Too soon to travel?

I am having my TAH on Aug 7. My DH is going to Chicago on business late in the week before Labor Day. He will have the Hotel room through the weekend and wants me to meet him Friday evening to spend the weekend there. This will be roughly 3 1/2 weeks after surgery.

Can I travel? It's an hour plane ride from Detroit Metro Airport. What about walking around and sightseeing? ANyone else travel so soon afterwards?

Thanks,

O.

Everyone is different and no two people will have the same recovery, so all I can tell you is from my epxerience.

I could not have traveled or walked around sightseeing at 3 1/2 weeks. At that point, sitting for over 30 minutes was extremely uncomfortable, and I tired very quickly (still do at 7 weeks post op!) And I was in pretty good shape before my surgery.

Can you wait and see how you feel at that point before deciding to go? And if you do go, make sure you don't lift or carry anything heavy, and be sure to get plenty of rest.

Best wishes and lots of s,

Lisa

Hi Olimpia

I am at two weeks post-op yeaterday and I feel great. We are leaving July 21st for a vacation to North Carolina. I have no hesitation in going. Yes, I get tired and have to rest now and then, but that is normal. I'm am driving and went to Walmart for about an hour today and then on to our local mall. I think I had a positive attitude about recovering! Scared to death to go to the castle, but it turned out well. I had a TAH/BSO and I feel the recovery went much better than my 2 C-sections 22 & 20 Years ago. Just rest alot when you get home from the castle and think positive! Good Luck!

Terri

I'm glad you are doing so well, but be careful. You are very early in your recovery and it's very easy to overdo it during your first couple of weeks. (If you haven't already, read my post about this at the following link: http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/sho...threadid=67460 .)

Some ladies do recover more quickly, but your body has had major surgery, and you need to allow it time to heal before you attempt too much. You only get one chance to heal properly, and this is it.

At seven weeks post op, I'm now having a lot of discomfort since I've returned to work full-time, mainly achy pains and tiredness. If I could have had the financial luxury of taking a few more weeks off, I would have.

Lots of s,

Lisa

Now you guys have me a little worried. We have a cabin rented 3 1/2 weeks after my surgery. It is only 50 miles from our home and I plan on not doing anything strenuous. My doctor said he saw no reason that I wouldn't be able to go on this vacation. I've been really looking forward to it. He told me I should be able to go back to work in 4 weeks. I was planning on 5. I'm a teacher in an infant and toddler room in a daycare center. I don't think doctors realize how difficult the work is. I'm constantly lifting and bending and carrying one if not two children. I'm beginning to wonder if his time frame is reasonable.

Shelly

I had a TAH/BSO on June 5. On the 15th, I started work part time. My office is a 3 minutes drive away. On July 2, I started full-time. I am very tired by the end of the day, but I have only a little discomfort. I have the same amount of discomfort on the weekends when I don't do anything.

I did spend those first 10 days lying on the couch. My dh brought me all my meals, and I basically ate them lying down because I could not sit at all. (Not a pretty sight! LOL) When I started back to work, I spent most of my time standing up, which was more comfortable than sitting. I am now sitting, standing, walking with little pain.

My biggest problem is the brain fog. By 3 o'clock I forget my own name. I lose my train of thought in mid sentence. I am doing my first budget process, and am going to be responsible for a 3/4 of a million budget, so this could be a major problem!

Anyway, I wanted to tell you ladies that you can do anything you want to do. Just listen to your bodies. They will let you know what is enough. I don't see any problem with holidays or travel, as long as you can rest when needed. Remember to move carefully. You may be feeling just fine, and do some dumb thing like reach around the front seat to the back (A no no!). It hurts! Maybe for you, bending will be a big problem. Everyone is different, but you can learn your limitations. As long as you stay within them, you will be fine.

Dear Sister, my understanding is that it is a bad idea to fly for a few weeks after surgery, because of potential thrombosis (blood clots). It also sounds to me like your husband has not quiet understood what will be happening to you. This surgery is huge on many levels and for me personally the comfort of my own home was very important. You will probably be feeling most vulnerable and if you where my friend, I would not let you roam around airports and hotels, straight after your hosptal stay. You will need all your energy to heal so that you can happily jetset when you are recovered.
Take care of yourself, gently, lovingly.
Natalie

Travel would not have been enjoyable for me that early post op. I would have been very miserable and not good company at all. That early on, going from one end of the grocery store to the other completely tired me out! So, I'd have to say WalMart would have been too much in the way of sightseeing.

Remember, too, that flying takes alot more time than the actual flight. You have to drive to the airport, wait, fly, wait for luggage, trip to the hotel. That can be hours with nowhere to lay down, and often nowhere to sit.

A nice little weekend later on would be so much more pleasant, IMHO.

Hi,

When I asked my doctor and told him I had an opportunity to go to Chicago, at first he said It might be ok, depending on how you feel. He thought it might be good for me. When I told him I would be travelling alone to meet my husband there, he changed his tune dramatically. He pointed out something I didn't even think about. How will I deal with luggage? As long as I had someone to go with that could do the luggage it might not be so bad. But the thought of even getting the bag into and out of the trunk is too much.

When I told my husband the doc said no, he started thinking of all kinds of clever ways that I could do this, but then I just said that I thought it was too soon. He's very dissappointed but I don't care. I know my body well enough to know that it would be too much for me. Travelling when I'm well tires me out!

Doc advises against it, so that is that. I appreciate the support from everyone. And you are right. Hubby thinks I will be back to my old self by then. I know better.

One of my biggest fears about having this surgery is that my husband has always been a bit insensitive about my health issues. He told me the other day that, and I'm quoting here, "I know that you will make your recuperation a miserable time for me and drag it out, get every symptom possible, and milk it for sympathy". He made me cry. My husband's reaction is the primary reason I've put it off so long. Well, that and the fear of the surgery itself. He doesn't have a nurturing bone in his body, takes after his mother!

Men just don't have their privates tampered with in such a radical way. I don't think they quite "get it". If men were the ones who had to deal with hysterectomies, there would have been a cure for the ailiments that cause them a long time ago!

Anyway, Thanks for all the replies. I will try to relax and get some walking in while he's gone. Maybe go to my sister's house for dinner, since she's 10 minutes away and has already offered.

O.

With the experiece of 3 female surgeries, I can say almost yes to the travel.....of course don't carry anything etc.
The only problem I would have had was with my TVH last year. I had level 7 pain still at the 4 week post op.