I'm 48, just had a total hip replacement and my daughter is moving thousands of miles away next month. I moved back to my home-town 7 yrs ago and haven't made any friends. I'm also on Disability and will have to move to a place that I can afford on such a low income. My life used to be very different. I'm so lonely, I go to visit my parents sometimes but I leave there knowing that I'm going home to an empty apartment with nothing to do and no one to talk to. What can I do to ease some of my lonliness?

This sounds simplistic BUT do you have a cat or a dog? It's a step toward having company, and good company besides!

How long will you be on disability? Is there a problem with the hip transplant?

Care to share a little bit?

How small is your town?
Even in my small town there are support groups of all kinds, and housing for those on disability is in pleasant clumps so people are right next to each other, with community rooms.
Library Scrabble, bingo, book clubs, exercise for seniors/less abled.
Join Facebook, and soon you will start finding classmates and where they are now.
Yep to pets!

I do have cats and yes they can be great company. I don't know how long I'll be on disability, I still have a considerable amount of pain and am walking with a cane. My surgery was the beginning of May. I am going for an x-ray this Wednesday to make sure the implant is in place and that everything looks okay. I had hoped I would be fully healed by now and walking normally. I have to move at the end of next month and not sure how I'll manage. I'm really quite scared about the hip.

I'd be frightened, too. Any recovery more than about 7 days and I'm worried! I have little patience for medical procedures.

Glad you have cats - they ARE great companions.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that Wednesday's x-rays go very, very well.

Is there a possibility that once you start to heal, you'll heal quickly and be back on your feet by the end of August?

Thank-you Judy, I appreciate that. Joy we do have housing but there is a 5yr. Waiting list. The only groups that I have noticed are newcomers and bereavement.

Is a roommate a possibility, maybe even 2?
They save a lot of costs and cut the loneliness.
They can be a blessing and a curse, of course. It helps to have a really detailed list of questions to ask people, from what hours you tend to sleep to what foods you might share, cleanliness, pets, TV and music. How about an ad for people to look for a place together?

Ok, cats, ( evil that purrs) but someone has to be owned by them. ** joke guys**

But get involved, at 48 and disabled, try visiting the senior citizen center locally, they often have great lunches, and things happening.

Try doing some visits at a nursing home, if Christian, go in and see if some want you to read the bible to them, they love that) if not, see if they want you to read some other novels to them.

A person can be alone in a room full of people, or full of friends by phone or internet if alone in the home