Okay Everyone I need your advice/wisdom

I get operated on day after tomorrow, it's 4 hours away so I'm leaving tomorrow (Thursday) spending the night, operation is at 6 am Friday and from the hospital will drive 4 hours home, assuming no stops.

You guys have all said heating pads helps the pain I will have pain medication and nausea pills, but won't have access to things like heating pads until I get home. I have never had surgery before so please help me :wub:

what should I have with me on the drive home to make it as smooth as possible?

and is there anything I should prepare myself /husband for that I may not know or be thinking of?

Thanks in advance!

When I left the hospital the first day I felt really good. I was released the same day and would suggest a hot water bottle and a pillow. It was the second day I started to hurt with gas pains and where the band was placed was sore, not so much where they put the port. I was also given some liquid pain medicine and a chewable pill to help with the nausea. Stop alot and get out of the vehicle and walk around.

I felt great so there was no problems for me. What I could think of would be a blanket, pillows, comfy comfy clothes, slippers, bottle of water, and a bucket just in case(nothing worse than trying to pull off the road in time when you get sick). Put some scented bags in the bucket so you don't have to wash out the bucket, just have to get rid of the bag if you stop. This is a ritual with my husband when he goes to the hospital several times a year with his kidney stones. Good luck, hope everything goes smoothly!

I really needed to get up and walk right after surgery. Make sure you pull over and walk out some gas pain if and when you need to. Get everything moving.

Good luck!

Take the pain meds before you leave the hospital. At least it will be sorta ok. Also, find a halfway point for you to stop to walk around for a few minutes! Good luck

Read Alex's post on planning your lapband Surgery it Really helped me to plan what I needed to take to and from the Hospital and I just stayed overnight and back home the next afternoon, then I am a side and stomache sleeper so it was hard and for the ache on my back I used a hot water bottle cause a heating pad is to soft for me , some of us slept in our Recliners the first few days luckily I have a adjustable bed but I still had to have A Lot of pillows behind me just to get up to go the restroom , hope you do good it's a beginning as we are all diffrent good luck .

My only suggestion is too stop every once and a while to get out and walk . Walking is so important and will help you get rid of some of those terrible gas pains. Don't be in a hurry and drive a route where you can stop when needed. Best of luck to you keep us posted.

I had a four hour drive after my surgery on March 21st in which my husband drove me. I would suggest pillows and a blanket. I had a very comfortable ride back home due to still being sedated from surgery, I was awake about 5 minutes when I got in the car and fell asleep right away and slept all the way home. Asked Dr. If I needed to stop and walk and he said it was fine if I didn't. Make sure you have your pain meds and nausea meds which I only took my pain meds 3 hours after I left hospital. Also I wish I would have had Chapstick for my lips and saline spray for my nose which was horribly dry. Best of luck to you:)

I'm lucky enough to live 25 minutes from my hospital but their general instructions (for those am hour or more away) is to stop each hour and walk. The fear is that you risk blood clotting and embolisms if you do not. Good luck at your surgery!!

What I remember most after my surgery was being SOOOO thirsty for water -- would recommend having a lot availalbe. I also remember being so, so sick to my stomach because of the pain meds on an empty stomach - good thing you will have the anti-nausea pills!! But like the other posts said, a container in case you do get sick would be a good idea. GOOD LUCK!!

What I remember most after my surgery was being SOOOO thirsty for Water -- would recommend having a lot availalbe. I also remember being so' date=' so sick to my stomach because of the pain meds on an empty stomach - good thing you will have the anti-nausea pills!! But like the other posts said, a container in case you do get sick would be a good idea. GOOD LUCK!![/quote']

My surgery was 3 hrs away, I had a lot of gas pain, we would stop every 30 min so I could walk around, I never took pain meds they get me sick, but I still can't sleep on side of port and my surgery was Feb 29, don't drink from a straw!!!

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I felt great after my surgery. Hope you will too. I did take pain medicine but I was very comfortable. Make sure to stop every once in a while and walk around.

Check out my lap band blog

Www.biscuitsandexcuses.blogspot.com

Don't put the heating pad on your stomach/incisions. Its meant for your should due to the gas pains. Nausea is very common and is either due to the pain meds or the anesthesia or the surgery or a combo. Either way, since you have a long drive, insist on anti nausea meds before you leave. If you don't need them, great, but better to have them and not need them then to need them and not have them.

I was banded March 29th and had to drive 3 1/2 to get home, well my husband did. The gas pain was the worst make sure you have your Gas-X strips Safeway has them. I made sure I had a pillow for my tummy because you will feel every bump. A bottle of water to sip on make sure it's not cold. I stopped every hour or so to walk it helped with the gas pain. I advised my doctor and nurses that I was driving and they made sure I had meds for nausea before I left. I had already gotten my scripts the day before so that was helpful. The next day was the hardest mainly Gas and realizing I used my abdominal muscles more than I thought.

This is a wonderful place to come to. Everyone is very supportive.

I wish you a speedy and healthy recovery!!