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Back to work/school after surgery?



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This may be a post-op question but since I'm pre-op and the answer to this question is a deciding factor in my surgery date I decided to post it here! I just got approved last week and am very excited to get my band, but am worried about how soon I will be able to go back to school. I am in college 3 hours away from my parents house (and where my dr's office and hospital are) and have classes all summer long that I can't really miss. Since I only have one class on Fridays and none on Thursdays, I was hoping to schedule my surgery for a Thursday and then go back to my school on Sunday evening and classes on Monday. Is this realistic? Mondays and wednesdays I have class from 8-5 with a 1 hour break at 12, so I was wondering if that might be uncomfortable? I will definitely ask my doctor all of this when I go for a pre-op appointment but I didn't want to get my hopes up if my expectations are unrealistic. If I can't do that I will have to wait until August when I have a 1 week break before fall semester. I really wanted to have my surgery in early June so have the summer to adjust but I definitely don't want to be in pain all day in class, either. Sorry for the novel!!

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i was in moderate pain for the first 3-4 days but could have went back to my job as a cook, on 5th day if I would have had to. I was thankful I didn't have to though.

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I got six days off from work. But I could have went back on the 4th. The first 3 days (for me) were not painful, but uncomfortable. I didn't get any gas pains, so I was lucky on that part. Took pain Meds for one day (found out I was allergic to codeine that day lol) good thing I didn't need pain Meds much :) every one has a different experience tho. The pain, for me, was very tolerable..I really hope you have a speedy recovery with not much pain. But like I said, everyone is different. You might want to ask for maybe Monday and Tuesday off just to be on the safe side..a couple of classes is better than a whole week if you really can't miss..

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Can you get up and stretch frequently during class? Can you recline a little in your chair? Will somebody drive you back to school? For me, sitting upright was painful for a few days and uncomfortable for weeks due to port placement. I didn't drive for about a week so I could recline in the passenger seat. Can you talk to your teachers about it and see if you could use a doctors note to excuse you from attending a full day for the first week back? You will need to move a lot in the beginning due to risk of emboli.

I think it's possible to return so soon, but you'll wish you took more time for recovery.

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I took off summer 1 for my lap-band being that I have no idea what to expect. It seems that most people can go back to work in a week,and be just fine. For me it was not that part of recovery I was worried about. It was getting use to the different way of eating. Making sure I knew how my body and I was going to react to the band, and I did not know if my school schedule would work with my eating schedule while I was getting adjusted. Being that I have to learn how to eat and what I can eat I thought it best, since I was able to take off at least summer 1, and go back summer 2 once I got use to what I was going to be doing. Because I figure I needed to schedule my classes around when I needed to eat so I have enough time and don't have to rush. Things like that,and things I don't know yet. Good luck with your decision and your new journey.

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I took off summer 1 for my lap-band being that I have no idea what to expect. It seems that most people can go back to work in a week' date='and be just fine. For me it was not that part of recovery I was worried about. It was getting use to the different way of eating. Making sure I knew how my body and I was going to react to the band, and I did not know if my school schedule would work with my eating schedule while I was getting adjusted. Being that I have to learn how to eat and what I can eat I thought it best, since I was able to take off at least summer 1, and go back summer 2 once I got use to what I was going to be doing. Because I figure I needed to schedule my classes around when I needed to eat so I have enough time and don't have to rush. Things like that,and things I don't know yet. Good luck with your decision and your new journey.[/quote']

I agree! I went back to work on day 4 but I have a kitchen at work ad home is only 7 min away. I could rest when needed, walk around when needed and I didn't have to lug around a bunch of food/liquids etc.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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