Question:
I have to drive in a car 12 hours right after I get out of the hospital
I am (hopefully) going to have my surgury at the BTC in Ypsilanti, MI. We have to drive 12 hours to get there, and DO NOT have money to stay in a hotel longer than necessary. I will have to drive in a car for 12 hours as soon as I leave the hospital. Is this going to be very dangerous??? I really don't have any other choice. As it is, our kids will have to go to a relatives for a week, and my husband will have to stay in a hotel while I am in the hospital. I am scared that the drive home will cause problems.. Any suggestions would be so very helful...God bless!!!! — [Anonymous] (posted on January 14, 2002)
January 14, 2002
Your drive shouldn't cause you any problems other then being uncomfortable.
I had to drive a little over an hour and it was rough as far as being
nauseated. Just take a pillow and what ever you need to make yourself
comfortable. Stop often and get some fresh air. You also will need a
restroom often since you will still have all those fluids in you. You do
what you have to do and it will all be fine. A day after you are home you
will forget about the long drive. You might be able to get the doctor to
give you a shot just before you leave to help with the car sickness. Take
care and try not to worry.
— Kelly C.
January 14, 2002
I forgot to mention that the stopping and getting fresh air is also do to
the fact that you need to stretch and walk a little to help prevent clots.
— Kelly C.
January 14, 2002
Your Dr. will probably be prescribing pain meds for you. When I was
released from the BTC in Columbus.. I timed my departure for when I had
JUST taken my last in-hosp. dose of Percocet (every 4 hrs). I wasn't even
driving.. and it was a LONG 3 hour trip! You said you'd be 'driving'..
please tell me you meant 'riding'.. If it wasn't for my ability to hold
that pillow over my stomach.. EVERY bump and pot-hole would have been pure
agony!! Since it's such a LONG trip.. see if your surgeon can give you any
pain meds to take mid-trip. That will help a lot. And make sure you leave
hosp. with prescriptions in-hand, so you can fill them as soon as you get
to your hometown, before you even go home. As the other posters said..stop
FREQUENTLY (every 1 - 1 1/2 hrs) to strech your legs and get some fresh
air... you want to keep active as often as possible, to prevent embolisms
from forming.. Good luck.. and God Bless
— Diane E.
January 14, 2002
I also hope you mean RIDING, not DRIVING!! I was confused for about
a week after surgery and all the pain meds. Please check with your
doctor before you do any driving. Mine restricted me for 3 weeks
after surgery, just to get all the pain meds out of my system.
— [Anonymous]
January 14, 2002
I would like to comment about your husband having to stay in a motel while
you are in the hospital...I think we have some pretty fantastic support
people on this website and I bet if you posted on the message board, you
would be able to find someone in that area to put him up for that short
time, I know if you were coming to Tampa mi casa su casa! Best Wishes,
Donna
— donnalawbabe
January 14, 2002
Are you driving or riding in a car??? I had an abdominal tumor removed
almost a year ago, and I road in a car for about 10 hours after being
discharged. It was not problem at all...I am sure people do it every day
as your doctor cannot expect you to stick around for 10 days or more til
the staples come out. Relax! You will be fine :-)
— Annette A.
January 14, 2002
I saw this response to a similar question earlier. Check and see if there
is a hospitality house near the hospital. Sort of like a Ronald McDonald
house where your DH could stay much cheaper than in a hotel. I think it
would be at least worth a phone call.
— [Anonymous]
January 14, 2002
I SERIOUSLY suggest you discuss this situation with your surgeon. Such a
long ride as a passenger puts you at serious risk of blood clots. Driving
puts you at risk of a DUI because of the pain meds. Either way talk to your
doc. Besides what will you do if a complication arises requiring emergency
surgery? You should have a plan in advance in case you develop a problem.
Not meaning to be a tough guy, we are tal;king about your safety here.
— bob-haller
January 14, 2002
I had a 5 hour drive as soon as I was released last 12/20. I had a LAP RNY
so if you are having open then I'm sure you will feel differently. My
husband drove as I'm sure your will be. I took no pain meds before I left
(had been off them since the day before). I had peed out the IV fluids in
the few hours before I was discharged. You can ask for the IV to be taken
out a few hours before you leave and that way you won't have to use the
bathroom any more often then normal. I HATE public restrooms so I planned
that one :-) Make sure you have some pillows and a blanket to keep you
comfortable and do whatever it takes in order to split the trip into two
days. If it were me I would drive 5-6 hours then get a motel. If you can't
come up with the money let me know - I will treat you (seriously). Then you
drive the second half of your trip home the next day. I would not - under
any circumstances make the entire 12 hour trip all at once. This is not a
good thing for someone right after surgery and like the previous posters
have said, blood clots should be a concern. The best of luck and let me
know if I can help at all.
— crishsapig
January 14, 2002
Jeez, my 30 minute drive home was AGONY, I can't imagine doing 12 hours.
Of course, I had open surgery, not a lap, if might be different if you're
having lap.
— Dee P.
January 14, 2002
Hi. The first thing you need to do is call to see if your surgeo's
office/hospital has a hospitality house, kind of like a Ronald McDonald
house for families of children who are ill. I agonized about staying at a
motel, etc., and then was so happy to find out that where I had my surgery,
the hospital has a hospitality house where patients and their loved ones,
friends, family could stay for $10/nite/person. This would be great for
your husband if you could locate such a place.
IF you have to drive home, well, then you have to deal with that. #1, if
you take blood pressure meds., don't take it until you get home. I made
the mistake of taking mine before I left the hospital when I was released
and the med has a diuretic in it, and my daughter had to stop every 15-20
min. for me to stop and pee. It was the worst part of the whole surgery
experience for me. I didn't think we were ever going to make it home, plus
she was losing her patience and trying to be patient all at the same time.
I hope you can find a hospitality house type of scenario near your place of
surgery. Let me know if you do. Best of luck to you.
— blank first name B.
January 14, 2002
I am the one who wrote this question, and I meatn to say I would be riding
in the car. I will not be the one who is driving :)
— [Anonymous]
January 14, 2002
Hi, I live in the Upper Peninsula and had my surgery in Grand Rapids. I
rode the 10 hours home the day after my discharge and it was no problem.
Make sure you stop every hour and walk and take your pain killers. It
shouldn't be too bad. I slept most of the way. Best of Luck to you!!
— Laurie L.
January 14, 2002
Make sure you have your pain meds BEFORE you leave the hospital. I didn't
and I only had a 20 minute drive home and the pain was horrible. I ended up
back in the hospital ER because none of the pharmacies that we went to
carried what the doctor prescribed. Then the doctor on call would only give
me 10 percocet because he didn't know who I was, even though I just had
surgery in that hospital and was still in the computer. Anyway, make sure
you have the meds.
— Dawn H.
January 15, 2002
Another thing is to make sure the car you are using has a comfortable ride.
I was driven home (only a 30 minute ride) in a compact car. I felt every
bump in the road right in my gut. I would not have survived a 12 hour ride
in this car, but I probably could have in a bigger luxury car. It would be
worth it even if you have to rent one.
— Julie S.
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