I'm on the waitlist for my ablation , and am getting more and more concerned about how I will take care of myself afterwards. I'm widowed and live alone with no family or friends nearby to help so will need to manage alone. I'm rural with an old coal fired rayburn to feed twice daily which entails carrying coal etc.
Has anyone else managed well alone after ablation? Any ideas, tips, reassurance welcomed!
many thanks friends
Hi there. I do totally understand your worry. I am not in that position but I know that over the years there have been people on the forum who have had to manage alone although maybe not in such an isolated location. Do you have any neighbours who would keep your Raeburn topped up at the very least as that would be your main problem. I have found that after my ablations I have been very tired for at least a week. Making simple meals and pottering around is fine but heavy graft/ lifting is a No!Have you told them at the hospital where you will be having it done? At the very least they may keep you overnight which would be a bit of a head start. I hope others will reply with more useful help than I able to give.
All the best
Jane
Thanks for taking the time to reply. Yes, I mentioned to the Afib nurse who reffered me and she said the hospital would probably keep me overnight as I live alone. But I'm hoping that wont delay my appointment as beds are in such short supply! Im on the waitlist and dont want to cause any further delays. ...
An 85 yr old acquaintance had an ablation last year. She did not receive much info, not interested in knowing more.She has a very quiet life. Shopping by taxi once a week. Occasional visits from son who lives 2 hours away. He picked her up after her ablation and they stopped at Asda to do her shopping on the way home.
She had a couple of visits from a "heart nurse". Who reassured her about odd symptoms she had and all is well.
Agree the Rayburn will be too much at first. Maybe there is a local "lady that does" or teenager, who you could pay to feed it twice a day ?? If anyone asks if you need help say yes please. If you are retired maybe a friend, same age would enjoy staying for a few days. You would do it for others. Don't be afraid to ask the worst that could happen is a no. x
Regarding food it is worth spending some time pre procedure to prepare some freezer meals so you can just warm them up. Speak to social services about temporary home care would be a good idea. Even a week would help.
Hi Bunny.
I've been left on my own a few days after having an ablation. there's no way of knowing how you will feel after having yours. After my first two I felt a little drained for a week or so, but could cope with daily life. After my third I felt immediately well. You may get good energy days and then on others feel drained. You shouldn't feel too bad and still be able to do light housework.
Re stoking your Rayburn, why not put some rubber gloves on, put a few pieces of coal on a shovel and feed the fire little by little. You need somehow to have a store of coal indoors and not down too low so that you don't have to keep bending. I envisage half an oil drum on a small table. Have you anything you could use similar to that for a few weeks or so? Also if you have a freezer stock it up with enough meals to see you over a week or so.
In my small town there is a voluntary group that will help, you just have to ask. Do you have one in your nearest town or village? Do an online search. So many people enjoy helping others and would be only to pleased to help you. What part of the country do you live in - just in case you're a few miles from me?
Jean xxx
Thanks so much. I've messaged you.xx
Lots of good & helpful suggestions, also think about having food etc delivered for a short while until you get back on your feet which I’m sure will not be long. Perhaps see if your local Age Concern office is able to offer any short term help if necessary……..
Good call for Age Concern, now re branded Age UK. They have volunteers, sometimes who stay overnight.
Stash coal in the house before procedure and feed the fire little and often, have you considered buying ready meals just for a week or so. Speak to the hospital as your discharge package should be tailored to your specific needs. Don’t be afraid to speak out and tell them your concerns, the OT can arrange a home visit before your admission to recommend what’s needed for a safe discharge.
Any chance of your staying at a Premier Inn/Travel Lodge for a couple of days after the procedure? If you are in the ‘right’ area they have some very good deals. Can you ‘park’ a supply of coal near the Raeburn beforehand and feed in small quantities at a time? A stock of bought or homemade ready meals for a few days is helpful. ParsleyBox does meals that don’t need to be stored in a refrigerator, quite small but you probably won’t feel like too much and there are usually introductory offers in newspapers. They were a godsend when my husband came out of hospital needing main meals in the middle of the day. Really the only thing you need help for is carrying anything heavy. I don’t remember being ‘looked after’ post my ablation, I was hosting Christmas 10 days later 🧑🏻🎄
Age Concern/UK are a charitable organisation who have volunteers that will make sure you get home and then they will visit you regularly to ensure you are coping. They will do a small shop for you and check that the house is warm for you on discharge from hospital. For the next 6 weeks or so, they will also liaise with other groups to ensure you are getting the care you need.If you haven't already, sign up for home delivery from Ocado or Tesco who have slots for vulnerable people. They will bring your delivery into the house if you ask.
Take care and don't worry. X
Lots of good advice so not much to add. Perhaps buy an extra kettle (you can get very cheaply) and put it with a toaster on a tray in your bedroom. Useful if you just don't want to get out of bed in the mornings. Ready meals are a good idea unless you're happy to pre cook. I'd definitely be staying overnight if given the option. Living a long way from the hospital where I had my ablation we also chose to stay 1 extra night at the visitor's wing, which is in the hospital grounds. Even though I wasn't on my own it made a difference. Its basuc accommodation usually with washbasin and kettle in the room, loos and kitchen with fridge and microwave down a corridor. Tell them you're post op and they'll put you close to facilities. Depends on whether you'd be less stressed at home, or closer to the hospital. The main thing to avoid is bending down, or forward. If you're filling the Raeburn have a lowish stool close by and if necessary sit on it to put fuel in. Always lean on something if you need to pull yourself up, don't use your abdominal muscles too much. Think of the middle part of you needing to be in a stiff corset - pretend it can't bend - that's how I managed after ablation number 2. Made lots of mistakes first time round as I'm normally agile and flexible 😉.
I didn't have to manage alone, so I feel for you, but I know that I could have done. The post-procedure period was very straightforward for me (well, until I was told to stop my bisoprolol, when I had a bout of bad AF, but even that went away eventually with a further magic tablet). I feel sure that you will be 100% fine, Feeding an AGA isn't something I've ever had to do, but I am sure you will be okay if you take your time and take care - which you will. Mention this to the nurses in the hospital, though, as they are best placed since we are all just that little bit different from each other in what our hearts are like, and, I suppose, what the incision in the groin does to us. Keep an eye on that over the days and make sure you have the phone number of the department in case you have a question.
Steve
I live alone and have had three ablations. Ask them to keep you in overnight. I’d get plenty of coal in so you don’t have to lift heavy loads. Otherwise you’ll be okay.
I too was on my own. Order in food b4 hand. And I just slept a lot, prob due to the anaesthetic. And rested and did a bit more each day.
If you have the finances, another option could be to book a couple of nights in a nursing home so that you can relax in the knowledge that nursing care is on hand if needed. A friend of mine who lives alone did this to convalesce following a knee op. I agree an ablation is not such a major procedure, but it might still be advisable to either have someone at home with you for a couple of days or book in somewhere so you have someone about. Even a hotel or guest house that does food may be an option as then you could just let them feed you when you need it!
Although I agree with what others have said about being ok after the procedure, there is always the possibility that you won't feel quite as good yourself. It's good that they will let you stay overnight as I had a bleed from the groin wound a couple of hours after getting home on the day of my procedure and the ammount of blood was quite alarming, not to mention messy! It was quickly stemmed but, even so, it was worrying. I wouldn't have wanted to be alone when it happened. Thankfully, my dear husband took charge of all the clearing up!
If you are not in a position to do this, do as others have suggested and get plenty of Raeburn fuel indoors and put it somewhere handy so that you don't have to carry anything heavy for a while. Also, I'd suggest only using small ammounts of water in your kettle for a day or two and get the ready meals stocked up! You don't want to be lifting pans on and off the stove if you don't need to - they can be heavier than you realise.
Apart from the bleed from the wound, I was fine after my ablation - much better than I expected to be - but I still let my husband fuss around me for a couple of days. I didn't shower for a few days - just had a strip wash and washed very gently around the wound. I was soon up and 'running' again (that's a laugh - me running! 🤣).
Try not to worry about it, as if you HAVE to be at home alone, I'm sure you'll be ok. As long as you have at least the first night in the hospital and take it easy when you get back you'll most likely be absolutely fine! Just don't go overdoing things because you feel ok after a day or two. It's tempting, but they say your heart needs to heal.
There's a great info sheet available on here re what to expect during recovery. I expect you've seen it already, but, if not, I'd advise you to download it. It helped me a lot.
Hope all goes well for you!
xx Moy
Great advice on here Bunnyuk. I dont know when you expect your ablation but preparation is so important. But please do ask people for help. Age related charities, volunteer charities, if someone asked me I would be more than happy to help as would most people I know. You may have to invest some money to get said help (for fuel perhaps) but your health is worth it. Do you have a church where you live? If yes ask the person in charge if they can suggest anything. You dont have to be a member to get help. I live in the South of uk, where are you?
Thank you for your reply and suggestions. I'm I rural North Devon
Bit far for me to 'nip over' sadly. But worth a try.
I too live alone, but had no problems after both my ablations. I was worried about going up and down stairs, cleaning cat litter, etc., but I just took things slowly. Perhaps you could carry smaller loads of coal with more trips. Exercise is good, just not done strenuously. I began gardening too soon and paid the price, but it wasn't a big deal after I rested the next few days after.
Hi, I've had two ablations - cryo and RF - and was alone after both. Beforehand I prepared as much as I could - did all the cleaning, all the washing, all the gardening, all the shopping that would keep me going for at least a week afterwards. I filled the fridge and freezer with food, including some ready meals. I cancelled everything I usually do so I wouldn't need to go out and just gave myself free time to rest with plenty of entertainment on hand eg TV, books. I made sure there were people I could call on my mobile if I got at all worried and the hospital gave me the number of the cardiac nurses. Both times it worked out well and I think taking it easy for the first week post ablation really helped my recovery. I would do it again with no qualms. You're not supposed to lift anything for some time (I can't remember how long) so perhaps you could stock up a few buckets of coal next to the Rayburn so that you only need to transfer small amounts from the buckets to feed it. Good luck with it.
Hi Bunnyuk here is a link to social care reenablement team for North Devon there is a number to call and they should be able to put this in place to get carers in to help you post op, as far as I understand it should be free for 4 weeks post discharge, but you'll need it in place before so might be good to contact them early. I do hope you get all the support you need to feel well post procedure devon.gov.uk/care-and-healt...
I was alone for my first two ablations. Honestly I was glad because I slept a lot the first day or two. I had no difficulty in fact it was easier because I felt so much better. Just remember to follow instructions including not lifting more than 5 pounds for several days. That may be a problem for you with the coal but otherwise you should end up surprised at how easy everything goes. Best of luck. Just plan what you were going to eat so you have everything stocked for a couple of days. Sometimes it’s easier being alone without someone hovering or you feeling like you have to entertain them when you really want to sleep.
Do you have any other source of heating or could you borrow or buy an oil filled radiator to help with heating requirements
Arrhythmia after ablation
A-Fib after an ablation.
SVT back after ablation? 
problems after ablation 
