or am in agony)

The only way to do this would be for my ds or partner to move in for 2 weeks and I isolate in a room alone for and they take time off (both ds and partner have booked time off after my op so no leave available from work for before my op though). This would also mean my dc aren't able to attend school college etc as well.

I'm in a real panic, I need this op but there are no real feasible options I can see.

Does anyone have another master plan or any advice, or has had an op and managed to isolate in tricky circumstances.

Under different circumstances I would put the operation off, but it really is very urgent.

Someone moves in with you for 2 weeks and you self isolate at home. Its shit but 2 weeks will pass quicker than you think.

DP has surgery on Tuesday, he has been told to have a COVID test 72 hours prior to his admission, once this is done he has to self isolate until admission. It might be worth asking if that was a possibility?

Potentially dp or ds could get emergency leave to do this (unsure as their jobs are just back and they are really busy) if they can't get time off (or can't afford 2 weeks without pay) I have nobody else, and even if they can my older kids would understand me being stuck in a room away from them, but my little ones are 3 and 5 and wont understand at all.

I can't see a way around this.

DP has surgery on Tuesday, he has been told to have a COVID test 72 hours prior to his admission, once this is done he has to self isolate until admission. It might be worth asking if that was a possibility?

Thanks, in the information it says i have to isolate my household for 14 days and get a test 48 hours before my op (the hospital is 80 miles away so I'll need to get a lift there from someone anyway for the test and the op as I can't drive).

I'm going to email the surgeon and ask if the 14 days isolation is necessary if I'm getting a test anyway and hope he says it's fine as long as im really careful.

I'm really panicking about this.

can your ds coms and stay to look after the little ones and take them to school etc and you can and self isolate at your partners house. and he works from home?

Can you not get a test to do at home, instead of having to drive that far?

My dp and ds can't work from home, and both have their days off booked to look after me after the op although their bosses know my situation and seem quite understanding so may be able to get some time off. Ds wouldn't be able to look after them all for 2 weeks alone anyway.

Dp has a kid as well so can't isolate there either

The hospital have said they need to do the test themselves, not sure of the reason for that.

It's all just a nightmare. I'm very grateful to be getting my op after a long scary wait, but the logistics are a real nightmare.

Different hospitals have different procedures, and even within hispital trusts there may be different procedures depending on how 'clean' the area in which you will be treated.

The only way to do this would be for my ds or partner to move in for 2 weeks and I isolate in a room alone for and they take time off

Do this, because the alternative would be asking for a new date (and possibly location) for the procedure.

(You can't not isolate, because that just wrecks the systems in place to protect extremely vulnerable patients who have to be treated in designated 'clean' facilities

The hospital have said they need to do the test themselves, not sure of the reason for that

It's their duty of care to every patient who goes in to 'clean' facilities

Speak to the ward you will be admitted too. And ask their advice. They may be able to admit you straight to a side room if you can't self isolate. We have stopped insisting our patients do this. We just swan on admission now.

Theres 2 solutions really

Either all 5 children and you self isolate, with maybe an additional person to help, or your children go to stay with someone else for 2 weeks.

Generally rules are quite set and are set by the hospital/theatres not the surgeon, and arent very flexible. Regardless if the operation is urgent and you are reliant on a negative covid swab i wouldnt want to do anything that might jeopardise that negative swab tbh, and 5 dc all in varying schools sounds like a recipe for covid

Thank you all

I absolutely wont be lying to the hospital or doing anything to put anyone in danger.

Just having a panic about the whole thing and the logistics of totally isolating when I'm a single parent of 5 children.

The hospital have also said that if I have someone to look after me I will be let out the same night as i live a couple of miles from another hospital, but it's a really serious op so I'm nervous about that too.

I'll ask ds and dp about extra time off their work, and I'll email my surgeon and take it from there.

5 dc all in varying schools sounds like a recipe for covid

I know we are in a really low rate area (at the moment) but it's a constant worry.