How long did you wait to drive after surgery?

angelface · 04-14-2008, 11:43 AM

How long did you wait to drive after your LAP-BAND^® surgery. My Dr. says 2 weeks. Is that too long?

tntexas · 04-14-2008, 11:56 AM

I was banded on a Friday and drove on Monday. My doc left it up to me with exception to the day of surgery.

asherje · 04-14-2008, 12:16 PM

I was banded friday April 11th, which they also found a hiatal hernia and repaired, and I drove to work today. Was a little uncomfortable but did good.

QuilterLaura · 04-14-2008, 01:12 PM

Well, I drove the next day. Maybe not my first choice, but I had to pick up my son, there was no one else to do it. I was uncomfortable, but I survived. Every day after that it got easier. I did make sure I had not taken any pain med in more than 7 hours. When I got home I was ready for it! Good luck.

TulipStar · 04-14-2008, 01:23 PM

I waited 6 days to drive. I was having a lot of pain and couldn't even lower myself down in the car. If you feel like you can do it, I would do it as long as you are not on pain meds.

neveragain · 04-14-2008, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tntexas

I was banded on a Friday and drove on Monday. My doc left it up to me with exception to the day of surgery.

What she said. :)

soriminah · 04-16-2008, 09:40 AM

Op Tuesday night, left hospital Wednesday morning, drove to work Thursday morning.

It's usual medical advice not to drive for 24 hours after anaesthetic. If you can drive after that it's up to you. Most Drs are concerned that if you have an accident, you'll hurt your belly and might need more surgery or might tear open your wounds.

Enchanted · 04-16-2008, 09:47 AM

My doctor recommends no driving until after the post op check (five days).

Christine

carol422 · 04-16-2008, 10:43 AM

My Dr. said no driving til your off pain meds. I had surgery 4-8, drove to Dr. office on 4-10 for staple removal. I was not on pain meds.

Gill27UK · 04-16-2008, 11:36 AM

I drove this morning as I had a knee appointment (from a reconstruction I had in October due to a fight with a tree whilst skiing a year ago) I had my band on friday 11th. So 5 days I waited.

I'm quite lucky as I don't have much pain from the wounds, I only have little sticky steri-strips over my incisions which are being changed on friday by the local nurse in my GP surgery. I can even lay and sleep on my front and both sides.

However, Karma is a bitch as my gas pain is TERRIBLE.

I was almost in tears this morning as I walked to my knee appointment. I winced as I undressed, I winced as I sat on the bed, I winced as I sat in the car again. It felt like my womb and intestines were being ripped out of my belly

. I wondered if it was period pain, but alas no, that would be easier to come to terms with, i.e. take some pain killers and it'll ease.

I went to the supermarket and bought peppermint tea, ginger tea and a wind-ease type antacidy thing. I used double the teabags and made 2 cups (yuk). I then sat forward across a beanbag on my tummy to try and coax the air upwards (and hopefully outwards!!) No luck.
So then I thought about all your lovely advice on these forums to 'walk, walk, walk'- So I did. Indoors. From living room bay windows, across the room, through the hall, through the kitchen and into the dining room, around the big dining table and out of the kitchen back into the hall and back to the windows in the living room. I soon had my cat following me back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. I must've made around 12 round trips across my house. Even the cat ended up sitting in the hall waiting for me to appear from the kitchen, and then from the living room, then from the kitchen again.... I hope none of the neighbours saw through the windows!

So, any more ideas as nothing seems to work ?(not even a number 2

)

And gas-x strips are not available in the uk and I don't want to see if EBay have them as I need relief now!

Gill x x x

P.S. lost 5lbs since Friday :-)