Travel restrictions following surgery

[chloe]

I am scheduled for a right lobectomy for a hurthle cell lesion on Nov. 22nd. If the lesion proves mailgnant, they will take the whole thyroid.

I would like to go home to the East Coast for Christmas. It involves a seven hour flight and some car travel. Is there any travel restriction a month after surgery?

Thanks for the help.

-chloe

[CareBear3030]

You will have none at all except preparation for RAI. If it is cancer, your next step will be RAI. Sometimes when the doc wants you to go naturally hypo, then he may not put you on replacement meds right away so you could start going hypo. I would discuss your out of town plans and put RAI off until after holidays.... which I guarantee wont happen anyway. Ask to have surgery and ask to immediately go on your meds. He may elect to use thyrogen and not make you go hypo at all so that would not be any issue at all, although it seems some docs may not want to use it for hurthle cells.

As far as the recovery of surgery... honestly NOT BAD at all!! I know i was very scared, and now looking back it was about half as bad as i expected. Within a week I felt pretty good... the second week I was good to go. The hard part of the traveling would be if he did not put you on meds. So make sure you let him know your plans. I would expect him to accomadate your wishes.

Good luck!

[GD Women]

I don't believe there is any travel restrictions. I would confirm with the doctor. However, CareBear mentioned, put off the RAI until you get back from holiday. RAI has been known to let off airport detectors and I am sure you don't want to be held and delayed from flight or miss flight because of it. Or, if you do have RAI ask doctor to write a letter regarding your RAI and take it with you. Have it handy and easy for access. But it would just be easier to put off RAI, with the recommendation and approval of your doctor of course.

Good luck!

[chickp]

Hi there, I have the same exact surgery scheduled for December 6th. Hope all goes well for you! I have talked to a lot of people who have had this surgery and they really were okay pretty soon afterwards. I am going to ask for either the thyrogen shot or a prescription for after because a couple people said (as above) that that's the hard part, going hypo and then needing medication for it. It doesn't happen to everyone, though, and if you only get half of it out it may not be an issue until much later.

Let us know how it goes and take care.

[viva]

I am scheduled for a right lobectomy for a hurthle cell lesion on Nov. 22nd. If the lesion proves mailgnant, they will take the whole thyroid.

I would like to go home to the East Coast for Christmas. It involves a seven hour flight and some car travel. Is there any travel restriction a month after surgery?

Thanks for the help.

-chloe

I don't really think there is any restrictions... ask your doctor on your port op appointment. Good Luck

[lavender]

I flew and took a 2 hour bus ride 2 months post surgery with no problems. I just have to remember to be gentle with myself and not to push too hard with anything physical. I actually felt much better in the first month post-surgery than in the second and third because it took a while for hypo to set in. Talk it over with your doc, but I imagine you will be fine with holiday travel. Just make sure you don't party too hard!
Good luck with your surgery!