Traveling 3 Weeks After Surgery

[Ms_Kb718 22]

Hello Everyone,

I am scheduled for surgery on June 21st. Hubby and I are booked for a weeklong trip to Jamaica to Celebrate our 10-year anniversary on July 13th. I spoke with my doctor's nurse and she said that unless there are any complications, they usually clear patients for travel 7-10 days after surgery. My question is whether or not you would have been up to going on vacation 3 weeks after surgery? I am just fine with lounging around and relaxing all week and I also understand that my diet will be limited and I am prepared to take my Protein supplements with me. We did purchase travel insurance so I am trying to decide if we should reschedule the trip or just try to stick with our plans. I know every person and their post-op experiences are different, but how did you feel 3 weeks after surgery and would you have felt comfortable traveling to a place like Jamaica?

[ElleG 394]

Congrats on everything! The surgery was hard for me I was in so much pain. I'm 6 weeks out and I still like laying in the bed. My energy is not back to normal yet. I was not exspecting that, but you could be perfectly fine and ready to go. I say play it by ear if you can get up right after surgery you might be one of the lucky ones. Best Wishes

[gra5u5 30]

There are quite a few of us that we're back to work by 3 weeks so if your doctor gives you the ok, I say go for it!

[cathyh 33]

I went back right at 2 weeks.

[kraney 219]

I had a vacation planned two weeks after surgery. I happened to be one of the 1% or so that had a leak. I ended up back in the hospital for 16 days and had to cancel my vacation. I would play it by ear if you can since you have travel insurance. Congratulations on your ten year anniversary! I hope you enjoy your vacation whenever you may go!

HW 229, SW 214, CW 188. RNY 3/14/13

[My4Boys 34]

I would have def been fine for a vacation after 3 weeks, like the others said, most of us were back to work by then, and if i can work, i can sure as hell go on vacation hahaha!!

[Dorian 683]

I'm three weeks out, and to be honest, I don't think I could handle traveling. But as you said lounging around on the beach wouldn't take much out of you. I just still get pretty tired and have alittle left side pain when I've done too much. If you are just relaxing, you should be fine!

[Sparklette 381]

I am just over two weeks out and I feel great! I could totally go for a cruise right now lol

[Nicole K 352]

I think 3 weeks is pushing it especially food wise. Your not going to be able to eat much. Your options are limited and it may make for a not so fun vacation. I would say wait 6 months. You'll be down 80+ pounds by then and will have a handle on eating. Just my opinion. I went to Disney last month and I was 4 months post op and down 85 lbs then. Food was easy to handle.

[Ms_Kb718 22]

Thanks to everyone who responded. We decided to err on the side of caution and cancel our trip. I asked my husband if he wanted me to postpone my surgery for another month and he said "Absolutely Not! You've already had to wait so long!"

We will Celebrate our anniversary locally and renew our vows in a ceremony with friends and family. I decided that I not only want to be 100% healed, but I also want to be able to eat regular food and I want time to lose enough weight to be able to enjoy all the things that we haven't been able to do during past vacations because of my weight (like zip-lining). Thanks again for the advice.

[Cherry 71]

I'm glad you chose to cancel. Here's one reason why:

I was a surgery fairytale. Everything went perfect & 4 days later, no pain, no complications, nothing. Too good to be true. On day 23, the day after my 3 wk post op visit, I had a trip planned. I could have cancelled but had no reason to.

So I made the 9 hour drive and had horrible rain the entire way and day 26, here I am SICK AS A DOG and worried. I'm not anywhere reasonably close to my surgeon, though there's a hospital near by. I don't know what happened and if I had a stomach I'd say this was a stomach virus. I'm in pain & beyond nauseated. I'm not throwing up because I can't even get anything in me. The smell of food makes me sick & i cant even drink. Being dehydrated would be welcomed since an IV at the ER will help that...... but what if its something else? Yes I am a bit panicked.

Who would have thought? And at least I'm still in the states. I can't imagine how I could have ruined my Jamaica vacation or further endangered myself.