Surgery far from home; travel tips?

I think he will be okay, providing he stops often to stretch the old legs etc. I had to fly home straight form my surgery, on the plane for about 2 hrs, then the car home, so I guess I traveled for about 3-4 hrs, no problems at all. I was concerned and a bit fearful of the leg bag filling up to quickly on the plane, but even that was not a issue. If all he is worried about is the trip home, tell him he's a lucky man. I was more worried about the op etc, but it turned out to be very straight forward and I now wished I had not of worried at all. I was one of the lucky ones, whom recovered pretty quick. Good luck to your friend.............Rgds Kev

I had a 4+ hour drive home, I was about 45 minutes into the trip and thought, hey, let me check the leg bag, full! so with iv fluids starting to come out, the bag needs attention. I completly filled the bag twice on the trip. Also they told me I should walk some every two hours as a precaution for blood clots in my legs. They put my leg bag directly on the catheter and roadside emptying was difficult. He should as they place an extension tube so the bag can be more easily emptied at his ankle without removing his pants.

I was discharged at 3 pm but it took another two hours to have nurse do the discharge education, final checks, there was a change of shift, with delays, then the cashier had to be consulted and then wait for an attendant to accompany me to the front. It was after 5 pm before I could leave. It was a mistake. The 3 hour drive home became six because of nasty weather and then the leg bag filled and drainage stopped and I had to go to a rest area toilet, with my wife in tow, to work on the catheter tube and bag which did not respond so we stopped at the emergency room of a small town hospital to have the catheter flushed and they had to consult the surgeon. All in all I made it home but I should have never tried to do so. Just another night at the hospital, which was possible, or in the motel across the street would have been completely different. I over expected myself. And I nearly killed my wife with fear and anxiety. Just my story. Take it from there.

Suggestions for car travel - hmmm.

I was only about a 45 minute drive away, but it was a long one. From what I have experienced, and from talking with others, especially one who had sugery in December, and had a brutal winter weather drive, I have a few thoughts.

1) Be sure the person driving is comfortable with the route and the directions. Download maps as needed before-hand, review them, and check with the various state highway departments about planned construction.

2) Be sure the person driving is comfortable with the vehicle. Nothing worse than having someone at the wheel who is not used to the controls and handling of the vehicle on unfamiliar roads / in bad weather. Amazing what becomes a flash point while you are coming off the drugs.

3) My personal opinion - forget the leg bag for that trip. Keep the big/night bag attached, just in case. You don't want to be trying to figure out emptying the leg bag stuck in traffic. They did not give me an extension for the leg bag, and I realized that if I had used it, with the car seat arrangement, the bag would have been higher than my bladder, which is one of the most extreme of catheter errors. I noticed another member found this out the hard way.

4) Check the route maps for rest stops, and use them all to stretch. Get a pair of basketball pants (the type that snap up the side), so that you have an easier time putting them on around the catheter tube. Carry the bag in a shopping sack. If anybody makes a snide remark, empty your bag on their foot . Well, maybe not.

5) My first long road trip, which normally takes about 5 hours, took 8 with the (seriously) needed pit stops. Plan for a place to make a stop for the night just in case.

6) Get a doughnut cushion (usually sold as an aid for hemorrhoid patients). Get the foam one, not the inflatable. The inflatable makes so much "balloon" noise that your driver will take it away from you.

7) Check with your surgeon and local uro - they may be able to agree on rules and schedule for removing the catheter locally, rather than all that driving for a two minute visit. Also get phone numbers for each, and their services, beforehand.

8) Be sure you have a proper emergency assistance service for the vehicle. You do not want to be trying to change a flat tire on the side of the road after surgery. Your car insurance may have this as an option, or get a membership with AAA or local equivalent. Considering the 18 hours + of total travel time, it will be a small investment, as well as remove another potential flash point. If you get a AAA membership, call the local office and ask for maps and a trip planner.

9) the Surgeon will likely give you prescriptions for post-op meds. Get them filled immediately, BEFORE you get on the road. You do not want to be part way home, have to stop for the night, and be in a small area that dosen't have a pharmacy, or the one there doesn't have the med in stock, or is out of network and charges full price.

10) Get some "underpads" for the car seat, just in case you leak. They are disposable, and come in packs of 10 or 20, depending on the size. You will find them useful at home anyway.

11) Take a blanket in the passenger area of the vehicle. You may have different temperature needs than the driver.

12) Get the vehicle looked over by your service shop, just to be sure everything is in order. Have the usual winter weather gear in the car.

13) If you do get discharged in the later afternoon, it may be wise to stay at a local hotel overnight, perhaps a little out of the high-traffic area, and start early the next day. At least that way it will not be all night driving.

14) Keep a notebook with the important information. If you get stuck on the road, and the cell battery dies, that wonderfull contact / appointment book app is no longer available. Been there, done that.

15) Don't argue with the driver about music choice, etc. You won't be right, and you can't drive anyway. Close your eyes and sleep. Works better for all concerned.

Just some thoughts -

Add ons -

16) Check to see if you should have a pneumonia vaccination. The travel circumstances may make it a risk. If you are not quite old enough, consult with your GP and insurance company. They may feel it is indicated and allow it anyway.

17) Carry any medication you are regularly taking in the actual prescription bottle with label, and carry at least an extra week's supply. At the hospital, they may use yours, instead of making you buy the daily pills from the pharmacy. My hospital asked me to do that, others, I have been told, do not.  The extra, of course, is "just in case".

 

Post Edited (142) : 12/4/2010 2:28:55 PM (GMT-7)

Great responses, everyone.  Jazz, you're right.  142 really covered the bases. I guess the major health concerns would be blood clots, pneumonia, and problems with the catheter.  A lot of thought and planning have to be given to minimizing those risks when traveling (frequent stops, use of the spirometer for breathing exercises, and familiarity with the proper use of the catheter, for example).  I'm sure others have made this sort of a trip, but forewarned is fore-armed, and suggestions such as those being shared here are invaluable. 

I was hospitalized for three days, but I'm aware some are discharged the day after surgery.  I would think the length of the hospital stay also greatly changes the equation.

I didn't fully realize just how major the surgery is until I forced myself to watch a YouTube video of the DaVinci procedure. 

Thanks again to all.

Tell him stay one or two nights close to the hospital beore he hits the road.

As the undisputed King of Catheters, my advice to your friend if he is going to have to have a long car trip:

Leave the hospital with the night/big bag. Don't even bother with the leg bag. The leg bag is only going to hold 400-500 ml where the night/big bag will hold from 2000 to 4000 ml of urine. Since he won't be driving, or if he wants to lie down in the back seat, the big bag with its long hose would allow him to be more comfortable. With the leg bag, it will keep him sitting up all the time. If he is self conscious about the bag while getting out of the car, then just put it in a tote bag, easy enough. Most of the big/night bags tend to equalize the pressure between the bladder and the bag, where the leg bag is just a simple gravity device. For all my catheter time, I avoided leg bags like the plague, as they always made me feel more uncomfortable, unless I had to wear one. I remember being on a job interview once with the leg bag under my best suit, it chose then to feel quickly, in one hour, I had to make an excuse to go to the bathroom to empty it. Didn't get the job.

david in sc

The trip home and follow-up visits were a big concern for me in deciding where to have surgery done. I was looking at Cleveland Clinic which was 5 hours away and I decided that while it might be ok for the trip home, it would be too far away for follow up visits or if I had complications once home.

I think it hinges somewhat on if you have access to a local urologist who is willing to see you and treat any problems, including the cathedor if needed. Our local urologists for the most part did not want to treat anothers surgery and even if they would they are really busy and hard to get into.

In the end I traveled to a University Center only two hours away, had good care and the travel ended up being not a big problem.

Take time to think through all your options and I'm sure you will make the right choice.

clocknut,

My salvage prostatectomy was in New York, so I flew up and back. I stayed 10 days after my surgery for other reasons. The flight home was not that difficult.

My subsequent surgeries, etc. were in Cleveland which was an 11 hour drive. My surgeries were usually on Thursday and I usually stayed over the weekend, saw my doctor on Monday morning and started the drive home. I usually stopped every 2 - 3 hours, stretch my legs, go to the bathroom, etc. There again, it wasn't all that difficult. I rode in the passenger front seat, leaned all the way back with pillows.

Wigs

My wife and I had to travel over 500 miles after I had my Davinci Prostatechtomy done 5 days ago.  I had the surgery done on Thursday, left the hospital on Friday and traveled home the next day.  I wore the leg bag and we stopped every 1 to 1 1/2 hours so I could empty the bag and walk a little.  The only meds I was taking were ditropan and 1,000mg Tylenol.  It really wasn't a bad trip except for learning how to get my catheter and leg bag apparatus positioned so it wasn't uncomfortable.  The trip took 8 to 9 hours with the stops.  All things considered I didn't think the travel experience was too bad.

Packman

PSA April, 2010 4.45

Biopsy 9/23/10  Ca in 3 0f 9 cores

Gleason 6 (3+3)

Pca contained in prostate

4 lymph nodes removed-negative

Margins negative

Hope your surgery went well, Flyter. Mayo is a first-class outfit.

I'm not sure I'd drive 12 hours to get a catheter removed; you might want to re-think that one. Any local uro can probably handle it fine.

Having made the 12 hour trip Sunday, followed by last night in hometown ER for urinary tract infection, I definitely would not do it again. (Hope the antibiotic kicks in soon) Rather, I would spend the entire time between surgery and catheter removal in the hospital/clinic town if could do it over. For us, the trip was not easy; we stopped every hour or so, and the catheter was uncomfortable most of the time. Live and learn.