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My fiance' is willing to go with, but she's still a working gal and I hate to take her away from work for the 3 days it would require...especially after she just last week took off from work for six days for a sail cruise we took. Could get my son to come at some point but rather he not know about this ! Guess what I'm asking is just how important, or not, is it to have a relative or friend with you ?

(FWIW "far from home" in this case is a 2.8 hour drive each way)

Evinrude,

I had a seven hour plane trip to return home at post op 48hrs. I had no trouble staying at the hotel or traveling by myself. Between stocking up on food and supplies ahead of time and calling in orders to the in house restaurant, I was fine. Just have some ice packs on hand as you will be resting with them for most of the first 48 hours, for sure. Your fiance would be bored out of her mind.
So, I assume you are not returning home until at least post op day 3? I can't imagine someone driving himself for a few hours on surgery day! I feel I would have been ok to drive myself on post op day 3, however.
PM me for details. I have a journal of my recent experience, as well.

I did mine alone. Really wish I would have had someone with me for this. I few 1/2 way across the US for mine. Others have done this alone as well. Having someone to help getting ice packs and meals would be a great help and let you stay less active and heal for the days after the surgery is a plus. In my case a piece of paperwork was lost by my doctors office and I had to dress and deal with leaving my hotel room to sign and fax the missing document to the doctors office from my hotel lobby the day after I was released. Others have driven home several days following this. That would depend on you and your surgeon. I don't like pain meds other than the over the counter ones. Talk to your surgeon about when you would be cleared for a 3 hour drive alone after the surgery.

It can be done alone but having someone with you is much better I think.

Best wishes going forward with this.

I had mine done in state and stayed overnight in the hospital. My partner took me and picked me up the next day. When I got home I did everything myself. She would have helped but I'm not a very good patient and prefer to take care of my self. Like others, I went shopping in advance for all that I needed including purchasing ice bags from Amazon. They were cheap and worked great. I would not have wanted to drive myself anywhere and I was so glad that I decided agaist Dr Eid im NYC. He is a great doctor, but I would not have wanted to bounce my new junk around the streets of New York.

I could have managed fairly easily alone, but having my girlfriend stay with me as comforter, nurse, cook, etc was a welcome luxury.

I had my surgery done about a 3 hour drive from home. I spent the first night in the hospital then stayed 3 days in a hotel. I stayed alone with no problems. I used a medical escort to get me from the hospital to the hotel but could have saved myself some money and just used Uber or Lyft. I used an extended stay hotel so I had a kitchenette but I really only needed the microwave and the refrigerator. After the medical escort dropped me at my motel I drove to pharmacy and picked up my prescriptions and do some grocery shopping. I just got stuff I could nuke. I was given pain medication but never took it
The food I bought was mostly stuff for lunch. The hotel had a free breakfast every morning and I went somewhere for dinner every night. I used the freezer part for the food and ice packs, the refrigerator part for beer. Read, watched TV and surfed the internet for two days then drove home on the third.

I did my trip to Madison, WI., by plane alone, plus 3 night in a hotel. The only problem I had was the pain meds made me nauseous.