Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Recommended Posts

I'm driving from St. Louis to Kansas City for the surgery. It's scheduled for a friday. My Mom lives in KC so we're staying with her and can stay all weekend if needed, however, my husband really wants to get back Saturday night for a very close friends 40th b-day party. He understands that if I'm not up to we won't make the 4 hour drive back just yet though.

How did you guys feel? Do you think it will be ok to drive back the day after? We have a mini van so I'll have plenty of room?

TIA

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think you should wait and see how you feel. Its great that your husband has a party he wants to go to, but you're having (pretty major) surgery, so theres a good chance that you're not going to want to sit in a car for 4 hours. My mom's closest friend was having a party the day after my surgery and she cancelled her RSVP. If you push yourself too hard after surgery, there is a greater risk of complications. Good luck.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think you have to go with your plan....that it depends on how you feel. As you may have deduced from other postings about how long it was before people went back to work or started exercising or whatever, we vary dramatically. I could have done the trip with no problem, but that most definitely isn't so for others.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Same question here - but we have 6.5 hours to drive home! DH wants to leave the day after surgery so that he can get back to work (surgery is scheduled for a Tuesday). Is this realistic? We are staying at a hotel.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I could have traveled the next day but everybody is different. I would play it by ear and see how it goes.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Honestly the BIG thing about that is the risk of blood clots because you'll be fairly sedentary, with your legs down, for long stretches. Check with your surgeon; he may want you to make sure you stop every so often (like every 40 minutes or so) and walk.

If he gives you the go ahead and you're up to it, taking a pillow to brace your surgical sites will help a lot.

As for feeling up to it, I would've been up for a car trip on day 2, as long as I could take my tylenol, and as I long as I didn't let my husband control the music! :(

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Since I was an out-of-towner, my doc asked that I stay in town two nights. I had surgery on Wednesday and was cleared to leave on Friday. Thursday afternoon I knew I was not up for an eight-hour ride home so we chose to stay one more day. That was perfect for me.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My doc (bless his conservative soul!) wants all his patients who live more than an hour away (and even though I'm in the same city, depending on traffic it can be more than an hour to go that 14 miles! LOL) to spend a week in town, just to make sure all is ok. Very few last the week because they feel better and go home, but there are many reasons to not travel that soon post op. People do, of course. That's why the surgeon can help head off any foreseeable trouble (like clots)...so the surgeon is the best one to ask.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I only had a 30 minute drive home and I would say that I was in pain because my mom drives an SUV so it isn't smooth could feel every bump. but i think i could have gone farther if i didn't feel all the bumps. bring a pillow to put between yourself and the seatbelt. And depending on what drugs you get maybe they will put you to sleep on the way home!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You will probably want to stay at least the first night after surgery. It depends on how you feel. I was told not to drive for the first couple of days or take long car rides.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had surgery at around 11:00 on 7/28 and I was in a car driving 6 hours home the next day, left around 1:00. It wasn't comfortable but I did it. We stopped every 2 hours so I could walk for 5 minutes. I had a pillow between me and the seatbelt.

But . . . it will just depend on how you feel

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The pillow is a very good suggestion. In my experience there would have been no way for me to travel the first week after surgery. Definatly play it by ear.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Talk to your surgeon to make sure, but I was just banded on Aug 11 (yea) in KC and went home to Ava the next day. It was about a four hour trip, and I made sure to stop and walk about three times and I braced myself with a pillow all the way, but the trip wasn't too bad.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

im also a little curious as to the KC decision. I just had my surgery in STL ( live here of course) July 16th. My surgeon was FANTASTIC.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×