PS before or after cruise?

       Hi everyone, I am wanting to schedule PS with Dr S soon. My big dilema now is when to have my surgery. I still would like to loose 15 pounds, maybe 20 but not sure because its hard to tell how much is just skin and how much is fat. I am 5 7 and 165 pounds and in size 12 jeans. I would like to get pretty much everything done from my thighs up to my neck.
       Okay so my issue. My family is doing a family reunion cruise to Mexico on April 8th of this year. I really really want to go, and it wont even cost me a thing because my Grandma is paying for everyone. I originally was going to use my vacation time to attend. But I just found out I am denied vacation for those dates. UGGGG I am so bummed. I work for the railroad and vacations are scheduled the year before and done strictly on senority and I have pretty low senority. So now I have a couple ideas. Plan 1 is if I could arrange my surgery for the first week in March then by the time the cruise comes around I will be 5 weeks out and still out on a medical. Or plan 2 the cruise is April 8th thru the 12th maybe I can have the surgery within a day or two of comming home. I am thinking I will have FMLA and doctors note and can maybe have it cover the week prior to my surgery too??
        Here is what I am thinking. I would really like to go with the first plan but not sure if I will be feeling well enough to travel that much. I dont expect to go sight seeing or really doing much on the boat. I dont even want to get off the boat at the ports. I just dont want to miss out on going. I was thinking I would be pretty lonely by week 5 anyway being that I live alone and think I would like getting out and seeing everyone. (Maybe Lee since your almost to week 5 what do you think, does it sound like too much?) I cant really schedule my surgery any earlier because I dont have a passport yet and it could take up to 6 weeks to get. As well as realistically I still have some weight to loose. But I think if I had a date set then I would be motivated to loose it pretty fast.
       I guess plan 2 might be a little more realitic but not sure if you think I could get a drs note for the week prior and I dont know how easy it would be for me to actualy be able to pick my exact surgery date. Anyways thanks for listening I would be interested to getting to know other peoples opinions. 

Thanks Jen

You need to check with the PS too.  I know the one  I am scheduling with is booked 3 months in advance.  They are booking for April now.

I wouldn't say I'm the norm, but I still had drains at 6 weeks. Howevever I am a DIE HARD cruise fan and would go on the trip you describe with a drain hanging out of my ear! There are many on this board that I think would say go for it after the surgery, but that would be totally dependent on what procedures you have, etc. I know nothing about getting time prior to your procedure covered, but I could only imagine if your vacation was denied, they'd have a pretty close eye on it and I'd hate to see you get yourself in trouble.

I have an idea--I'll go for you and I'll fill you in on every little detail!! LOL!

I hope you work it out. Sounds absolutely dreamy!!!
 

Good luck!

Denis

 What a dilemma....i don't think u could get leave prior to surgery.  I am having my surg on we'd and I am working tomorrow. My leave starts on wed.  I think the first plan s your best bet.  I would talk to your surgeon.  Good luck

Patty

 I am going to be a downer.  I say surgery after the cruise.

 If you are like lots of the people on the board, you will be fine for the cruise and racing around the ship.   But what if things don't go so well and you have a recovery like mine?  At 5 weeks, I could barely be out of the recliner or the bed. I was exhausted after being up for an hour or two.  I had to take naps if I went grocery shopping. I was and still am packing open incisions.

Just to be safe, I'd go after. However, if you can't get the time off when you need it for both surgery and the cruise you can always gamble that you will be like the majority. Who knows? Sometimes just the incentive of that fun cruise is enough for your body to perform miracles!

First of all, I would check with Dr S and see what dates he has available.  He usually asks you to give him 3 dates and he will tell you if he can schedule.  Then you have to purchase your tickets and give him the itinerary so that he can confirm your date. 

If you're having everything done, you'll have to stay there for 12 to 14 days.  Then you'd have 3 weeks at home to recover further.  If you're lucky, you will feel pretty well by 5 weeks out, if you don't have any complications.  Usually the stitches are all out by week 3.  Drains can stay in longer, but not usually longer than a month.  My longest was my extended thigh lift that stayed in almost 5 weeks.  However, some have issues and have the drains longer than that.

I would be really careful with going on the cruise prior to the surgery, ONLY because Dr S will have to sign your paperwork for Leave and the date of surgery will be listed there.  IF they already knew you were wanting that time off for your vacation and then it was denied, they may just be smart enough to put two and two together and your job may be in jeopardy. My job is just too important to me and I'd hate to do something that I'd have to explain later.

Just a thought.

Many were getting their passports delivered in 3 or 4 weeks. 

    Thanks everyone for there replies. I was thinking that the months of March and April are so far away, but realizing not really. I am going to get the ball rolling get a passport today. I will see what they say as a timeframe and hopefully if I can get it here sooner maybe the Dr will have something available so I can be just a little longer out and possibly make the cruise. But realitically I might have waited too long for everything. So more than likely fitting in my vacation just might not happen but at least I will have my surgery and results to look forward too. 

Thanks again,
Jen

Hi Jen,

I just went to a PS consult yesterday and we specifically talked about doing surgery either before or after cruising.  I have a cruise Feb 26-Mar 4 and another May 13-20.  I was looking at a few different procedures (not all done at the same time) and trying to figure it out.  I decided NOT to do anything prior to my Feb cruise as I don't want to have to stay out of the pools & sun, but will probably do my BL as soon as I get back so that I'll be ok by the May cruise.  My TT will probably have to wait until the fall as I am not able to take that much time off in the summer time (I work in Wildland Fire Protection) and I don't want to feel rushed to get back to work.  I will also be doing the extended TT and am not sure I'd be fully healed in time for my cruise.

The other option we are looking at is waiting to do it all until the fall when my work is less demanding. (Gives me more time to get the finances in order too...spendy stuff!).

Good luck with whatever you choose :).

Jen,
Vicki makes a good point about the pool.  I am an avid swimmer and Dr S required me to wait 8 weeks before swimming in a public pool.  I'm pretty sure he will find a date for you before your cruise but you might want to wait 8 weeks before swimming - if that activity was in your plans.
Just a thought.