Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

How long were you off work after surgery?



Recommended Posts

I'm having surgery on Wednesday and returning Monday.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had bypass was in the hospital for 4 days, but was able to work after. I pretty much was never in pain. I had a surgery on Tuesday and got home on Friday later afternoon, so went to work on Monday, but I work remotely , so no commute or walking, but I felt up to it if I needed to. But dont be too hard on yourself, if you feel on Sunday like you need more rest, let work know you will probably not be back in until Wednesday, you need to be easy on your body the first few days after surgery.

Wishing you good luck and a healthy speedy recovery!!!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had surgery on Monday and am returning to work tomorrow. I work from home and my boss understands that I’ll be stepping away from time to time to rest, walk around, etc.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had surgery Tuesday and was back to work the following Monday. Pain was fine but I was super tired. I had to take breaks frequently and took a nap after work every single day the first week back.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I may be an outlier on this,

My team put me out for 7 weeks, as I have a physically demanding job, I am a long haul covid person and have MCAS as a result. I never used my sick time in the 25 years I have been with the district so I had around 1000 hours of sick time to use. I would do what feels best for you, my surgeon says most people are out two weeks, but again everyone is different.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

3 weeks off for a medium demanding job. On my feet back and forth a decent amount. Going back 5/30 with lifting restrictions of no more than 15lbs for one month. My surgeons office states 3-4 weeks for gastric bypass (me) and 2-3 weeks sleeve.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It just depends on how you recover & how your body reacts to the changes. My friends & I had desk jobs too - quite mentally demanding & reactionary. One was back after a week, another took three weeks & I needed four (I always take longer to recover from everything). Best advice is to have a contingency plan in place with your employer - ability to take more time if needed, to return part time or with reduced hours. Just don’t push yourself to do more than you physically (& mentally) are able.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had surgery on a Thursday. I flew home overnight Sat-Sun. I went to work that Monday. I was tired. But I was flying from Vegas to Ohio. That time change plus the surgery had me off a little, otherwise the work day went smoothly. I have a desk job as well

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Desk job, working from home. I took 2 weeks fully off, and another week with half days. I think week four I warned people I may be adjusting my schedule if I was exhausted and needed a mid day break. My company is mainly based in South Africa (I am in the US) so that worked pretty well.

Pain wasn't the issue for me, I never had to take pain meds at home. Rather, I was exhausted. I needed afternoon naps daily for almost a month after surgery. Also, I really spent that time focusing on my eating and drinking schedule since I really had to force myself to stay on top of it. I also was focusing on getting in movement via short walks, etc. Once I did start back, I had to start coming up with solutions to when I needed to eat relative to meetings and that sort of thing. I could see that being challenging in some work environments.

If I had been commuting, there is no way I could have done it. I would have been rung out after the morning commute alone!

My company was very understanding - I kept them in the loop from the beginning that my plans might change depending on how I felt and they were great. I was very lucky in that regard, esp since I had only worked there for 3.5 months before I had surgery. I think the openness (not about what my surgery was, just about the fact that some recoveries are easier than others and it is not predictable) was helpful.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was back to work in just over a week. I was not full strength but I work a desk job so it was fine.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Two weeks here and I wouldn't like to have had to go back any earlier than that. Desk job too. I agree with @Arabesque that it would be sensible to have some contingency built in to your leave. I hope everything goes really smoothly for you.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Today was my first day back. If i had to commute, i would not have returned this quickly and would have taken at least 8 business days off.

I was able to get up and walk around which helped immensely. Since I’m still on liquids, sipping Water and Protein Shakes was no big deal. I used my lunch time to take a 30 minute nap and will take another one shortly. My job is pretty sedentary; needing to get up and walk will be harder when 4th quarter starts and I’m in meetings all day but i have a while away to plan for that.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

6 weeks. Took full advantage of my Short term disability but I know not everyone has that luxury. I spent it preparing for the change in habits mentally. I work from home but it’s mentally exhausting sometimes Long hours.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • KeeWee

      It's been 10 long years! Here is my VSG weight loss surgiversary update..
      https://www.ae1bmerchme.com/post/10-year-surgiversary-update-for-2024 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • ChunkCat

      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×