I have a desk job, my surgery is scheduled for a Wednesday, do you think I will be able to return to work on Monday?

How long before you were able to drive?

I have a desk job, my surgery is scheduled for a Wednesday, do you think I will be able to return to work on Monday?
How long before you were able to drive?

Hi I had a week off then worked from home for a week.

You can't drive for 2 weeks is what I was told by my surgeon. You could probably go back after a week but you would need to use public transport or get a lift with someone

My job is mostly a desk job and I took 2 weeks off. I probably could have gone back sooner, but I'm glad I didn't. I think I needed the extra time to heal before coming back to a stressful situation (I work at a University and the semester is about to end, so we're swamped).

I am taking 2 weeks. Even if I don't NEED it, I deserve some peace and quiet. And it's right over Christmas so it works out well! I have heard of many who feel 1 week is enough and a few who have gone back as soon as you want to and were just fine.

1 minute ago, Geodude said:

My job is mostly a desk job and I took 2 weeks off. I probably could have gone back sooner, but I'm glad I didn't. I think I needed the extra time to heal before coming back to a stressful situation (I work at a University and the semester is about to end, so we're swamped).

Yes! I am in a masters program so I had to do this on my semester break. Work will always be there but I'm not screwing up my MPH!

1 minute ago, Myhorseisfattoo said:

Yes! I am in a masters program so I had to do this on my semester break. Work will always be there but I'm not screwing up my MPH!

Haha, brilliant. My goal was to be back at work just in time to help with the madness. I don't know what I was thinking.

Silly Geodude! Maybe you wanted to enjoy your semester break as opposed to recovering through it!?!?!? ?

I took two weeks of and teleworked a third. I likely *could* have gone into work that third week, but I was still pretty wiped out. In fact, my first two full days back in the office, I had to leave early because I was pretty tired.

Edited to add: my doc said he'd prefer me not drive for 2 weeks, but that I could drive 24 hours after my last pain pill. One of the considerations is that my abdomen really hurt when I moved in certain ways, so I wasn't confident that I could take action if something unexpected happened on the road and I needed to brake quickly or swerve or something.

Edited December 6, 20187 yr by notmyname

For me it was 10 days but talk to your Dr ask him about this

I went back after 5 days they said if I wasn't taking pain meds and felt I could turn they were fine with it, I took a total of two pain pills after I was home and been moving forward every since. Listen to you body and do what is right for you!

I work from home, and technically took no time off. I worked off my phone/iPad while I was in the hospital before surgery. The same the next day before I was discharged. Then once I was home I was able to work as normal on my computer and on calls.

If I had a desk job in an office, I could have definitely managed to go to work on Monday after a Wednesday surgery. I'd have been tired and sore, but would have been doable.

My surgeon allowed driving as long as you weren't on narcotic pain meds. I drove 2 days post op with no issues.

I had my surgery on Wednesday. Discharged from the hospital on Friday afternoon. Driving on Sunday. No narcotics so cleared to drive. Back to work on Monday.

Everyone is different, I had Weds morning surgery discharged around 3pm, slept all night and got bored around noon on Thursday so I went in to work. Compared to other peoples accounts I felt fantastic only a little soreness when getting up or going to sit down. Now my surgeon was floored when I told him I went back to work the day after surgery, but he didn't seem upset kind of impressed with me, himself and the anesthetist (who had given me an injection while I was under and said it would help with pain management for a few days after surgery).

I thought I could go back to work after a week. I took two, I felt so tired and had to nap during the day. I was 60 when I had my surgery and the tiredness was a result of my body healing.

I took 2 1/2 weeks off. Wish I would have taken a bit more. At that time i was dead tired by the end of the work day the first few weeks coming back. Remember at that time your calorie intake is so low at first and even sitting sitting thinking is burning up those calories. I was cleared to drive a few days after surgery, as soon as I was off the pain pills.

I took two full weeks off. Five months later and I still need naps. Everyone is different.