I just got my approval letter, planning on undergoing VSG the end of August. I have a relatively low key job but don't want to take too much time off. Planning on taking 1 week off. I'm young, have a high pain tolerance, but also know when to not overdo it. Is that long enough??

Also, I am very private and don't want to tell everyone at work why I'm needing surgery. I'm sure they will figure it out eventually but I want to keep it to myself. I'm sure I'm not the only one on here that feels this way. How did you guys address this concern and keep your business private?

Congrats on your approval letter! I'm also pre-op and have a low key job and don't want everyone to know. I don't discuss my weight with all my co-workers, so why would I discuss this? One thing I'm considering after following other people who have been thru surgery is that you might need a couple weeks just to get your energy and adjust to getting in enough liquids. Hopefully you'll get some responses from others who've had vsg.

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I just got my approval letter, planning on undergoing VSG the end of August. I have a relatively low key job but don't want to take too much time off. Planning on taking 1 week off. I'm young, have a high pain tolerance, but also know when to not overdo it. Is that long enough??
Also, I am very private and don't want to tell everyone at work why I'm needing surgery. I'm sure they will figure it out eventually but I want to keep it to myself. I'm sure I'm not the only one on here that feels this way. How did you guys address this concern and keep your business private?

I took 1 week off. If was more than enough. I work about 70 hours a week, commute on NYC subway and the only thing I did was reduce my hours down to 60. I was not in any pain after first day. Just discomfort. I had a nutribullet set up at work for protein shakes and have a small fridge in my office.

I did tell two of my staff in advance and prepared them in case I needed more support than what I had planned. I don't have the same stamina I did before surgery, I suspect it's a combination of lower calories, physical recovery, hormonal changes, etc. That said, I can still work long hours just need a little more sleep.

Each person is different -- what matters is that it works for you and you have time to heal and adjust to your new way of life. Best wishes!

25 minutes ago, Kat410 said:

I took 1 week off. If was more than enough. I work about 70 hours a week, commute on NYC subway and the only thing I did was reduce my hours down to 60. I was not in any pain after first day. Just discomfort. I had a nutribullet set up at work for Protein Shakes and have a small fridge in my office.

I did tell two of my staff in advance and prepared them in case I needed more support than what I had planned. I don't have the same stamina I did before surgery, I suspect it's a combination of lower calories, physical recovery, hormonal changes, etc. That said, I can still work long hours just need a little more sleep.

Each person is different -- what matters is that it works for you and you have time to heal and adjust to your new way of life. Best wishes!

@Kat410, I am amazed that you could return to a job working that many hours per week and including a subway commute after one week. Wow. You are tougher than me.

@nevsmama, to give a different perspective, I work from home and travel about 50% of the time (airplanes, overnights, etc.). I took a six week medical leave from work, and I needed every moment of it. Physically, I was better after about 3 weeks, but my fatigue was a serious issue for a solid eight weeks after surgery (I took a "get under the covers" nap every single afternoon during those six weeks), and there is no way I could have dealt with my work (corporate publishing) and its associated drama and have been successful in both my recovery and progression through the food stages at the same time. I took the time to devote myself 100% to my weight loss journey, and I will always be thankful for that time. My advice is to take as much time as your personal, professional, and financial positions will allow.

In terms of telling people -- that is everyone's personal decision to make. I told anyone and everyone about my journey (including the surgery) from the beginning of my six month pre-op diet program. I needed the transparency as it helped (and continues to help) keep me accountable. And, frankly, I had a significant amount of weight to lose (and have lost 205 pounds to date), so it wasn't like people wouldn't have known anyway.

Good luck!

I took 3 weeks off but wish I had only taken 2. The 1st week was the worst with the nausea and diarrhea. Only pain I had was the incision site. Trying to sleep without rolling on it was uncomfortable. Everybody is different but it is a adjustment very weak at first. I would say 2 weeks is plenty not sure I could have went back in a week. Had to get my stomach issues under control and build up my strength and started walking. Now up to a mile a day. And can get my 64 ounces water in. Ready to return to work tomorrow.

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