Hosting while broke(n)

Mainly here to commiserate, but open to any advice:

11 days ago, I stepped on a cat toy while carrying a shield and a snow shovel down the basement stairs. Slipped. Slammed onto the next step. Snapped my fibula and dislocated my tibia. I had surgery and am now limited to haunting my ground floor with a walker for the next 5-7 weeks before the Dr lets me put any weight on my leg.

Three days into our first guest of the season, and i’ve adjusted my calendar so I have a 24 hour break between guests. Very glad I’d been training my 11 year old how I like to make the guest bed. It’s up to him and my husband to recreate it. Pray for us. :wink:

I’m letting guests know that i’ll be greeting them from the sickbed rather than my feet, but the 11 year old will be home from school by the time they get here so he can guide them up the stairs.

Has anyone else hosted through unscheduled medical events? Any pointers?

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oh my gahd, hope all goes well.
I’m hosting whilst being slightly ‘up the spectrum’, and doing ok

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I was in a near-fatal car crash 20 months ago and I am confined to a wheelchair. I hope to be walking normally by August.

I greet our arriving guests at the front door in my wheelchair and briefly explain my accident. Then I say to relieve their awkward pity: “If I were a horse, I would have been put-down by now.”

Then I show how I made my broken metal leg-thigh plate into a windchime, which makes them laugh.

Unfortunately, I cannot yet help my wife change the downstairs guestrooms’ bed linens nor clean the guest bathroom until I can walk better.

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Ouch! So sorry this has happened to you!

Hopefully you will get people being thoughtful and gracious - they might even leave the room cleaner than ever in sympathy. Also what an opportunity for your 11 year old to feel very grown up and your husband to show what a great guy he can be.

Not fun, but based on your previous posts I’m sure you guys will get through this with flying colors!

Will hold good thoughts for you.

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Wow! So glad you are on the mend!

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Aiieee @Alia_Gee, that sounds horrendous. My commiserations.
I’ve been in a somewhat similar situation - I have a dodgy back and when it goes badly, it REALLY goes. I can barely walk. It’s only happened that bad twice during my hosting years and, like you, I’ve had to rely on family members to take over many basic tasks. All you can do is trust them! And not stress over it!

It’s great that you’ve managed to schedule a break between guests. And it’s good that you are letting guests know ahead of time what is the situation.

My only pointer would be - don’t give the impression that things are in any way out of control. Don’t say that your 11 year old will be cleaning (bless him to the hilt) or apologise for anything in advance - just simply say that due to your injury you will not be able to meet them at the door. You’ll be surprised at how well things will go, I’m sure :slight_smile: Sending you lots of good wishes

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So sorry! Hope that you are out of pain a remain so during your healing! If any guest is a pita just send their # over to us<><>

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Ouch!
I think I would mention the 11-year-old doing the cleaning and prep if it came up, @Alia_Gee. I picture guests making a fuss over him, poor little child labourer, showering him with stars.
I had the ‘flu once, and the guests on a retiree girls’ weekend rhapsodized the next day about the toast my husband made for them.
Seems he pulled it from the toaster quite brilliantly. :slight_smile:

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My leg immediately hurt in sympathy pain.

Here are my two cents—use it as you wish or not at all.

Do you charge a cleaning fee? If not, leverage that! Explain to guests that you appreciate their rental and you are trying to avoid charging a cleaning fee (or maybe charging a larger fee because you must hire a service) and you did not want to inconvenience them by cancelling the reservation since you are not 100%.

Leave cleaning supplies in their bathroom and ask if they could leave the bathroom and bedroom as tidy as possible since the bulk of the cleaning is now being done by your 11 year old son.

Ask them to strip the bed when they leave. Ask them if you can place the clean sheets either on a table by the door or in the room the night before (or maybe the morning of) they leave so the sheets will be convenient for your son to use.

You will be surprised how many guests will clean the bathroom and make the bed

You are so gracious I know you will thank them profusely for helping you in your time of need.

Accidents happen. You are doing your best to not cancel reservations and charge fees for a service. Any reasonable person will understand and want to help.

Any grumpy unsupportive people will eventually be bitten by karma

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I would love to hear how it went! Best to you!

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Ouch! How awful for you, particularly at the beginning of the season. I won’t add to the many suggestions already made, nor pray… but my thoughts are with you. Hope all heals well and swiftly.

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I thankfully have not been injured recently, but I hosted when I was pregnant. I closed up shop about six weeks before my due date. The heavy lifting (moving furniture) was getting to be too much for me.

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Sorry to hear that. I slipped on some dog poop on the ramp the dog uses to go down into the backyard to do her business but obviously doesn’t always make it. Had to drag myself up to get to my wheelchair (luckily I have one already!). Totally buggered up my knee. I was very lucky I only had one booking in the next two week so was able to get a friend (who drove 100km) to come and do one clean and changeover for me. It made me realise how vulnerable I am and if it had been the middle of summer I would have been asking guests to launder their own sheets! Same friend found me a cleaner nearby through her horse ladies network. So in summery: thanks for listening to my TED talk, at least have some warm bodies to direct to do the changeover. Good luck!

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Now I’m going “hey google play up the junction”

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I try to avoid opoids when my back goes but fortunately I have a doctor who is sympathetic to my requests that I need enough oxy to clean and make beds in between guests two or three times a week. Then I go back to normal painkillers in between. Now also do some preemptive physio on my lower back but it went last week anyway.

Gotta love the horse ladies network! :wink::horse:

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@Alia_Gee Alia, how disappointing for you to be unwell at the start of your season; I’m so sorry. As you have scheduled 24 hours between guests, why wouldn’t your husband be able to take over some of the work? Also, why not hire a local teen to help your son with the cleaning and the welcoming of guests? I’m a bit neurotic; the idea of my child walking a stranger to their room makes me a bit uncomfortable…
Thinking of you and wishing you a successful season despite your temporary disability…

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Have you not read my cautionary tale in my “Contractor coming in…” post yet?
I will indeed pray. :wink:
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

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So sorry to hear of your bad fortune, and really hope you are up and about again soon (and back to full hosting speed)!

I’m sure the majority of guests will be understanding of your predicament (and as others have said they may even do more than normal in terms of leaving the place nice and tidy for you after)! It’s great you have family members to help you keep things ticking over (hey it’s good experience for your hubby and son if nothing else) - fingers crossed they will ace making the guest bed as per your high standard! :grinning:

Wishing you a speedy recovery!

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a “shield”?? Game of Thrones fan?