Long flight after surgery? Bad idea?

[fblea]

Hello all -
  I have surgery scheduled in September and was wondering if anyone here had to take a long flight after their decompression surgery.  I have a 6 hour flight (with 2 stops) to Milwaukee and it would therefore be about a 23 hour drive (though DH would have to drive!) and was wondering what would be less torture.  I have a hard enough time flying with my regular headaches and it seems that experiencing that kind of  air pressure/airport traffic, etc. after the trauma of surgery would be horrible.  I asked the Dr. and he said it shouldn't be a problem, but I've read somewhere that you shouldn't fly for a couple of months after this surgery.  I was curious if anyone could share their experience with this so I can decide what might work better.  Thanks in advance for your input!  

[itsy1]

I have driven with my first decompression; that was just accross town.  I was discharged about a week after surgery that time and the 15min. drive was painful.  However, that was in pot hole infested New Orleans too.

With my 2nd decompression my mom was my caregiver and I had to go up to Long Island.  That's at least a 2.5 day drive from Northern AL more of a drive from Louisiana where she lives, so driving was out of the question.  She chose to stay with me on Long Island untill I got my stitches out 3 weeks post op.  Her reasoning was giving me more time to heal, if something went wrong we were close to the docs, and that we wouldn't have to make a special trip for my stitches removal.  I'm glad we waited.  Our plane trip had 2 legs as well, and it was no worse than a normal Chiari flight for me.

One bit of advice, get handicapped accomidations.  Ask the airline you choose (if you fly) to reserve a wheelchair for you at your destination and where you change flights.  Do this coming and going if you can.  It allows you to get accross the airport quicker, go through security quicker and after surgery more comfortably, board first, and according to my mom is a life saver for the person traveling with you.  I'd also get some official doctor's note saying you've had surgery.  You might have what's considered a large quantity of prescription drugs to take home and security will search it and ask about it.  I didn't get a note, but I did flash the security at La Guardia my Chiari ziipper!

[selmaS]

  HI...I had a 3 hr drive and we drove straight home...I used a big fluffy pillow to stabilize my head, took my meds so I was not in need on the way, and I was fine.

I did not fly nor am I sure if I would have wanted to either....but I was still loopy from all the meds, so who knows it might not have been as bad ......

  "selma"

[sandy629]

  i had some one drive for me , it was an hour ride and it was very tiring, not painfull. i dont think i would have been up for a plane trip.  i was in the icu for 3 days  and then sent home

[actressmouse]

I just returned from TCI on Long Island and had an extensive appointment with Dr. Bolognese there.  I, too, am looking at surgery at sometime in the future (depending upon the outcome of a few more tests I need).  He advised me that I would be in the ICU for a couple of days, then to a regular room for 3-4 days.  After that, I would need to arrange for accommodations nearby for about 1 week.  Then, I could venture back home (I live about 5 hours away from Long Island) breaking the trip up into 2 pieces.  For example, travel 2 1/2 hours, then stop and stay overnight.  Then do the rest of the trip the next day depending upon how I feel.  This seems pretty on target to me and it's definately advice I will be taking.  As far as flying goes, I would not do it myself; however, that's just my opinion.  Hope this helps.