Chapter 2
Living with a Stent

Chapter 3
Living with Palliative Care

Sections

1)
Introduction
2)
Background
3)
Deciding on a Stent
4)
Having the Stent Inserted
5)
Pain
Eating again!
6)
Some Limitations and Hints
7)
Conclusion

Last Revised, 05-Nov-2002
Copyright © 2002

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Some Limitations and Hints

        Bending over and tying my shoes could cause problems. It is very easy to forget and pick something up off the floor, such as a fork dropped at the dinner table. I have ruined a meal or two this way. Reaching something that has fallen in an awkward spot was also a problem and sometimes the only solution is for it to stay there until someone else can retrieve it. I have become very adept at picking up things from the floor with a foot and retrieving it from there.

        Having the stent along with other medical conditions causes other problems for my wife and me. I do not look weak or sick, and standing by while my wife picks up heavy item from inside the trunk of the car or does other work normally done by the man can cause embarrassment if seen by strangers. My wife often does those things for me and it has led to people openly making remarks about me being lazy or worse.

        In the past, trying to avoid such embarrassing situations, I have done the lifting or bending over myself. This has resulted in a trip to the ER. My wife has spent many an hour waiting around hospitals and has made it amply clear that she did not appreciate it and threatened to “wring my neck” if I continued to play the “he” man. (I wonder what “wringing my neck” would do to the stent)? The point is, the EC and stent alone puts limitations on what you can do. You must overcome the urge to ignore these limitations. Do not do the task yourself just to avoid embarrassment as the consequences can be very serious.

        Your family, friends, and neighbors not only will accept the situation but also are more than willing to lend a hand.

        These limitations and special needs for sleeping, in themselves, do not prevent many activities, but they do require extra planning. The availability of adequate medical facilities must be taken into account.
 
 

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