Lone parent going into hospital

[AWomanIsEnough]

I'm a lone parent with no family and no support from DC's father. I'm due to have a total knee replacement sometime in the next few months. What will happen to the children while I'm in hospital and afterwards?

I won't be able to drive for 6 weeks at least. School is 3 1/2 miles away with no buses. I'm terrified and thinking I'll just have to cancel and put up with severe chronic pain until they are all 16+ unless there is any support available.

Any advice gratefully received.

Are there friends they can stay with when you are in hospital - then can you get a taxi firm to take them to and from school once you are back?

Or there are arrangements that need money throwing at them e.g. hire a short stay au pair or nanny who can drive?

How old are the children? I'm not a lone parent but I did delay major surgery for two years because DH could only take a cou0le of weeks off and I couldn't drive for three months (check it's only 6 weeks you can't drive, mine was 12) so couldn't get them to school. I waited until DC was a secondary school and could walk.

Which knee is it? Slightly better if it's left as you'll be able to drive an automatic sooner (but definitely not immediately, it's a massive surgery which takes months to recover from). My MiL had the surgery recently.

How old are your children?

Any friends that can help? Depends how old the children are really?

If all goes well you will be able to drive within 3-6 weeks. I can't remember exactly how long it was for me but I know it wasn't as long as when I broke my wrist.

Maybe postpone it until the beginning of the summer holidays if you have no help for the school run but I wouldn't advise putting it off for too long, your knee will only get worse. I put my surgery off for a year because I couldn't afford to be out of action and I really wish I hadn't, I was in so much pain and really struggling to walk in the end.

Have you asked the school? They might know of any organisations that can help or other nice parents who travel past your house?
One of my LP friends was homebound post op and we had a lovely female vicar who helped her with the school run.

How old are the children?
Have you considered friends?
Contact the school, they deal with things like this quite a lot. They will be able to help directly or refer elsewhere. For example, the school had its own minibus and would collect and drop the dc's for me. Another school where I lived closer, staff would walk and get them for me. There was also referrals to services that would pop in and give practical help.

Don't delay the op. It will make things worse.
I know how hard it is to be in this position. There will be solutions.

Then there are neighbours. You will be surprised how people do support each other.
As long as your not a cheeky fucker and reciprocate when you can, people really don't mind helping out where they can.