How soon after surgery will I be able to take a holiday?

[keeponsmiling]

So almost a month after seeing my ortho, I'm still waiting for a date to meet my surgeon again and fix a surgery date. It's likely that I'll get my op in February. In the meantime I was hoping to be well enough to take my kids to Disneyland before my son turns seven in mid-May. (After his birthday the cost is going to shoot up!) I'm worried that because I won't be able to eat properly after surgery my energy levels are going to slump and I have no idea how long it will take to feel up to a big trip. I know people have reported going back to work after three or four weeks, but does that mean I can expect to be back to normal after that time, or just able to get by?

[IamSam12345]

I'm 20 so things could be different for me, but I am at day 9 of recovery and while I don't think I'd be able to walk around all day, I feel like I should definitely be able to by the end of this month. After your surgery you'll have about 3 months before the trip. At 3 months, most people seem to be dealing with the last little bits of swelling. I'd say that you'd definitely be able to take this trip at this time. To ensure this, I would be sure to take long walks so that you can work up to walking around all day. Hope this helps and good luck with your surgery!

[w0nnie]

whilst you should be well and truly up to the trip energy wise, one thing to check would be if you can go on any rides at disneyland, if this concerns you that is. 3 months post op might not be soon enough for the best rides.

[suzanna]

You should be fine after 3-4 weeks as long as you have a normal recovery (no complications). I felt pretty good after that time but I still got tired quickly after being out all day etc.

[Laundraholic]

The age for kids at Disney is 3 to 9, so they're only considered "adults" price-wise for tickets and the meal plan if they're 10 and over.
So if you NEED to postpone the trip until after his 7th birthday, it shouldn't effect the cost.

[keeponsmiling]

Thanks for your responses - all very encouraging! I really don't intend to go on any big scary rides so that's not an issue. Laundraholic - I'll doublecheck the age thing. We're going to Disneyland in Paris as we live in the UK and most of the ads I've seen say kids under seven stay and play free. Either Europe is a bit mean or there are other special offers I've not seen! Glad to hear you've all had such positive recoveries.

[Laundraholic]

Thanks for your responses - all very encouraging! I really don't intend to go on any big scary rides so that's not an issue. Laundraholic - I'll doublecheck the age thing. We're going to Disneyland in Paris as we live in the UK and most of the ads I've seen say kids under seven stay and play free. Either Europe is a bit mean or there are other special offers I've not seen! Glad to hear you've all had such positive recoveries.

Sorry -- that's the kids' age in the US Disney parks.. I'm not sure what they are in the international parks.

But I was back to work in 4 weeks (and honestly could have gone back at 2 weeks).
I think because I was able to get a lot of semi-solid food in relatively early I didn't experience a lot of the tiredness and other issues that I had been expecting from reading these boards, even at the one-week mark.
But a lot depends on what type of surgery you're having. Best of luck!

[Van'braces]

Hi,
I took a 10 hour flight 3 weeks after sarpe surgery, no problems, and my surgeon gave me the thumbs up to travel after three weeks too. You should seek the advice of your surgeon...

[keeponsmiling]

Well I just found out that I'll be meeting with my surgeon again on 2 Nov. All being well he'll agree that I'm ready to go on the waiting list, which I think is two or three months long. Fingers crossed it'll be earlier in the year than I'd anticipated. Suddenly it all seems a lot more real... Thanks again for your input everyone.