Camping 8 weeks post op

I had planned on camping (tent, and cot) with The Boy Scouts in KY, it would be an all day drive (not me driving). Anybody go camping this soon, and how was it?

Dr gave me the pre op news yesterday, just liquids the day before, so I guess the big meal will have to be the day before that.

Anybody have trouble sleeping the week before? I have been waking up, and of course all I can think of is the surgery. I might ask if I can take something to help me sleep.

Thanks.

I'm interested in hearing from others about this as well. I am planning to go with my class on their end of the year, three day, 2 night overnight trip. I will be exactly 6 weeks post op. I don't expect to do all the activities that they will be doing, but I want to be there just the same.

Well, one thing I have learned from my almost 4 years on this site is that we all have very different recoveries! So, I can only give you my experience.

I was 28, and in excellent physical condition, when I had my TAH.

At 9 weeks post-op, I went to a renaissance faire with my mother. It was about a 5 hour drive away (she drove), which was much more uncomfortable than I had thought it would be. I got to the hotel and immediately collapsed in bed!

The next morning we got up and went to the faire. After a couple of hours of slow walking around, with plenty of sitting, I was absolutely EXHAUSTED! I was also EXTREMELY swollen (abdomen and legs), and sore.

We left early, and she drove me home. By the time I got home, I was almost in tears I was so sore and tired. In all honesty, I can't remember ever being so tired in my life. It took me several days of laying around with my feet elevated to feel ok again.

In retrospect, I never would have gone. I feel it set my recovery back at least a week.

So, that's just my experience. Hopefully, your recovery will be easier (up to that point, mine had been very typical), but please be prepared that you may not be able to follow through with your plans.

Good luck!

I think I could have gone camping, but would have done a lot of relaxing. It also depends on your definition of camping. To some it's a tent to sleep in and nothing else, while to others it's living in a fully equipped park in a luxury RV!! We camp in a tent trailer and have a dining tent - there is a lot of bending to undo zippers and get out of small doors, etc. But by 8 weeks, I would have been ready to get away and do some normal stuff, and would have gone on a camping trip if we had scheduled one. I would have just taken it easy and not gone on any 8 mile hikes or swam across any lakes!!
Good luck, and I hope you have a quick and easy recovery.
Shelley