Robotic Partial Question

WhiteFeather

Hello everyone.  Newly diagnosed and scheduling a robotic partial nephrectomy at Mayo Clinic in early October.   My issue is that I live 9 hours from Mayo.  My daughter lives about 45 minutes from there.  I can either fly there then fly back or fly one way and she could drive me back 4 days after surgery.  That would save me some money however I am unsure if I will be in too much pain to ride in a car for 9 hours and would be better off flying.   Mayo says I can do either as long as I get up and walk every hour to hour and a half of the trip.  Can any of you who have had this tell me which you think would be best?

 

icemantoo

You need more time to rest

Whitefeather,

You need a week or 2 to rest before flying back or driving 9 hours. At least thats how I felt as a 59 year old kid, 16 years ago.

 

 

icemantoo

medic1971

My thoughts....

Is there any way you could drive there and then fly back home? You could do a one-way car rental or have someone take you down there...  

 

I was in the same boat as you.  Live in OKC and had RPN at MD Anderson in Houston.  Driving to Houston takes anywhere from 6 1/2 hours to 10 hours depending on how you hit traffic.  I drove down for surgery but flew home.  My family helped with logistics of it all.  I spent two nights in the hospital, four nights in a hotel, and then on post-op day 7 I flew home by myself.  Short flight, 59 minutes from wheels up to landing.  If you do fly take advantage of any pre-boarding they do for people with "medical needs".  That way you get a good seat.  It's one of the only times I played the cancer card... 

 

Good luck to you.  You are getting treatment at a great organization!  

WhiteFeather

icemantoo said:

You need more time to rest

Whitefeather,

You need a week or 2 to rest before flying back or driving 9 hours. At least thats how I felt as a 59 year old kid, 16 years ago.

 

 

icemantoo

Thank you, Icemantoo.  I

Thank you, Icemantoo.  I worry about either way, it seems.  

WhiteFeather

medic1971 said:

My thoughts....

Is there any way you could drive there and then fly back home? You could do a one-way car rental or have someone take you down there...  

 

I was in the same boat as you.  Live in OKC and had RPN at MD Anderson in Houston.  Driving to Houston takes anywhere from 6 1/2 hours to 10 hours depending on how you hit traffic.  I drove down for surgery but flew home.  My family helped with logistics of it all.  I spent two nights in the hospital, four nights in a hotel, and then on post-op day 7 I flew home by myself.  Short flight, 59 minutes from wheels up to landing.  If you do fly take advantage of any pre-boarding they do for people with "medical needs".  That way you get a good seat.  It's one of the only times I played the cancer card... 

 

Good luck to you.  You are getting treatment at a great organization!  

Yes

I have considered this.  In my case, flying back would have a plane change and take 6 hours including the layover.   So, I just wasn't sure if it would be easier on my body to just ride in a car.  Neither option seems great.  I can stay with my daughter a few days but she is busy and would want to take off work, which she can't afford to do right now.  But there are hotels at Mayo and that may be an option for a few more days before flying back.  

CRashster

Robotic

i just had robotic surgery. I don’t want to get on a plane or in a car right now.

WhiteFeather

CRashster said:

Robotic

i just had robotic surgery. I don’t want to get on a plane or in a car right now.

How long ago did you have it?

How long ago did you have it?  I found another option.  I could fly out of Minneapolis.  It would be an hour and a half car ride but the flight would be direct.  I could stay in a hotel a few days before that.  

CRashster

WhiteFeather said:

How long ago did you have it?

How long ago did you have it?  I found another option.  I could fly out of Minneapolis.  It would be an hour and a half car ride but the flight would be direct.  I could stay in a hotel a few days before that.  

Friday.

it was hernia repair. yes, it was less invasive. Still not a cakewalk.

WhiteFeather

CRashster said:

Friday.

it was hernia repair. yes, it was less invasive. Still not a cakewalk.

I bet

Sorry you had to go through that.  

CRashster

WhiteFeather said:

I bet

Sorry you had to go through that.  

Don’t be

its just a thing. Plan a couple recoup days before you travel, if you can. The hardest part is getting up and down. You’ll be fragile for a while. Can’t drive for like a week. You wont feel like eating much.

Angie1496

I had a robotic partial one

I had a robotic partial one year ago. I had a 1 hour car ride home 2 days after and it was fairly uncomfortable. Regardless of your travel method, make sure you have a pillow for “hugging“ your abdomen when you cough, laugh, hit rough roadways Etc... Wear a dress or very loose clothing. I couldn’t handle pants for any length of time until 3 weeks or so after surgery. Remember to keep pain meds available and stay ahead of the pain. Good Luck to you!! I go for my 1 year scans on the 25th. 

WhiteFeather

Angie1496 said:

I had a robotic partial one

I had a robotic partial one year ago. I had a 1 hour car ride home 2 days after and it was fairly uncomfortable. Regardless of your travel method, make sure you have a pillow for “hugging“ your abdomen when you cough, laugh, hit rough roadways Etc... Wear a dress or very loose clothing. I couldn’t handle pants for any length of time until 3 weeks or so after surgery. Remember to keep pain meds available and stay ahead of the pain. Good Luck to you!! I go for my 1 year scans on the 25th. 

Thank you!

Great advice.  I will have about that long of a car ride after I'm dismissed from the hospital to get to my daughter's house.  One thing that worries me is actually getting in her SUV.  I may need some sort of step stool.

JoeyZ

I had a radical, open neph in

I had a radical, open neph in March. Rough surgery, 17" cuts. In 7 days, I did an 8 hour car trip home. We stopped every hour to get out and move at least a little. I survived!! I also took 10 mgs. oxycontin every 3 hours. Of course I did not drive. 

Logistics are easy enough to figure out, but the long haul is the hardest. One thing is vital: A travel pillow to place across your stomach then place the seatbelt over top of that! Made life a lot easier. 

I am 64 years old. If you have someone to do the driving, you ought to be just fine. 

I found out fast that you just do what you have to do. When push comes to shove, we can do more than we think. I did not take any unnecessary risks and was very careful in everything.

The worst was getting in and out of bed. My husband had to lift my legs off the floor and swing them onto the bed, fast, and I'd holler every time it hurt so darned bad. I'd tell him, "Just do it!" He hated hurting me. Poor man. Sometimes I think all this was harder on him than on me.

I personally hate flying so I was thankful to take the car trip and get home. I was never so happy to be home. I was not sure I'd even BE home again at the time. If you want to, read my profile and you'll see why. Here I am, 6 months later.

Hang in there, I wish you all the best. I think you'll surprise yourself.

WhiteFeather

JoeyZ said:

I had a radical, open neph in

I had a radical, open neph in March. Rough surgery, 17" cuts. In 7 days, I did an 8 hour car trip home. We stopped every hour to get out and move at least a little. I survived!! I also took 10 mgs. oxycontin every 3 hours. Of course I did not drive. 

Logistics are easy enough to figure out, but the long haul is the hardest. One thing is vital: A travel pillow to place across your stomach then place the seatbelt over top of that! Made life a lot easier. 

I am 64 years old. If you have someone to do the driving, you ought to be just fine. 

I found out fast that you just do what you have to do. When push comes to shove, we can do more than we think. I did not take any unnecessary risks and was very careful in everything.

The worst was getting in and out of bed. My husband had to lift my legs off the floor and swing them onto the bed, fast, and I'd holler every time it hurt so darned bad. I'd tell him, "Just do it!" He hated hurting me. Poor man. Sometimes I think all this was harder on him than on me.

I personally hate flying so I was thankful to take the car trip and get home. I was never so happy to be home. I was not sure I'd even BE home again at the time. If you want to, read my profile and you'll see why. Here I am, 6 months later.

Hang in there, I wish you all the best. I think you'll surprise yourself.

Thank you

I'm single and live alone so I will have to figure out how to swing my own legs into bed.  haha

a_oaklee

I think I would plan to stay

I think I would plan to stay a week at your daughters place.  Do you know when your postop appointment is?  I would go to that before coming all the way home.  

You could have a talk with your daughter that you just want to rest at her house and she should go to work.  You can just lay around, sleep, watch movies.  She doesnt need to be with you all day.  

It would sure be nice if a friend came to drive you all the way back home.  Many stops along the way.  Perhaps you know someone who would love to do this for you.  I dont think its asking too much.  

todd121

Driving/riding

I had my radical nephrectomy on the 10th of December and I think I drove from Los Angeles to Vegas on the 20th. It's about 4 1/2 hours. Drove there, walked around a couple of days, then drove back. I did ok. I think you will need 10 days at least. I wasn't really supposed to be driving. However, you need a backup plan in case you need to stay (at least) due to things not going exactly as planned. You don't want to be far away if you have complications. It's safer for you to stay in the area 2-3 weeks if you can. I would not want to be in the position of having complications and going to an ER and having other docs take care of me that didn't do the surgery. I'd want to be near the place that did the surgery.

Lots of cancer centers and cancer hospitals have housing for patients that live a long way away. Did you ask about this?

Todd

WhiteFeather

a_oaklee said:

I think I would plan to stay

I think I would plan to stay a week at your daughters place.  Do you know when your postop appointment is?  I would go to that before coming all the way home.  

You could have a talk with your daughter that you just want to rest at her house and she should go to work.  You can just lay around, sleep, watch movies.  She doesnt need to be with you all day.  

It would sure be nice if a friend came to drive you all the way back home.  Many stops along the way.  Perhaps you know someone who would love to do this for you.  I dont think its asking too much.  

That would be great...

But I really don't have anyone in my life who could do that right now.  Wish I did.  

The only thing I've been told is I would have to go back in 3 months.  I guess my post op will be with my local nephrologist?

WhiteFeather

todd121 said:

Driving/riding

I had my radical nephrectomy on the 10th of December and I think I drove from Los Angeles to Vegas on the 20th. It's about 4 1/2 hours. Drove there, walked around a couple of days, then drove back. I did ok. I think you will need 10 days at least. I wasn't really supposed to be driving. However, you need a backup plan in case you need to stay (at least) due to things not going exactly as planned. You don't want to be far away if you have complications. It's safer for you to stay in the area 2-3 weeks if you can. I would not want to be in the position of having complications and going to an ER and having other docs take care of me that didn't do the surgery. I'd want to be near the place that did the surgery.

Lots of cancer centers and cancer hospitals have housing for patients that live a long way away. Did you ask about this?

Todd

I can't

My daughter lives in a one bedroom apartment with her husband.  I'm pushing my welcome at a few days.  But I did speak with Mayo.  They think its fine but suggested I stay with her a few days after surgery in case of complications.  I did check on housing for patients.  The one place I found was great but required you to have a care taker stay with you.  Again, no one I know can do that.  

angec

Sorry to hear of the surgery.

Sorry to hear of the surgery. It sounds like since just a partial that is good news! Truthfully, i would not buy plane tickets for the return home, you never know what can happen between now and then.  Sometimes they say partial but at times have had to do full removal, which is a longer period of rest. Hopefully that won't be your case but getting a plane ticket back sounds like a risk, alot of walking, waiting and standing. If you were my  mom i would let  you stay right in the middle of the living room until you were good and rested!   You should give yourself at least a week to 10 days before traveling. Maybe a nearby hotel?  Sending good vibes for a great successful operation and recovery and safe trips back and forth.

steelr66

i would wait before flying

i would wait before flying and even a 9 hour drive seems excessive. would staying with your daughter be an option? at least a week or two? wishing youwell on this journey, you will find this to be a great resource of support and positivity. 

BoondockSaint

WhiteFeather said:

Thank you

I'm single and live alone so I will have to figure out how to swing my own legs into bed.  haha

A helpful tip on the gettin

A helpful tip on the gettin in and out of bed........my wife found that at least for her, it was easier and less painful to crawl in to bed on her hands and knees then roll into a comfy position rather than sitting on the edge then swinging her legs up into bed.