Travel after surgery

[vegasjay82 5]

First and foremost, what’s up gents! First post here and I am still in pre-op stages. Scheduled for my sleeve on the 17th of June.

I am ripping through this forum to set my worries at ease and answer my questions, it has all been an amazing help and I am thankful to know this tool is here when I wake up from surgery because support is a key to success.

all of that being said, I am wondering how everyone has done with travel after surgery. I have a training for work that I have to host exactly 2 months after surgery. I am assuming I won’t be on solid foods by then yet but maybe I’m wrong. Has anyone had to travel for work and did it go?

[waterwoman 172]

Will you be traveling by plane or car? If possible, pack as much of your own food w you and remember to stay hydrated. How long will your trip be?

[FutureSylph 377]

3 hours ago, vegasjay82 said:

I have a training for work that I have to host exactly 2 months after surgery. I am assuming I won’t be on solid foods by then yet but maybe I’m wrong.

I've never heard of a restricted diet lasting that long. Usually regular diet starts at about six weeks post-op, and pureed/soft (solid) foods start weeks before that. The chief focus should be on hydration, not nutrition.

[vegasjay82 5]

6 hours ago, waterwoman said:

Will you be traveling by plane or car? If possible, pack as much of your own food w you and remember to stay hydrated. How long will your trip be?

It will be by plane for work and it will be 2 weeks.

[liveaboard15 1,292]

i was on solid foods 5 weeks and soft foods 2 weeks after surgery. of course all surgeons have different length stages. Check with yours on how your stages will be from liquids, to puree to soft foods to solids.

[Tony B - NJ 641]

You will not have a problem flying 2 months after the surgery. I think I was restricted for 2-3 weeks. I flew about 6 weeks later and had no issues whatsoever.

[Moburak 1]

Well, it's important to follow your surgeon's guidelines. Ensure that you're well enough to travel and attend work-related training. Be sure to bring any necessary medical documentation and medications. Consider booking a hotel room with a kitchenette or access to a refrigerator to store your Meal Replacements. My business class flights company always pays attention to this kind of request. Besides, be mindful of your hydration needs and ensure that you're drinking enough fluids throughout your trip. If you have any concerns or questions, be sure to speak with your surgeon.

Edited February 16, 2023 by Moburak

[Inakomisly 0]

Of course, everyone's situation is different, so it's ultimately up to you and your doctor to determine what's best for your recovery. I wish you all the best and a speedy recovery. Support is definitely key to success.

[noteasierstronger 33]

It really depends on how you heal as a person, I would imagine.
I led a group of teenagers around Europe 4 weeks after surgery. My surgeon said that was the minimum amount of time he wanted me to wait before leaving the country (I think it was more in case I had medical issues in healing or with my gall bladder). Everything went fine. I packed Protein Powder, made sure I ordered only approved soft foods at restaurants, and drank Water all day. Stopping in grocery stores along the way to pick up yogurt or cheese or premade Protein Shakes was also helpful. (I was super tired of that Protein powder flavor by the end of the trip, though.)
Good luck!

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[Lipman 46]

A little late to the game, but I just had my Bypass on 5/15/2023. I am flying to Italy for a 2 week trip on 6/28, so around 6.5 weeks total from surgery to trip. I discussed it with my doctor and he had no reservations about the timing, I think he would have been comfortable up to about 5 weeks out. According to my food plan, I will be on soft foods by then, and fish/salmon is one of the best "starter" meats, so I plan on having a lot of seafood while over there. I do plan on taking a healthy stash of 1-off Protein powder mixes to dump into a bottle of Water if I need to supplement.

I would recommend requesting a hotel room with a mini-fridge and putting some yogurt/cottage cheese/protein drinks/etc in there so that you aren't constantly trying to figure out meals.

[pintsizedmallrat 470]

On 5/19/2022 at 3:51 AM, FutureSylph said:

I've never heard of a restricted diet lasting that long. Usually regular diet starts at about six weeks post-op, and pureed/soft (solid) foods start weeks before that. The chief focus should be on hydration, not nutrition.

Everyone's different; I had specific food restrictions for 3 months following my procedure. It was gradual and things were added along the line, but I wasn't free to eat whatever I felt like until 3 months.