I am looking for suggestions to make traveling easier in weeks 6 and 7

Iam 19 days post op and so far everything is good.

We have just decided that we are going to the pacific northwest (Portland, OR Seattle, WA Vancouver, BC) for what will be weeks 6 and 7 of my recovery.

We will be flying from Detroit, then driving and camping (to save money) as we scout the area for a nice small town to relocate to after I finish grad school We have to do it then because I start teaching at the end of august. We will do some sight seeing, but lots of driving and of course there is the airplane. So...

Does anyone know of any tricks to make plane travel easier with a swelly belly?

Does anyone know a good place to buy a walking stick online?

How much activity should I be able to expect to do during weeks 6 and 7? Will I be able to hike if take frequent breaks?

I've got a great belly pillow, but I'd really appreciate any any other tips you can share. thanks so much

i'm a pretty active woman...lived in portland for years, hiking, mountain biking etc. living in nyc, pre-op, i'd say i walked 4-5 miles most days. having said all that...i can't imagine hiking at week 6. yes, i was walking better by then and even did 3 miles one day...but that wiped me out. and that was on even ground with no inclines. don't know many hiking trails in the pacific nw like that.

and camping??? as in sleeping on the ground in a tent?? i love my tent and my sleeping bag...i could not imagine doing it at this point and i'll be 8 weeks on monday.

as for driving, you should take a break every hour to get up and walk around. i know that's a pain when doing a long drive, but really, sitting for long periods in the car is really uncomfortable. i would guess the same would be true for flying.

just realize that whatever activity you may manage on day one, you will likely need a day or two to recover from it. some days i do great and can do alot, other days making breakfast exhausts me enough that i need a nap!

the best suggestion i can make is really listen to your body. don't try to convince yourself you can go a bit further as you will pay for it. remember at 6 weeks you are approximately 40% healed.

the other day i was looking at my surgical report and realized that there were 13 separate times they mention suturing me. now if you say an average of 10 sutures each time, you've got 130 stitches. (i know in several cases there were way more than 10.) sometimes i think we have to remind ourselves that we had that much work done internally. or as my doc said when i mentioned my incision didn't bother me so much as my belly..."your incision goes from what you call your incision, up past your belly button, internally." oops...yeah...almost forgot.

i wish you well on your adventures. having said all that, the pacific nw is beautiful and you will likely find some wonderful towns to choose from.

be careful and remember you only get one chance to heal from this...so do it right.

I would take a small roll pillow for the small of your back. Make sure you keep your bladder empty! You will swell up and you might have some swelling in your hands and feet. I hope it all goes well for you. Just listen to your body and it will tell you when you need to rest!

I agree with nygal, I am 7 weeks now and can't imagine going on a plane for several hours. Sitting for me in an upright position for a long is still hard. I can't be in a car for long periods of time either. I would take a wait and see attitude. Maybe u will be ok, but wha tif you arn't.

I as well was worried about camping post -op , I had a camping trip planned post -op 3.5 weeks and was promised by my family that they would help me out alot, but that was not the case , i ended up doing almost all the set up and all the cooking, and i actually faired quite well , we slept in a tent and i actually found that i slept better out in the woods than i did at home, but my swelling did get alot worse, i am sure this is because of all the activity, my suggestions to you are take some pain killers with you and an antiinflamitory and a hot water bottle, put your feet up when you can , and bring some loose fitting clothing, and enjoy? where abouts in vancouver canada are you planning on going ( that is where i live, so if you want any tips just pm me) HAVE FUN rachel.

Check Amazon.com for a walking stick. They have lots of choices.

If you came home from the with your TEDS stockings, consider wearing those on the plane. You might also consider getting a (second) pair of support stockings. Remember to walk around when you can and stay hydrated. I always carry a bottled water with me on the plane so I don't have to rely on the stewardesses. I've heard that gel seats are available, but they seem like they would be a pain to carry on. A lumbar pillow is a great idea, or if you didn't want to carry it on, you could ask if there will be any blankets available on your flight. These are great rolled up for lumbar support. Take some Dramamine or Bonine with you - I don't usually get motion sick, but find sometimes even in the car I do lately.

My grandfather had a farm in Troutdale, Oregon, where I spent all my summers. Check out Troutdale, Gresham and Boring, which are east of Portland, along the Columbia River. Small town enough, yet the "big" city is easily accessible.

When I scheduled my hyst in early June, I told my doctor I was taking a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe with my entire family (all 11 of us) in August. When my hyst was scheduled for 6/19, I asked her if I would be okay to leave on August 4 (6 1/2 wks post op). We fly from San Francisco to Barcelona non-stop and three weeks later, will fly from Venice to San Francisco. She said it would be "no problem." At almost three weeks now, other than a little abdominal cramping and insomnia , I feel great. Of course, the best thing to do is get your doctor's blessing.

Good luck to you! Hope you have a great trip!

Here's a Hystersisters article with some tips on travaling post-op.

https://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/article_236949.htm

Only you know you're body. Before I had my surgery, I asked if I should still go to my cousins wedding 3 weeks out. EVERYONE that replied said it would be too much on my body, so I decided I wouldn't go. Well I am only two weeks out and recovering well. We went to see the fireworks (about 10min walk there and back) I've driven my car( we live far out so at times Ive drove an hr away) We went to a summer festival yesterday and did at least two hrs of walking...slow I might add. I figured there is no reason why I couldn't make her wedding so I called and told her I was coming.

I really haven't experienced all the symptoms some of the other women have, and I don't believe in pushing it, but if you are 6wks and feel great and have the dr's ok to do certain activities, go for it.

Hey I'm originally from that way and if your planning on vancouver in Aug, remember your gonna get hot therefore your gonna swell up.... we are having a very hot summer this year... so make sure you have comfy shoes and loose clothing. I would take a battery op massage cushion that goes over your car seat, it has a cushion for the small of your back...take care

If you are doing well already, all of that may be ok other than the hiking. You might even be able to do that if your body is ready for it. At 4 weeks, I know a plane riding or travelling in the car wouldn't hurt me. I wouldn't need anything extra to make that comfy. Hiking however, sounds very tiresome but I'm not a hiking kinda person! Just listen to your body and you will be fine!