[2cool4U]

I can only give you my experience here. I was discharged on Thursday morning after surgery on Monday morning. We had a 3 hr. drive home which bothered me quite a bit b/c of bumpy roads. However, on that day I was able to stop for lunch, walk in and out of a restaurant and to the bathroom without help. Stepping out of a tall SUV required my wife's assistance. I found that holding the incision site with one hand facilitated movement w/o pain. They also gave me an abdominal binder to wear when walking around. No driving for 2 weeks, but I was out and about riding in the car for brief lunches from Sunday on. No sudden movements or you feel incision pain. Watch the diet and get plenty of fiber, as well.

On Fri, I was able to take 5 short walks on a treadmill totaling about 1 mile (or 0.2 miles x 5.) On Sat., I took 7-8 walks totaling 3 miles. Over the next week, I was able to walk 3-4 miles per day. Bathroom assistance wasn't needed. Showering was a bit awkward b/c you need to keep the incision dry, but I rigged up a temporary cover with tape and plastic wrap. Not completely waterproof, but it worked.

There are many different possible post-op experiences, and I would encourage you to read the surgical outcome stories here for the experiences of others. Hope this helps, and good luck.

-tc-