So I’m a newbie and my surgery is scheduled for next week on 9/27 and I’m wondering what the veterans recommend for activities to do with your partner after surgery.

Date nights for us would usually be dinners, movies, or bar trivia. Movies I see how that can be adjusted by not eating bad stuff. But what kinds of things have you guys found to replace old habits/hobbies that revolved around food and/or alcohol?

I think it's really just about spending time together. You don't actually have to "do" anything other than focus on your partner for a while. For example, if you can do that just sitting and talking, that's a good place to start.

For other suggestions, my #1 would be walking. Bonus points if it's somewhere beautiful. Others would be travel, exercise classes & yoga, gardening, riding bikes, sports like golf or tennis, shared hobbies, museums, concerts, etc.

The hardest part of going out to eat for me was the not drinking any liquids while eating part. And the movies was good, I just brought some snacks and got a water.

It's definitely not the same, but if your partner knows you needed this, they adjust to make it work as much as you do.

2 minutes ago, SuziDavis said:

The hardest part of going out to eat for me was the not drinking any liquids while eating part. And the movies was good, I just brought some Snacks and got a Water.

It's definitely not the same, but if your partner knows you needed this, they adjust to make it work as much as you do.

The first time I went out to eat when the waitress asked what I wanted to drink, I said "no thanks" and she looked at me weird and said "You don't want a drink". I said "no thanks" and she just said ok. Then I felt really weird and now always just order a water and don't drink it. haha

11 minutes ago, kcuster83 said:

The first time I went out to eat when the waitress asked what I wanted to drink, I said "no thanks" and she looked at me weird and said "You don't want a drink". I said "no thanks" and she just said ok. Then I felt really weird and now always just order a Water and don't drink it. haha

Yes, same!

No lie... my mind went to a different type of "activities";)

I was amazed by how much of our time together revolved around food so that was different in the very beginning, but you can always find something at restaurants and whatnot. If your partner is willing and able though, you can all kinds of activities that were hard before like hiking, go carts, amusement parks, travel in general....

1 hour ago, njlimmer said:

No lie... my mind went to a different type of "activities";)

Lol, me too!

i hope to discover new activities after surgery to do… maybe going on walks or hikes etc instead of focusing on just going out to eat. My husband and I take day trips just to go to further away restaurants… going to modify them into doing something else too since I will be physically able to actually move without as much pain (already can move so much better)… Going to focus more on the social aspect of going “out.” Talking and sharing and ordering only a small, reasonable something to enjoy. Even now I will sometimes pre portion my meal for the part I am going to eat now and the part that I will eat at another meal (i love leftovers lol either as is or repurposed! fajita omelets are a favorite )

it’s an amazing opportunity to seize a new, more full life with more saying yes to things than we have been able to at higher weights!