Best friend with pneumonia/pleurisy and young baby..(m)

[Elibean]

I've just had a text from her: yesterday we both had heavy colds, today I still do but she is in hospital with IV antibiotics. She has a four year old and a five month old, and her DH will take time off but its hard.

I'm obviously going to do what I can to help - but as have virus and 2yr old dd am bit limited: also not v. close by. Thought would try and source/pay for extra help, if she'll let me. Does anyone have any ideas about finding trustworthy, reliable home help in the Woking area? I remember some names of agencies on Spacey's thread, but can't find it and not same area....

Can't help but just bumping the thread in case someone else can.

Thanks WWB.

Just spoke to her DH - he's taking the baby in for feeds, but hospital won't let her stay (made sense, sort of). They are ??ing Legionnaires disease on top of pneumonia/pleurisy, though sounds pretty unlikely. Poor love is very teary about being away from her babe

oh no your poor friend, i dont know of any reliable agencies but i will email nannyk if you like and see if she knows of any, i know she also posts on a nanny forum that might help.

Thanks Spacey...xx

Poor thing, I hope she manages to find some help. She will probably need help for quite a while after she comes out of hospital, I had pleurisy and slight pneumonia with a partially collapsed lung and it took me at least a month before I stopped feeling really exhausted. I didn't have ds then, but I couldn't have managed him alone if I had.

Thanks Bran, it does help a lot to have some idea of what she'll need. She's a 'coper' and I need info to bludgeon her into resting and letting others help!

Found nice sounding woman running nanny agency in Woking (Playtimes) but if anyone has other suggestions very very welcome.

its going to be slow really, its now over a month since i first fell ill with it, once she ahs fought off the initial illness she will feel exhausted for a long time, she needs help with housework and childcare to start with, so that she can just rest and sleep when she needs it, a mothers help would be ideal.

She has said ok to getting help for a couple of weeks - do you think that would be long enough? I was thinking full time for two weeks, part time for two, maybe?? I really have no idea - neither does she. Its hard, 'cos I have to tell agency what we need in advance.
Thanks for chipping in, spacey, it helps a lot. She's feeling awful, still waiting for antibiotics to kick in and reduce temp - then they'll let her home.

gosh you're lovely

definitely takes a long time to recover and the more you do too early the more risk of relapse

yes, she will def need full time for 2 weeks, then perhaps take it from there, she should feel better in regards of the infection once the ab's are finished but it will be some time before she fully recovers, pluerisy itself is very debilitating, with out pneumonia as well.
im waiting on a reply from nannyk

Thanks all....I'm not that nice, she means a lot to me and has seen me through several lifetimes' worth of stuff! I feel much more equipped to help knowing realities of how p & p makes you feel, and for how long - thanks again.

xxxxC

no probs elibean, im still waiting to hear from nannyk, but do keep us updated as to your friends progress

She's responding well to the ABs - will probably be allowed out tonight, to continue oral ABs at home. She's asked me to sort her out a nanny for the afternoons next week and the week after, thinks she'll be ok with mornings as the 4 year old is an easy child, dresses herself, etc and her Mum will take her to playschool at lunchtime. Her DH will do all the shopping and cooking, so she just wants to be able to kip in the afternoons....and have someone collect DD1, play with her, bath the children, put them in pjs, cook fish fingers for DD1 etc.
I think she'll be surprised how much more knackered she is once she's home, but we'll see!
Thanks again, SC and all...will have to get on to agencies this afternoon.

Haven't been able to find any help yet, so bumping this......any afternoon (2.30-6.30ish) nannies in Woking, for two weeks or so? I know its a long shot, but just in case anyone knows of any...they're a really lovely family!

elibean, try posting in childminders, im afraid i havent heard from nannyk, i know shes busy job hunting at the mo.

Thanks, Spacey - I did just that! But then a really nice woman called back from an agency (she hadn't been able to help earlier, I tried at least four) with the perfect p/t nanny between jobs.....so I think we're sorted. Huge relief.
Without knowing about your experience, I wouldn't have had a clue what to do/suggest: you've made a huge difference to a whole family. K is home now, sounding weak but much relieved to know help is coming next week. Thanks so much for your support! xxxC

im really pleased to here youve managed to get her some help, i bet your friend is relieved to be coming home too, shes very lucky to have afriend like you, heres to her recovery