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How soon is too soon to drive after GB



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Question: how soon did you drive after surgery? Also how soon did you or your dr said you could return to work?

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Mine just says no driving while on pain meds

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My doc said same about not driving on meds. I never took anything for pain once I left recovery room but didn't feel like driving

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Didn't finish thought.... Waited until day 5 to drive. I will be out 6 weeks because I have the vacation/sick time to cover but most folks seem to go back to work as early as 1 week. 2 weeks seems to be the average.

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The day after discharge

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I was told to wait at least 1 week to drive, but if I was still on pain meds to wait until I didn't need them anymore. Going back to work really depends on your job. Because this is an abdominal surgery, things take much longer to heal inside than they do on the outside. As well, you're re-learning how to eat and drink. They like you to learn this before heading back to the daily grind.

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Two to three weeks seems to be the average. I suggest three if you can or more. It is so much better to get your food straight at home. Good luck

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My doc said I could drive once I was off pain meds which was about 4 days. I was off work for 2 weeks but the doc said I could have another week if I wanted. My work doesn't get done if I am not there so I went back. The hardest part about going back to work so soon is the eating and watching others eat normal food while you are still on liquids and soft food.

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Question: how soon did you drive after surgery? Also how soon did you or your dr said you could return to work?

I went back to occasional work at two weeks and full time at three. I really needed three weeks but I had low Iron levels which decreased my energy.

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You want to make sure that you aren't having bouts of low blood sugar, or weakness. Both could seriously impair your ability to react. Wouldn't plan on any big days of driving just start slowly with short errands.

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I waited about a week and a half before I drove. Only then cause I wasn't taking any pain meds and the trips were very short. I don't work outside the home. But if I did I don't think I would be quite ready to go back yet., I will be three weeks post op Wednesday this week. But gauging how I am doing if I had to go back to a job probably Next week I would feel up to it. I am already doing more and more things around the house. So I think it depends on your job. Making sure that you have a plan for eating and drinking while you are at work and getting your Vitamins in. Make a schedule and stick to it so you don't become dehydrated or miss your vitamins. Get your Protein in so you will have some energy.

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I was told to wait at least 1 week to drive' date=' but if I was still on pain meds to wait until I didn't need them anymore. Going back to work really depends on your job. Because this is an abdominal surgery, things take much longer to heal inside than they do on the outside. As well, you're re-learning how to eat and drink. They like you to learn this before heading back to the daily grind.[/quote']

This is why I'm waiting 6weeks to go back...well that & the holidays. Luckily someone is covering some of my work but not all.

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I was told about a week for driving, if off pain meds. They said to sit in your car and slam on the break to make sure you can do it witthout pain. I took 6 weeks off because I could. Short term disablilty and FMLA.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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