train or car?

[kathleen1960]

Hello everyone.... I am fairly new to this site and though i do not post much i pore over all the threads posted. I must say you seem like a great group of people, I love the way you all support each other it already feels like I am amongst friends

Now for my question, I live in Brighton but am having my surgery (bypass)in London at the UCHL due to the fact that the waiting list had closed at St Richards. Usually when I go for my appointments I go on the train (accompanied by my hubby) as the first time we went by car and it took soooooo long and parking was an issue. Now I am wondering, will it be ok to come home by train after my op - journey takes about an hour and a bit it- if we get a taxi from the hospital to the station then one home from the station when we arrive back in Brighton?

thankyou all in advance for your help and advice...

Kath
x

 

[Mark01/05/2009]

I can only go off personal experience and if i was you i would ask your surgeon about it but i wouldnt have liked to go on a train straight after my bypass. being in the car was bad enough, your body will be tired and tight from having the muscles cut on your belly so if you could go by car rather than train, i would.

good luck with your op xxx

 

[zetacatty]

Hi Kath. That's quite a difficult one! You've got to weigh the chopping and changing from taxi to train and then taxi again against a longer journey by car where you could get comfy and even sleep. I honestly don't know which I would choose! I think I would probably plump for the car because, even though its a longer journey, its a private space and you might need to get rid of the excess gas!! :sign0007: And you will be able to stop and have a small walk (as advised) every now and again. Zxx

 

[Roch]

Hi kath well i went to Liverpool bout 11 yrs ago to have a gastric balloon op done privately hence in liverpool but the procedure was very new to the uk.
I came home by train and tbh it was one of the biggest mistakes i made, the combination of diff smells and the train going so fast and i was sick many times on the train, and my surgery then compared to a bypass was very minor.
I would def say come home by car and take a pillow to hold on ur tummy to protect from any bumps.
Can ur hubby not just come just when u r ready to be discharged and meet you at the entrance that way their will be no probs with parking and u can drive home and stop and start at your leisure.

 

[thinkbethin]

If you do decide to go by car then remember to take a pillow or cushion with you. Hold it against your tum and it helps keep the seatbelt from putting pressure on you and it also helps when the car goes over the bumps in the road. Great as well for if you need to coughxx

 

[margaretmc]

Hi Kath
I was at a WLS meeting yesterday and because I`m flying out of Belfast to London I was told to get a taxi from the airport to the hospital ask the taxi man for a recipt and claim back the taxi fear . I haven`t any idea how far it is from Heathrow to Charing Cross is but it cant be cheap . I hope this will help you hun . Take care .
Margaret xx

 

[Fashionably Late]

I just had this discussion with the people doing my surgery as we live near Peterborough and my surgery will be in Manchester. I was planning on taking the train to and from the hospital but they advised my husband pick me up in our car to be more comfortable. So the journey to the hospital will be on the train and my husband and kids will pick me up in my car a few days later.

 

[teapot1966]

Hello everyone.... I am fairly new to this site and though i do not post much i pore over all the threads posted. I must say you seem like a great group of people, I love the way you all support each other it already feels like I am amongst friends

Now for my question, I live in Brighton but am having my surgery (bypass)in London at the UCHL due to the fact that the waiting list had closed at St Richards. Usually when I go for my appointments I go on the train (accompanied by my hubby) as the first time we went by car and it took soooooo long and parking was an issue. Now I am wondering, will it be ok to come home by train after my op - journey takes about an hour and a bit it- if we get a taxi from the hospital to the station then one home from the station when we arrive back in Brighton?

thankyou all in advance for your help and advice...

Kath
x

Hi kath,

its strange you should say that. when my gp put me forward for the op I was very lucky to be given a long list of hospitals from which to choose plus of course st r's. in chichester. And I chose St.r's because of the ease of getting there and back by car. I didnt want to go through london. my other option was the hospital right on the other side of london (middlesex I think) anyhow ...

I personally would, if you could, take the advice and travel home by car.

Julie x

 

[kathleen1960]

Thank you so much for the input everyone gosh i am lovin this site ..... i have decided on reflection that me and hubby will travel up by train and stop in the travel lodge the night before as i have to be in hospital for 7am then he will travel home and come and collect me in the car on discharge day ..... thank you once again for this invaluable advice...
regards and best wishes to you all

kath
xx

 

[gaelic girl]

Hi
I travelled 220 miles for my surgery and travelled down by car the night before like you stayed in a travel lodge and then travelled up on the sun(op was on fri) i was just advised to stop every hour to stretch my legs and take some fluid on board. I was really lucky journey was fine i was'nt in pain at all. A pillow is def a good tipx

 

[katstofat]

hi kath i think car is prob. best but i was very lucky as (hope) salford royal is my local hospital and they brought me home in the sitting ambulance................kath x

im kathleen too

 

[tesmaralda]

Car would be best as you can stop when you need to and stretch your legs at services and things and like allie said have plenty of fluid, a cushion is good as well but I would advise a sick bowl as well as the smell of petrol did not agree with me on the motorway and its better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Twiggie]

Interesting comments! Glad you brought this up as this is I hadn't considered how I would get home from hosptial - well I had, by train! But judging by comments here that wouldn't be advisable. Major dilemma as I have no other method of transport, other than driving myself hehe

At what stage after the op would most people have felt able to sit on a train for a couple of hours? I'm thinking perhaps I should book into a hotel for a few days afterwards until I'm able to travel


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