Drving????

Hi,
I've noticed a few of you brought up friving & not being able to...why? When???
WHen my doctor brought up my having this surgery, he said you'd be in the hospital overnight. Then about a week off work. Not working right now, so not an issue..but I do drive as I run errands this way for extra cash. Most importantly in picking up a child daily from school.
He said I'd be fine in about a week to resume driving. Yet, you all seem to be saying something else.
Granted he told me my pathology report after my Leep showed severe dysplasia, but he thought he got it all & to see him for a pap in 4 mths.
2 weeks lated I had gone back just to make sure things were healing & the 4mth pap was set.
That night he called...told me he was thinking about me & went back thru the reports had a consult & well..the cells that showed weren't squeamus they were adeno & that's how we eneded up deciding on a hysterectomy.
NOW...this whole series of events has my head replaying it...wondering how did I get here. He said I was fine..then not. Wouldn't the adeno cells have been on the pathology report that he read to me 2 wks prior????
I'm feeling uneasy. I spoke to my regular doc who said yes with adeno get the hysterectomy...but I just need some answers as to how I was told..you're fine see you inn 4mths to ..ummm no you;re not fine you need a hysterectomy!

I'm calling someone to day...which doc???? Both??

Sorry...just feeling overwhelmed..scared...concerned..all of the above!

Sometimes there is an initial pathology report and then later you get the full report. They can sometimes be different. Also, if he reviewed everything instead of a quick overview sometimes the picture can look different. I would call the gyn and ask him to go over his thought process in all of this. What did he see when he reviewed it all that made him change his mind? What would happen if you waited? What other options are there?

The driving thing is pretty Dr. specific. I think it is a combination of use of pain meds and for some people they are just "off" for a time after surgery . I know that for the first week or so, I was uncomfortable and sort of out of it (even without pain meds) and my reactions were so slow that I wouldn't feel safe driving.

I was driving a week after my LAVH. But yeah depends on the doctor and now I think I should have waited for 2 weeks before driving I really wasn't feeling that great 1 week out.

My doctor said that the biggest concern was reaction time as affected by both pain meds and the general anesthesia (takes about a week or two to work its way out of the body). Also, he said that until I felt able to stomp on the brake and hold it down, it wasn't safe for me to drive.

I'm 3 weeks out. Drove to the doctor yesterday and the driver in front of me slammed his brakes at 50mph. I was forced to slam mine too-- the pain! Even though we may feel okay to drive, things like that may make driving a bit more difficult for us.

I'm assuming if you are having a hysterectomy due to severe displasia the surgeon may end up doing a radical hysterectomy which involves removing more tissues which makes recovery slightly slower going.

You are not to drive while taking narcotic pain medication. And even being off the pain medication the physical movement of getting in/out of a car. As well as balancing your body in the car while turning and the road bumps and the steering wheel. All of that becomes an issue.

I was told no driving at all for 2 weeks, with or without pain meds, and then only cleared to drive when I got off the meds.

Also, you may want to post in the Cancer Concerns forum - there are many folks over there with adenocarcinoma.

Lsan -

Pathology reports aren't an exact science. In fact after my surgery when no more cancer was found my gyn-onc requested slides of the original tumor found in my D&C so his pathology team could read it. He wanted consistency from end to end so he knew if his team thought it was a grade 2 tumor so he could stage things properly. Sometimes the line between what is considered pre-cancerous and early stage cancer is in the "eye of the beholder".

If you are feeling uncertain go for an additional consult with another Dr. and have them review everything. My information was looked at by my original gyn, my GP (who's wife is a gyn) and my gyn-onc.

As for driving you will be tender, seatbelts are not your friend. You have to be able to turn and look over your shoulders plus apply pressure to the brakes in sudden stops. If pain meds are still in your system you could be slow in responsiveness. If there is an accident and it is determined you recently had surgery some people could make life difficult. I didn't drive for about 3 weeks and always had a tummy pillow between me and the seatbelt (did that for about 3 months).



G.

I went for my pre-op yesterday and dr said no driving for 1-2 weeks. She also brought up being able to lift my leg and apply pressure to the break was important. I decided to at least wait the two weeks before even trying to think about driving - that way I am safer and everyone around me is too.

I am two weeks post op and cannot drive yet. Had an abdominal incision and still cannot move properly. Maybe next week?

	Quote:
Originally Posted by redbird2009 I'm 3 weeks out. Drove to the doctor yesterday and the driver in front of me slammed his brakes at 50mph. I was forced to slam mine too-- the pain! Even though we may feel okay to drive, things like that may make driving a bit more difficult for us.

My Doctor told me I could drive at 2 weeks. I had LAVH on 12/28. But after reading the above post from redbird2009, it will make me stop and think about this. I have an appointment about 60 miles each way on January 19? with a Joint Implant Surgeon and my doctor thought that I should be okay to drive that myself. I will definitely be on the highway also. Bigger town, crazier drivers to contend with. Will have to see now how things go.