Hey guys
So I'm dying to go to the philly trans health conference this year, but I have one concern. I will be About 5 and a half weeks post-surgery if I go. I'm a little concerned for my recovery already because I won't be able to use the heavy painkillers in the beginning (allergy) which means I won't sleep well which in turns slows down the recovery. I don't want to plan to go if it's a high probability that I won't be able to enjoy it, but I also don't want to feel up for it but having no plans. How were you all doing around 5 weeks post-surgery?

I'll be 3 weeks post op tomorrow.
Ever since I was 2 weeks post op I was up and doing things I probably shouldn't have been doing. I was driving a week and a half post op and around two weeks I went mudding. I was getting in and out of my friends lifted truck on my own. But when I got out or in I had to take my time. I'm 3 weeks post op tomorrow and I'm still iffy about laying on my side or stomach but I'm able to do everything for the most part. I just can't reach anything and I can't lift my arms.

I highly doubt you'll need to use any of your pain medicine. I used it for 2 days and after that I stopped. I was given sleeping pills with my post op package so you could probably go out and get that. I'm sure you can also ask your dr for other types of pain medicine that you aren't allergic too. But after a few days you won't need them anymore. After surgery I wasn't really in any pain. I was just sore and really tender. But I had a 3.5 hour car ride home from the surgeon and I think all the turns and bumps hurt me a lot. After 2 and a half hours in the car I really needed some pain meds.

Find out about non allergy related pain killers but you're not going to be able to sleep for long periods of time because you'll be on like a 4 hour cycle of medicine anyway so you'll constantly be woken up. My body ended up getting hard wired to sleep for only 4 hours at a time during the first week.

Go out and enjoy the conference

Quote from: Wolfy on May 25, 2017, 04:29:25 PM
But I had a 3.5 hour car ride home from the surgeon and I think all the turns and bumps hurt me a lot. After 2 and a half hours in the car I really needed some pain meds.

I will also have a car ride that is about that long, which worries me. I was thinking I would need to stay overnight a few days, but right now, I don't have anyone to go with me that could stay that long.  It seems like being in a car for 3.5 hours after the surgery would be absolutely miserable. How long was the actual surgery?

Quote from: JayBlue on May 25, 2017, 06:38:42 PM
I will also have a car ride that is about that long, which worries me. I was thinking I would need to stay overnight a few days, but right now, I don't have anyone to go with me that could stay that long.  It seems like being in a car for 3.5 hours after the surgery would be absolutely miserable. How long was the actual surgery?

Is someone driving you or are you driving yourself? If someone's driving you you'll be fine. I didn't sleep well in the car because I was being a chatterbox with everyone in the car. I had some points where I took cat naps but if you're not talking to anyone you should be able to rest well in the car.

I got in the OR around 9am and I woke up around 1:40 pm so almost5 hours.

Quote from: Wolfy on May 26, 2017, 11:11:17 AM
Is someone driving you or are you driving yourself? If someone's driving you you'll be fine. I didn't sleep well in the car because I was being a chatterbox with everyone in the car. I had some points where I took cat naps but if you're not talking to anyone you should be able to rest well in the car.

I got in the OR around 9am and I woke up around 1:40 pm so almost5 hours.

I would try to find someone to drive me. I know I won't be able to drive myself back. I'm not planning on doing this until a year from now so I should be able to find someone who can drive by then.  My thought was to go up the night before and stay in a hotel, but it would be better if I could come home that night.

Thanks!!!

Quote from: Wolfy on May 25, 2017, 04:29:25 PM
I'll be 3 weeks post op tomorrow.
Ever since I was 2 weeks post op I was up and doing things I probably shouldn't have been doing. I was driving a week and a half post op and around two weeks I went mudding. I was getting in and out of my friends lifted truck on my own. But when I got out or in I had to take my time. I'm 3 weeks post op tomorrow and I'm still iffy about laying on my side or stomach but I'm able to do everything for the most part. I just can't reach anything and I can't lift my arms.

I highly doubt you'll need to use any of your pain medicine. I used it for 2 days and after that I stopped. I was given sleeping pills with my post op package so you could probably go out and get that. I'm sure you can also ask your dr for other types of pain medicine that you aren't allergic too. But after a few days you won't need them anymore. After surgery I wasn't really in any pain. I was just sore and really tender. But I had a 3.5 hour car ride home from the surgeon and I think all the turns and bumps hurt me a lot. After 2 and a half hours in the car I really needed some pain meds.

Find out about non allergy related pain killers but you're not going to be able to sleep for long periods of time because you'll be on like a 4 hour cycle of medicine anyway so you'll constantly be woken up. My body ended up getting hard wired to sleep for only 4 hours at a time during the first week.

Go out and enjoy the conference

Thanks man! That's helpful for sure. Especially about the sleep, I didn't know that people were up THAT often. (I was thinking maybe 6 hours).

Sadly I'm allergic to the base, main part of the pain meds, not a specific part of some, so if it isn't something OTC like ibuprofen or tylenol, I can't take it. I can't even take certain kinds of tylenol. I know most people don't use them long, but I still worry over those two days because when I got my widsom teeth out, those two days were HELL to put it lightly. There used to be a single strong medication my family could take, but I think the FDA stopped approving it or something I don't really know exactly what happened but it isn't available in the US anymore. My surgeon is trying to find alternatives, but they're very elusive if they even exist here. When I got my wisdom teeth out a few years ago, that surgeon also tried to find an alternative and couldn't. I always laugh because out of all the allergies to inherit from my family... of course the trans kid would inherit this one.

By five weeks, I was doing great and feeling like I was pretty much 100% back to normal.
Like Wolfy said, though, the car trips were rough as hell at first. Every bump, turn, stop and go was painful (possibly because I was very consciously stiffening up and trying to stay guarded) on the drive home post-op. However, the car ride four days later was hardly any better and I found myself feeling very uncomfortable.

Not sure if this will work for you, but try to sleep propped up either in a recliner or in your bed with a pillow arrangement. Side sleeping will almost certainly be uncomfortable or impossible, but sleeping flat on your back may also be difficult (I had this weird feeling of pressure and pulling in that position) for the first week or so. Since you'll be unable to take decent pain meds, any trick helps.

But yeah, like I said... by five weeks, you should be just fine. Just take it really easy the first couple of weeks especially and don't take any risks that would potentially lengthen your recovery time.

Thanks man! I plan to get a really big husband pillow (? is that what they're called?) So that I don't have to lie down at all. Don't wanna hurt myself trying to get up!

5 week mark I was in tip top shape. And I can't swallow pills so I go off of prescribed pain meds after about 2 or 3 days. OTC was fine for me but I have a high pain threshold. I second the sleeping propped up idea. It was super helpful. Only way I could get decent sleep. Honestly the lack of good sleep was the worst part. If anything keeps you from going to PTHC it would be straight up sleepiness. I bought a travel pillow to put under the seatbelt across my chest in the car.