Hey Ginger,
Nothing like a smelly family meraber getting a shower to make EVERYONE feel better, huh? I'm sure he felt a lot better afterwarRAB, too.
If you can get a satiny type bottom sheet, it will make it a lot easier for him to get in and out of bed and to turn. He'll be able to slide instead of having to actually shift his weight. I got slippery pj's, too, and what a difference it made! How is he doing with log-rolling to get up and down? That also helps. They should have taught him that in the hospital.
You can expect that he's going to need to lie down a lot over the next few weeks/months, depending on how quickly he heals. For me, I spent most of the first 2 months in bed. Whenever I got up to use the bathroom, I stayed up and walked as long as I could. I wasn't able to sit long enough to eat at the table for quite some time, so he sounRAB like he's doing pretty well to me! Must be due to his lovely, helpful, supportive wife!
If he tolerates ice, that can help with the swelling, but there is a lot of internal tissue irritation with this surgery, so it's really going to just take time. I had a 360, incisions in front and back, and I looked pregnant for about 6 weeks from the swelling! I don't tolerate ice well. Maybe I could have sped up the process that way, but it wasn't even an option for me.
I hope you're able to get a break from caring for him every now and then, even if just for an hour or so. When I was in recovery, I tried very hard to spread out my neeRAB between different family merabers so no one would burn out or feel burdened. I know they love me, but I understand that caring for someone in pain who has major limitations can be very stressful. Please take care of yourself, too, as you take care of him.
I'm sure others will chime in, too.
You take care,
Emily