Advice for a single woman prior to starting treatment?

I am single and 53...I think that I did three things that made me feel emotional stronger, self-sufficient and less worried about living alone:

1. Started a online food delivery service--There are many out there, from Amazon Prime to Instacart. Of course, friends and neighbors would bring things but it was never really what I wanted to eat (or could eat) during chemo. So, being able to control the food diet and get exactly what I wanted was nice. They even would walk the groceries up to my 2nd floor kitchen because I was too tired to do it. That service also saved me the time, energy and germ-risk of going to the store when I was weak.
2. Got housecleaning services--Again, my sister would fly back and forth from Chicago for my infusions, and would have cleaned my house, if necessary, However, I didn't want her to have to spend time cleaning my house. She was stressed out by my treatments, too, and had a full-time job in another city. So, I wanted her to just be able to spend time with me, during her visits. She would cook for me, but the cleaning service kept things nice. I am sort of a neat freak and cannot rest is a messy house! Also, people would visit, occasionally, and the house was always guest-ready!
3. Kept on online blog to stay in touch with friends and relative across the country--At first I rejected the idea from a friend, but then I discovered that the blog served two purposes. It was an efficient way to communicate with friends/family about how I was doing. You don't always feel up to a bunch of phone calls or texts. Also, it helped me to process my feeling about how I was doing--an unexpected benefit!

You are welcome. Take care, and come back to let us know how you are doing.

As others have observed, having plenty of food and supplies stockpiled at home is a good idea, and there are also delivery services and housekeeping services that can help when you aren't feeling quite up to doing errands and housework yourself. Note that some agencies that focus on providing in-home help to people who are elderly or frail can provide people on an as-needed basis to do errands, take you to medical appointments, and provide other services, so if a friend isn't available to provide help when you need it, you might look into that. If your treatment center has a social worker or "navigator", he or she may be able to give you some advice on the best places to look for help, including some that may be low-cost or free. I live alone, I have no family nearby, and I did pretty well when I had treatment last year. My two sisters, both of whom live quite far away, came to help several times, and my friends helped when they could, but for the most part I was on my own and it was not a problem. You may find, like me, that you can manage quite well on your own. However, you are very wise to plan ahead, and I think you will find that you will feel a little better about your situation once you have a plan in place.

Don't forget to just ask for help, with the little things that come up. You will find that even strangers are incredibly helpful. Many have had loved ones with cancer and will show up to help. The kindness of strangers amazed me! Just because we are single doesn't mean that we are alone!

There will be small things. Here are my thoughts for surgery prep:

You'll want to make sure your meds/vitamins don't have childproof caps, and as many people say, make sure your drinks aren't in heavy jugs.

Think about everything that is up above waist level- for instance, my microwave is above the stove, and I couldn't put stuff in it easily. Put cups/plates/whatever at counter level.

Think about clothes and take some off the hangers because they'll be too high to reach.

Do you have an icemaker, or do you have to reach up in the freezer for ice and try to get it out of those trays?

Reaching for stuff on the floor is painful too, so you'll want to avoid that.

I got lightheaded easily while walking the first few days so my coworkers signed up to take me for walks 3x daily b/c my DH needs his knees replaced.

I'd suggest setting reminders on your phone for your pain meds, and make sure you write down when you take them, because you may be hazy and forget.

The hospital will ask if you have a caretaker and if you don't, they'll set you up with a nurse to come in. I'd take them up on it!

Also, in regards to cleaning... See if this organization can help you out:

https://cleaningforareason.org/

I am receiving two free cleanings through this organization while I am in chemo. Such a blessing not to have to worry about it.

I was completely alone. I studied the preparing for sx thread here. I stocked up on stuff, made some meals and froze them in single servings, bought paper plates, utensils (not worrying about dishes).... read that thread. It lists what to stock up on. As for driving to sx and post op, we have a free drivers for survivors program here. Do your house cleaning and laundry ahead of time, etc. Of course having someone on hand to help is nice but if you don't, you can still go through it by yourself.

Make things easy and within easy reach. After my surgery it was super hard to do things like lifting, opening jars, etc. The lymph node incision was the problem, caused pain with that stuff.

Button down shirts if you can manage it.

Karen: everybody has given you great suggestions. I minded the boredom most so to prepare I went to the library got books and dvd's made sure I had netflix and Amazon prime and kept my computer handy ( use a side table not the floor). If you like music make sure it is close to where you will be resting. Whatever entertains you make sure you are set up for it. I wish you all the best - Good Luck