What's it like 1 and 2 days post-op? Sick? Or just sore? Could I travel?

[gyneco7]

My surgery is scheduled for a couple weeks from now and I'm just wondering what's the post op really like in the days following?  (I'm also having lipo of abdomen done, by the way).  Will I be able to get up and do very light activity?  I know I'm not supposed to drive that next day but the timing is kind of problematic b/c I had something I really needed to do out of town the next day.  If someone else drove me would I be ok for a 3 or 4 hour car ride?  I guess it probably varies a lot with the person and I really won't know until I wake up the next day after surgery, but I'm just wondering what others' experience was like right out of surgery?  Were you bedbound for a few days or generally feeling ok but just really sore?

Thanks!

[jph]

I had the surgery last Tuesday (the same you are having). You'll be pretty sore the day after but I was able to do light activity (i.e. go out to eat and see a show) the next day. The day after for me was the worst as far as pain but it gets progressively better. Getting up and sitting down are uncomfortable but once you are up it's not bad. And as far as sleeping on your back, I never did before surgery but haven't had a problem with it at all. I was never "bed bound" - even just after surgery you do need rest but that night I got up and walked around the room and sat down to eat.  Two to three days after (and still) I definitely was not operating at full steam and had to take breaks to give my body time to rest. You'll know when you've gone too far.

I would have someone drive you because I had a hard time repositioning myself in bed the day after without soreness so I don't think it would be a good idea to drive with limited mobility.

My abdomen and hips have probably been the most sore and my chest has hardly bothered me at all. Make sure you have some loose and oversized lounge pants since even a week later my pants still don't quite fit from swelling. And, when you get home from surgery, if you have tumescent lipo you may be leaking fluid so put something on your bed to catch it (maybe an old towel over a large garbage bag). For me this only lasted through the first night.

The only thing else I can say is to put everything you need where you can reach it without bending over for a few days!