Driving Post-Op

[JPreiss]

I know you can't drive while you are still on pain pills (duh), but once you are off pain pills about how long after surgery should you refrain from driving? My son is going to a camp 3 hours away and I'm arranging for friends who sons are also going to drive him and pick him up because I know that is obviously not a good idea for me to drive. But how about things like 5 minute trips to the grocery store etc? Is is that you are still in pain and nauseous or are you also just out of it and not mentally paying attention enough to drive?

 

[Clematis]

Yes to the muddled thinking and poor reflexes. The possibility is always there of having to quickly raise your foot and slam it down on brakes which could be uncomfortable if not painful. And I was not comfortable being jostled up and down -- felt like my guts were loose and it hurt. Some (not me) had little to no notice for poop emergencies. The question is: how long does that last? I honestly don't remember. I know there are people who drove themselves home from the airport, another who drove from Mexicali to Oklahoma (!!) but these people were superhuman, foolish or both. Two and a half weeks post-op I drove myself a couple of miles on the freeway to a chiropractor's appt, vomiting in a grocery bag on the drive home. (I'm confident I drove to the grocery store a mile away before that.) You'll just have to play it by ear.

 

[JPreiss]

Yes to the muddled thinking and poor reflexes. The possibility is always there of having to quickly raise your foot and slam it down on brakes which could be uncomfortable if not painful. And I was not comfortable being jostled up and down -- felt like my guts were loose and it hurt. Some (not me) had little to no notice for poop emergencies. The question is: how long does that last? I honestly don't remember. I know there are people who drove themselves home from the airport, another who drove from Mexicali to Oklahoma (!!) but these people were superhuman, foolish or both. Two and a half weeks post-op I drove myself a couple of miles on the freeway to a chiropractor's appt, vomiting in a grocery bag on the drive home. (I'm confident I drove to the grocery store a mile away before that.) You'll just have to play it by ear.

Thanks for replying. I guess I won't know for sure until the time comes. I'm just trying to plan ahead for what I am going to need help with or what I can take care of ahead of time, etc.

 

[Clematis]

Because you have kids to deal with, I'd plan for the worst meaning have family and friends ready to tote the kids around. You can always cancel them if you feel up to it.

 

[chevtow]

I was driving a FedEx truck with someone to carry the boxes within 3-4 weeks. And driving my own vehicle a week out of surgery

 

[Clematis]

Yeah but @chevtow is super human didn't you do something jaw dropping like mow your lawn the day you got back from the hospital? (He also lost all his weight in a minute and a half. Oh you MEN!) We mere mortals may take a little longer to recover so don't feel bad if you're not able to do it all by week's end. You'll get there soon enough.

 

[Munchkin]

Mine was open and I took my good drugs @8pm so I would sleep well. Then the rest of the time I did without so I could drive. I started driving at 7 days, mostly short trips.

 

[JPreiss]

Mine was open and I took my good drugs @8pm so I would sleep well. Then the rest of the time I did without so I could drive. I started driving at 7 days, mostly short trips.

That's good to hear, hopefully I will be similar. I'm not expecting to get out there and mow my lawn right away

 

[chevtow]

I don't think I mowed the lawn lol