autonomy after vsg

Hi guys!

I'm having surgery in a month (04/09) in England, and I was wondering if you could share with me how you felt the day after?

Here, we are released the next day, and I live a couple hours away from the hospital (I usually take 2 trains to get to/from there). But I don't have family or friends who could drive me back home so I will have to use public transports, and I still haven't made up my mind whether it would be worth it to rent a bed somewhere in town to rest one more night or if I should just go home and rest there. Technically I would have to take a cab to the station (5min), ride a train to London (40min) walk to the correct platform, take the second train (50min) and take a cab home (3min). Really not a lot of walking, maybe a bit of waiting before the trains though.

I see lots of conflicting information, advice and testimonies and I am trying to take all into account... Some people were pretty much asleep the whole day, others were on their feet as soon as they arrived in the ward after recovery. Some don't even remember how they got home, others had a clear mind. Also we are supposed to take a short walk every hour to prevent blood clots so it's not like I would be completely bedridden?

Also, I am quite young (30) and still in good shape (bmi 45 at the moment I think, probably will be a bit lower after the preop liquid diet lol) so I don't struggle with walking in general.

I am very excited to finally get to the surgery but I am trying to plan as much as I can, so pleaaase share your experience with me :)

Everyone is different but in my experience there is no way that the next day I would have been able to do that. So I suggest renting a bed for a night or 2 until you feel you are feeling good enough to travel alone. Some people have felt great so you might be ok but I def wasn't. I was so sore and had difficulty getting up and down and walking long distances or even standing for long periods of time. I hope that you are feeling great though. Good luck!

Have you had any other surgeries to gauge how well you deal with post-op pain and the after effects of anesthesia? I was fine day after, but I've been through two c-sections and another open abdominal procedure in my lifetime plus some other surgeries. For me, the anesthesia is the issue - I'm horribly tired. I would be afraid of sleeping past my stop on a train. Also, I had a weight limit of lifting no more than 10 pounds for 2 weeks after my surgery which would have made carrying my overnight bag home by myself an issue.

Talk to your team, as they may require that you be discharged into the care of someone (which was what my team in the US required.) Best wishes!

I did have one other surgery 10 years ago when I was a uni student for a cyst, I remember going to the hospital on my own and I went home on my own too, I didn't think much about it because I didn't even think they would keep me the night (they did). I don't have a great memory so I don't actually remember how I felt back then, I think what I disliked most was waking up with that thing in my nose (not sure if it was for hydration or for breathing, I remember it was wet and I wanted it out lol).

I guess my overnight bag won't be that big: so far I've noted a robe, pjs, toothbrush, slippers, a few toiletries, lip balm and dry mouth spray, a pillow, a towel.. there's no way that can weight 5kgs? What else would you take?

Honestly you can cut that down. You shouldn't need a robe or PJ's. Just wear two hospital gowns -- one facing forward, one facing back -- when you walk the halls. In fact, robe and PJ's can get in the way of things like IV lines and drains. You also shouldn't need a towel or a pillow. They have those in hospitals. Bring something very loose and comfy to wear on the way home. Assuming you are female, a non-underwire bra, preferably a stretchy cotton leisure bra that fastens in front. If you bring slippers, make sure they are non-skid, with the little rubber things on the bottom. Non-skid socks will probably serve just as well. Make sure you bring an extra-long charger cord for your phone.

the robe and pjs are on the list given by the hospital so it would look bad if I arrived without lol

I wasn't sure about the towel, I'd rather do without bringing one to be honest

If you're not headed home, you'll need whatever is required for your post op diet. Liquid is heavy. I'd only do an air bnb if the host let you drop off all your post-op necessities beforehand--drinks, shakes, meds, etc. Would a car service really cost more than a couple of nights in an air bnb?

I had my surgery, slept about 1/2 the day off and on, then got up and WALKED the halls near the nurses station and went home the next morning. yes, I had some pain but I just did what they told me to do and kept trying to get up and walk often, not far and not fast but I did what they told me to do. I do not know how they do it there but most likely if they feel you are not up to being alone and so far away they will keep you longer, just make sure you are honest with how you are feeling.

I could have done that, but I would have been pretty miserable and exhausted at the end of it.

If you can, I would try to book a room very nearby for a couple of nights post-op, but look for one with a generous cancelation policy. That way if you decide on the morning you are to be released that you can handle public transit, you can just cancel.

Also, if you can afford to book a room for a night or two, might you instead be able to afford car service (Uber, taxi, etc.) to take you home, rather than relying on public transit?

And yes, if you are going to be on your own, make sure your bag is very light. Carrying heavy packages is usually forbidden for several weeks post-op. This will be good incentive for you not to overpack for the hospital, which is something that people seem to do quite frequently.

Good luck!

well I was just planning to rent a cheap airbnb room, not a proper hotel cause if it is to just sleep and use the bathroom I wouldn't need the extra luxury ahah