I'll be having surgery 1/08. I'll be spending that night in the hospital and the following day and night at a "hotel" assoc. w/hospital. I was wondering if I'd be OK to drive 20 mins. away to my SIL's house to spend the next couple of days? I'm not sure if I have anyone to pick me up when I get released. Anyone drive themselves home second day after surgery?

i didn't drive home, but i very easily could have.:gluck:

I was pretty sore riding in a car even 5 days out. My wife drove me to work and all out to 1 week post op. If you have slept off ALL your anesthetics... I guess you would be ok. I was still sleeping very soundly all day out to 3 days because my anesthetics.

If your SIL just lives 20 min. away can she have someone drive her there and you 2 could drive back together.

:omg:I was still out of it from the Meds I drove on day 5 and whenever I hit a bump It killed me, I was also a little light headed on day 1-3

My doctor told me I couldn't drive until I had been off of prescription painkillers for 24 hours.

I'm counting on being able to drive home from the airport. My surgery is tomorrow afternoon-and then I will be coming home Monday afternoon. and my little red car will be sitting at dfw waiting for me!

Mary:car:

I drove 4 days after surgery and probably shouldn't have - mostly b/c of feeling out of it. It was also very difficult getting into my car which is a coupe - bending down and folding into the seat was difficult.

Remember - you are going under general anethesia which is potent stuff! You'll also have prescription drugs. Even if you feel 'ok to drive' it's likely you are NOT safe to drive.

I could not have driven the day of surgery. I could have driven the day after surgery if I had stopped the pain meds the night before. But I was in a good deal of pain until about 24 hours after the surgery so I needed my pain meds. I begged my sister to stay another night in the hotel because I wasn't ready to fly home yet (but she made me go home anyway). I think you should have a backup plan.

my surgery was a outpaient surgery. I had someone drive me to the hospital and then to her house ( I drove to her house that morning and parked my car) and I drove myself home, which was about five minutes away. I couldn't driven home ( hospital was 45 mins away) cause of the anesthesia. I slept on and off the whole drive.

I also want to say that I was OFF my narcotic pain killers when I drove.

You MUST keep in mind that if you are on narcotics and have a wreck... YOU WILL BE PROSECUTED! If someone dies... that is called intoxication manslaughter! you do not want to be caught up in that! I had a friend that this happened to. He missed PRISON by the hairs of his chin!

Think very carefully please.

I flew from San Diego to Atlanta and then drove myself home the 2nd day after surgery. Driving home was a piece of cake but the flying was rough.

The hospital may not let you drive yourself. I've always been told that if I am being put under that I need to have someone pick me up. If you check with the hospital, you'll find they won't release you... at least that's how it is in Australia.

OMG I couldn't have driven, not just because of the pain meds, but I felt light headed and ill for the first few weeks after my surgery. I know this isn't the case for everyone. Is there anyway that you can take a cab to your sister's ?

congrats on getting your surgery

I was banded on 12/6 in TJ by Dr. Ortiz and I drove home almost 2 hours to Orange County on 12/8, it was a breeze. No prescription pain meds were even needed. Everyone has different pain tolerances, this was nothing for me compared to child birth or a bad migraine. I think if you only live 20 minutes you will be fine. Evryone that had their surgery on the same day as me was up and walking around just fine on the day we left, no one looked too uncomfortable. Just my experience though, others may not agree.

I had to ride in the car 3 hours the next day. I was loopy and in a lot of pain. I would not have been able to drive, as I needed the pain meds.. and do not drive on pain meds! Every bump in the road (I was holding a pillow on my tummy the whole way) and every start/stop.. was miserable.

I would not advise driving home. The anaesthetics can do stuff to you that make you easily distracted and not alert, even if you feel fine.