Question:
Has anyone had surgery and returned to work a week later?
I have been approved for wls and taken most of my tests, but I dont't qualify for fmla until mid June. However, I don't want to wait that long to have surgery, I can take a week of vacation and have the surgery, but I wonder if I would be physically ready to return to work the next week. I work in a call center, so I sit down and take calls allday, nothing major, but I do have to drive 60 miles to work. Any comments? — ladyspann (posted on April 3, 2004)
April 3, 2004
Well I could have, I went back to work part time a week after LAP RNY
mostly out of boredom, so its possible. But be CAREFUL! The long daily
drive and sitting all day puts you at severe risk of a bloodclot! They can
kill, espically conmbined vwith the common dehydration after surgery. I
think its safer to take a month off and walk walk walk even once your back
to work. Do ask your asurgeon in this case returning to work may be
hazardous
— bob-haller
April 3, 2004
My suggestion is to wait until June! I had a LAP-RNY and went back to work
after 1 week. It was too much and I ended up doing part time for 2 more
weeks. If I could chose how much time to take off, I would've taken 2-3
weeks off at a time so I could completely heal. There are no big scars on
the outside, but there was major surgery on the inside.
Good Luck!!
— Chelemommy F.
April 3, 2004
Hi there, do what you feel you can do. I had open Rny on 8/22, I went back
to work FULL time as a nurse on 9/2. I had no problems and was working 10
hours a day. I went stir crazy just sitting around the house for the time
I did. I would have gone back to work sooner, but I still had staples and
a drain tube....I didn't want ot deal with my drain while at work.
Again....do what you think you can do, some people need more time to
recover than others. Good luck to you!!!!!!!!!!
— jennap
April 3, 2004
I guess it depends on whether or not you are having open or lap. There is
no way I could have worked after 1 week having open. I was freakin
miserable! You may still have the drain as well. I was hungry all the time,
and ran a fever for two weeks due to "body trauma". Everyone
recovers at a different pace. I guess the question would be is what would
happen if you took a week and couldn't return?
— [Deactivated Member]
April 3, 2004
I had Lap RNY in June of 2003 and had to take 4 weeks off! I had planned
to be back to work in a week or less, but there was no freakin' way! Just
because we have a surgery lap, doesn't mean it's the easy way out and don't
let anyone tell you any different! I work with a friend who had WLS, used
the same surgeon I did.....had Lap RNY on Wednesday and returned to work
the following Monday! She did wonderful! The truth of the matter is that
we all heal differently and our bodies adjust differently. It just depends
on the person. I weighed 408 before surgery and have lost 131 #'s so far
and I feel wonderful! It was a rough road for a while but well worth the
journey! God Bless! Sorry to rattle on. I hope you can make sense of
this and that it helps somehow.
— dawn J.
April 3, 2004
Contractually, I was only givin 10 days of sick leave from work. I was back
in the classroom at the end of those 10 days with a truss around my middle.
Luckily teaching school is not too physically demanding...but I sure was
tired! I was vey lucky to have not suffered any complications after surgery
and to have healed so quickly.
— Rebecca L.
April 3, 2004
I would wait until June. I wasn't allowed to drive for 2 weeks. I did
heal quickly (open) and could have gone back to work then, but waited a
couple more weeks, until after Christmas. You may also have complications
that could keep you in the hospital longer, which could really get you in a
bind at work. It's not really so far away and you could relax and enjoy
your recovery time without the added pressure to get back to work so soon.
Best of luck.
— Dragonfly2B2
April 3, 2004
I had surgery on Friday, 12/27/02 (LAP RNY) and was back to work without
any problems what-so-ever on Tuesday, January 2. I drove myself home from
the hospital - 3 hours away, stopped and got my kids McDonalds and went
grocery shopping all on the way home from the hospital. I was very
fortunate not to have any pain at all. I went to a New Years Day dinner
celebration on the 1/1/03 and back at work on 1/2/03. Unfortunately, you
will not know how you are feeling until you wake up.
— Pizofret
April 3, 2004
Renee... I wasn't even released to drive at 10days out. I think you'd be
doing yourself a disservice to expect your body to be up to returning to
work WITH that long a commute both ways. Take care of yourself girl and I
wish you the best, whatever way you decide!!
Amy
— Amy G.
April 3, 2004
AMOS MOD HERE! Lisa and EVERYONE ELSE! NEVER drive yourself home after
surgery with a general anethestic, or even mild pain control surgeries.
There have been sad reports here of people doing this, then being involved
in a fatal car accident. The driver who had surgery was charged with DUI
and is serving a 4 year jail sentence. The hospital nurses and everyone
else involved got in trouble. Last I heard the nurse couldnt prove she
didnt know the patient was driving herself home and got fired. Worse she
lost her nurses license too. A $40,000 job gone she is now a waitress
trying to support her family she is a single mom. Not to scold Lisa, but as
a warning to others. Just look at the number of lives decimated by this:(
<P> NEVER DRIVE YOURSELF HOME AFTER ANY SURGERY!
— bob-haller
April 4, 2004
Have you talked to your doctor about planning to go back to work after a
week, including a 60-mile commute each way? I'll bet he won't release you
to do either, that soon after surgery.
— Suzy C.
April 4, 2004
I agree on 2 points. You definitely shouldn't drive that commute. As far as
body trauma goes, at a week out I was probably just barely physically fit
enough to sit in the car that long, and doubtful could have sat at a desk
all day. Difficult to be comfortable in one position for long and bouts of
tiredness still putting me to sleep off and on. Lack of ability to
concentrate and general disjointed thinking. Definitely still foggy headed
and would not have had the mental ability to concentrate on safe driving
for more than a couple of minutes. Although I can see how some people in
that mental state might think themselves capable of doing so. You THINK
you're OK. (and I had stopped taking the painkillers sent home with me at
day 3 because I hated this foggy haze so bad!) But the point is, the
general anaesthesia really does funny things to you and takes quite awhile
to really get out of your system. The more walking you do, the faster
you'll work it out of your system.
And even if you were lucky enough to catch a ride to work, your mental
state there wouldn't be any better. Having been a nursing assistant, I'd
seen a lot of people recovering from surgery "out of it" and
later saying they'd thought they were fairly lucid, just tired. I still
wasn't prepared for that to happen to myself, but when I woke up I felt
"there" just tired. It wasn't till I saw my husband's video
footage of me in the hospital through the first 2 weeks that I saw how
"stoned" acting I had been. Everyone had been laughing behind my
back! It's bad enough to make a fool out of yourself, or just draw a lot of
attention to yourself, but you really don't want to screw something up at
work! I would think even (or especially) being on the phone, people could
pick up that something was off with you. Anyway, at a week out I was still
fairly fascinated by an old rerun of "Full House" and if that
doesn't say something bad about my state of mind and critical ability, I
don't know what does! :)
So, yes, like any drunk driver, I'd say ditch the idea of going back after
a week, and hand your keys over to somebody else BEFORE your surgery before
this hazy thing takes over. I know the wait can be the most frustrating
thing of your life, but June isn't that far away! (and are you even sure
they could get you in that soon? a lot of times being approved still
involves a lengthy wait with the surgeon)
Take your time to do some post-op shopping, get your affairs in order, get
things ready for your return, etc. It's better to have all your ducks in a
row and be safe and secure. Congrats and best of luck!
— christied
April 4, 2004
The recovery time after surgery is a excellent opportunity for other
activities. Get to know friends and family, begin a exercise program,
organize papers at home, stuff like this. Enjoy the time off since most of
us work our entire lives, why not enjoy a month of R&R? I heard from
the original poster it appears she has decided to wait for surgery. Beyond
which waiting is a good thing it gives each of us time to think and
dedicate ourselves to the lifechanging surgery we are lucky enough to get.
— bob-haller
April 4, 2004
i had surgery on march 15,2004 and was back to work on the 22nd.i am a
school bus driver and drive over 100 miles a day and i had no problems at
all.i have been up and about since the day after surgery.i know everyones
body is different but this was my experience.
— MELISSA O.
April 4, 2004
Everyone has a different answer so that means the experience is very
different for all. But one response did bring up something very important
especially if you drive - that is BLOOD CLOTS that would be my primary
concern if I drove right after surgery. Perhaps you could let your doctor
know and he/she give you medication accordingly. However, it would be nice
if you could sarafice 2 weeks at least.
— Anna M.
April 5, 2004
Hi, I had my surgery 3/16/04, and really felt like I could have returned to
work on 3/22/04 (I have a desk job). But, because I had enough sick and
vacation time, I decided to stick it out for the week of 3/22, and I went
back to work on 3/29/04. I was really bored during the week of 3/22/04
because I felt so good. On the other hand, DH had his surgery on 2/10/04
and had some minor complications and just generally felt like garbage for
about a month.... fortunately, he was able to work at home when he felt
like it, and basically did that because he felt guilty for being away from
his business for a long time, even though his partner told him to stay home
and relax.
So, everyone is different. Hopefully, you'll bounce back really quickly
after surgery... but honestly, do not count on it, because ya never know!
— sunneegirl
April 5, 2004
I went back for 1/2 days in a week and I drive 40 miles each way to work.
By the following day I was at full days.
Christy
— Christy L.
April 5, 2004
I had lap-rny surgery on 2-4-04. The next week I worked 10 hours, including
going to courts. But I had my mom drive me around. By 2-16 I was back
full-time. In hindsight, I wish I had taken a lot more time off. The week I
came back to work they laid off one of my co-workers and the other one
quit. So I found myself doing my job and that of two other people. It has
been a nightmare ever since. I don't know what an 8-hour day is. I can't
get in all of my water or my protein because of erratic hours. Sometimes I
don't know when or if I'm going to get to eat lunch or dinner. Luckily my
weight loss has been pretty steady. However, I haven't had that burst of
energy that everyone says they have a few weeks after surgery. To make
things worse, I have fibromyalgia, so I pretty much crash on weekends. And
because I've had "voluntary" or "cosmetic" surgery, I
don't stand a chance of getting a break. Fortunately, we're conducting
interviews for one of the positions this week, so there must be light at
the end of the tunnel. My warning to those considering surgery, think about
the stability of your work place, and their attitudes about your surgery.
And think about what would happen if your employer puts you in a pinch so
soon after surgery. Take as much time off as you can. The sooner you come
back, the sooner your employer will think you're ready to go over and
beyond the call of duty. Katie W. -39.5
— Le P.
April 15, 2004
hi
i really think it has a lot to do with your age if you are younger i say
you might be ok if older like in 50 or 60 i would hesitate on going back
that fast.
i needed a lot of time and i was 56 at the time. good luck
— ROSEMARY A.
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