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Duration of Recovery time?



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Could anyone give some feedback on how long they took off work after the surgery? I've heard and read several different things. Thanks

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I was off 2.5 weeks. I was totally pain free and by then I was just still struggling to figure out the eating and drinking. I was glad to get back to work so I could think about anything other than food and water!


If your job requires heavy lifting, you would need to consider more time. My doctor told me I wasn't allowed to list more then 10 lbs for 4 weeks.

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I was off 2.5 weeks. I was totally pain free and by then I was just still struggling to figure out the eating and drinking. I was glad to get back to work so I could think about anything other than food and water!

If your job requires heavy lifting, you would need to consider more time. My doctor told me I wasn't allowed to list more then 10 lbs for 4 weeks.

Can you give me an idea of some of the things you eat for Breakfast, lunch and dinner? thanks

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I was off two days for one of my jobs (I'm a therapist, lots of sitting.) My other job I took off ten days because that's a very fast paced, 14 hour day. The eating part is easy - Clear Liquids the first 10 days. Now I'm in the Protein Shakes phase. I just pack the powder in little baggies and add them to Water at work. I plan to buy ready made shakes for emergencies.

Edited by Psychsnob

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I took off 3.5 weeks. You need one week just to balance food and Water again. You might be weak and tired from adjusting to such little calories. I am a week out and I could go back to a fast paced job, but want to let my body get to phase 3 foods, so I have more calories and energy in me.

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I was off two days for one of my jobs (I'm a therapist, lots of sitting.) My other job I took off ten days because that's a very fast paced, 14 hour day. The eating part is easy - clear liquids the first 10 days. Now I'm in the Protein Shakes phase. I just pack the powder in little baggies and add them to Water at work. I plan to buy ready made shakes for emergencies.

I am a social worker which does entail a lot of sitting but it also entails A LOT of driving too (which is sitting as well lol) What Protein shakes do you use?

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Actually I just use Market Pantry (Target brand). I was driving two days after surgery with no problem. But I was off of dilauded (because I'm allergic) after first dose. (As soon as I woke up and realized the doctor ignored my directions not to give me narcotics). Don't drive until the narcotics are well out of your system.

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I own my own business so I haven't really had any time off. But I will add that there are several tasks that I have not tackled yet because, though physically I can handle the work, mentally I am not back up to par. I am putting off any financial tasks or detailed work. This has been my biggest battle. The low amount of calories and quite possibly some residuals from anesthesia are making me mentally slower than I am used to. I am in week three or post-op and had my first day today of soft food stage. I had a soft scrambled egg for Breakfast, a Protein Shake mid-morning, lunch was 3 oz baked tilapia in 1/3 cup Tomato bisque, for supper I had the same as lunch followed by a cup of hot chamomile tea with honey. I ended the day with 674 calories; 74 gr of protein; and 90 oz of liquid.

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Could anyone give some feedback on how long they took off work after the surgery? I've heard and read several different things. Thanks

I had the band and was recovered in less than a week.

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I am also a social worker, took about 10 days off. I work at two different inpatient hospitals one is behavioral health and the other setting is medical. So I was able to kind of manage my eating and drinking in between patients. I will say that when I work at the big medical center there's a lot more walking so I have asked to be assigned to smaller units. It's kind of nice I've been watching over the babies and working OB. Even though I don't have a lot of lifting, I am finding that I'm coming home and crashing to go to sleep at about 730 at night and I wake up at 5 AM to go walk. I live in Arizona so you have to beat the heat.. Sleeved 6/16/15

Edited by AJ cowgirl

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I am taking a full I weeks. My surgeon recommended it in the beginning. His main reason was many people go back too soon and have hydration issues. He doesn't recommend anything less than 4 weeks. I am glad I am taking the entire time because my energy levels fluctuate. I also have a stressful job

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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. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • 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.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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