Hi everybody! First, I want to introduce myself. My name is Ammaris, I live in beautiful southwest Florida, and I'm having the sleeve gastrectomy on March 31st. I'm nervous and excited!

So I'm in a predicament. Back in September, I scheduled a camping trip to Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park for April 16-18. The biggest thing for me is that it's an International Dark Association park and I want to get some beautiful starry sky pictures. I invited my parents and the plans were for my parents to come with their RV. Then I decided that I wanted to bring my pup, but I'd have to sleep in a tent or on a bed in my Jeep since my parents don't want any dogs in their RV. Now they're concerned that it's so soon after surgery (just over 2 weeks) and are telling me not to go at all--they'll go and just pay me for the reservation. I chose that weekend because it's as close to the new moon as I could get. I REALLY want to go on this trip. I'm willing to leave my dog home that way I could sleep on something more supportive. Otherwise I'll just stay home and be bummed that I'm missing out on the camping trip I invited my parents on for the beautiful views. My one true concern is the heat of Florida and if I'd become dehydrated.

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If your surgery goes like mine went....very very smoothly....you'd be fine. As a precaution, I would leave your pooch home or make sure there is a closeby hotel that allows dogs if you find you need to sleep in a bed or have a place to go with air conditioning.

That said...there are no guarantees. Your surgery might not go as smoothly as mine. Some people feel really rough. You might struggle to get your fluids in. If you are not meeting fluid goals and easily exceeding them...I would not go on the trip.

It's pretty much a wait and see thing. I hope you do so well that you can go:)

I was definitely not ready for camping 2-3 weeks out. I had no complications but I just didn't rebound as quickly as some folks. I was also unable to eat at all for the first two weeks and drinking was a struggle. That got better in week 3 for me. How fast you recover is very much a YMMV kind of thing. Can you defer the decision until you see how you feel?

My hubby and I went RV “camping” about 11 days after my surgery. We have two dogs and the small one (25 pounds) sleeps on the bed with us in the trailer. I had some food not agree with my tummy and was up half of one night puking, but other than that, we had a great time. Everyone is different. Let your parents pay for the reservation and decide after your surgery if you feel up to going. ??