dVH/RALH: travel 12 days after surgery?

Ok ladies, How realistic is it for me to still plan to travel 200 miles by car (3.5 hours) to a Red Sox game 12 days after my dVH? Then, of course, I would be sitting at the game for hours. We would spend the night before driving back the next day. My husband is optimistic, but I'm not so much after reading many posts.

I will be 3 weeks out on Monday. Traveling in the car has not been an issue for me. Right now I'm in the car off on vacation. Today's trip will be 10 hrs, we are 6 hrs in and I feel fine. I went to a minor league game when I was a little over a week post op and did fine. I have had a great recovery so far. Everyone is different and you may want to wait until your surgery to make a decision.

I wouldn't do it. I am fit and was in great shape before my Dvh but the fatigue is very unpredictable and then to sit at a hot game...that's a lot. PLUS the risk of blood clots with long car rides and sitting after major abdominal surgery. No thank you !

I would advise against that. I did have a different surgery (TAH BSO), but I was in no shape 12 days after surgery to go do anything. Many of these things take more energy than you realize. The car ride alone may be problematic, AND sitting on not-so-comfortable seats at the game may make you just miserable. This is MAJOR SURGERY, and 12 days is not much time to heal for such a long day.

Everyone heals differently, and at different rates. If you do decide to go, give yourself and out. Tell yourself and your husband that if you want to call it quits early, he agrees to go. And bring some good padding to sit on.., and some tummy support. You will probably need it.

Good luck to you.

I would of easily been able to do it. 2 Days post op I traveled 3 hrs by truck and could of easily kept going. But I think my recovery was a super super easy one. I never had any pain at all, was out shopping, gardening all by day 2. Went to the zoo and walked even....so for me it would of definitley been a trip I could of done. But I know many ladies who would not of been able to...but I also know many that could of. My supervisor at work had DaVinci a week after me, she was laying carpet in her bedroom 2 days later....but everyone heals different and everyones pain is different...so there really isnt a way of knowing how you are going to feel.

Wow...LAYING CARPET??? Shopping and gardening ?? Why on earth do women have such major surgery and then do the most amazingly stupid stuff???
That is insane and she should just consider herself lucky she did not develop a major complication.

My big note to add here, again, is just because you CAN does not mean you SHOULD. Sure you will be up and around and sure you may not have pain. BUT OMG you have major stitches INSIDE you that you cannot see and that need to heal.

:::::::shaking my head :::::

	Quote:
Originally Posted by SurgsoonTX Wow...LAYING CARPET??? Shopping and gardening ?? Why on earth do women have such major surgery and then do the most amazingly stupid stuff??? That is insane and she should just consider herself lucky she did not develop a major complication. My big note to add here, again, is just because you CAN does not mean you SHOULD. Sure you will be up and around and sure you may not have pain. BUT OMG you have major stitches INSIDE you that you cannot see and that need to heal. :::::::shaking my head :::::

My Dr told me to listen to my body. No lifting and no bending, but other than that I was free to get out and do as much as I felt like doing. Lifting and sex are my only restrictions. I am now 4 weeks out....and could not have had an easier recovery. We are getting ready for vacation now, which includes horseback riding, jet skis..etc. So what may be stupid to you, has proven to be great for me. We all heal at different rates. I am not one to lay around and do nothing, that would kill me. I am proof that as long as you are careful and follow your Dr's orders you can have a great experience

You are proof that you are lucky so far.

To anyone who is reading this, please do not let the previous post imply that recovery is something to be ashamed of and "lying around and doing nothing" is only for the weak and lazy.

Your body has had major surgery. Even if you feel GREAT there shoud be some limitations. The boards (at least 4 years ago when I had my hyst) are FULL of stories of women with rectovaginal fistulas, post op infections and all sorts of other horrible things that occur sometimes when you don't chill out.

I'm not one to lay around and "do nothing" either. I am healthy and very fit and active. I guess seeing is believing and I've SEEN *plenty* of dehisced incisions, fistulas, etc....

	Quote:
Originally Posted by SurgsoonTX Wow...LAYING CARPET??? Shopping and gardening ?? Why on earth do women have such major surgery and then do the most amazingly stupid stuff??? That is insane and she should just consider herself lucky she did not develop a major complication. My big note to add here, again, is just because you CAN does not mean you SHOULD. Sure you will be up and around and sure you may not have pain. BUT OMG you have major stitches INSIDE you that you cannot see and that need to heal. :::::::shaking my head :::::

Wow!! Could the wording of this be anymore rude??

My recovery has been wonderful! I will be 3 weeks post op tomorow and currently enjoying a wonderful fun filled vacation with family. I have followed all of my doctors advice. I'm actually on vacation with a doctor who agrees everything I am doing is completely ok.

To address the OP's question - there really is no way to predict whether you'll be able to do it or not. I would have been fine (except for the part about the Red Sox...just kidding, Yankee fan here!), but others wouldn't have. I think you should decide closer to the actual travel date, and have backup plans, like planning to stop every hour or so while driving, plan to leave the game early if necessary, etc.