PLASTICS QUESTION////PAIN

i AM HAVING CONSULT IN ABOUT 2 WEEKS. i WAS 545 NOW AM 280. dECIDED TO DO THIS FINALLY. i AM GOING FOR TUMMY FIRST. tHEN THE REST WILL FOLLOW. wHEN i HAD OPEN RNY i WAS BACK IN 5 DAYS TO WORK. aNYONE AROUND MY SIZE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS AT TO PAIN LEVEL. i OWN MY OWN COMPANY AND AM AT OFFICE JOB. wAS JUST CURIOUS..... aNY INFO PLEASE..... 

I don't have surgery until next week so I can't give you any advice.  I am your size though, I started at my highest was 547lbs and at surgery day was 510lbs now down to 270lbs.  I am having a panniculectomy and chest reduction next week and in December arms and thighs done.  I was able to get insurance approval for all of it.  From the information that I have read I think us desk workers could do some work about a week out if we had too.  I am taking a complete 1 1/2 weeks off and then play it by ear.  I hope to be back to 50hrs/wk a few weeks after surgery.

I'm gonna flat out so NO, but that was my experience. Not trying to burn your retna's out but go to my sig pics and look at number 6. My sister took that pic and I have zero recollection of that pic or the first several days for that matter. But that was just me give yourself more time, I was off work for 6 weeks I had my drains in for 41 days with no shower. I like to think I have a decent pain level and need the pain meds for about 7-8 days. But 15th day out I got hit with blood clots (Pulmonary Embolism) spent 8 days in the hospital and was on blood thinners for 6 months.
TALK TO YOUR SURGEON ABOUT THIS! Most people come out ok from plastics but the more weight you have lost, the more they remove, the longer you are under for surgery, any family history of clots all play factors in this mine was a perfect little storm so my pulmonologist told me.

Not trying to scare ya, just don't want to hear about other people going through this stuff like I did. You have a desk job, so sitting at a desk a week out from surgery is kind of setting yourself up for failure in my opinion but I'm a little jaded. Talk to your surgeon about Deep Vein Thrombosis risk assessment 1-10. Mine was a 6 it's now 7 go figure. Hopefully they will send you home with lovenox shots a blood thinner you self inject for a few days. I just did this, I just had my gallbladder out 2 weeks ago. 

Overall up untill the clot**** I was doing well after 2 weeks and maybe could have went back to work at a desk job if I had one. I'm probably rambling at this point but if you have more ?'s fire away I'd be glad to help.

Good luck,

You may want to send a PM to levittown_loser.  I don't think he was as big, but his pain level was minimal, he did go back around week 3 pt.  I was off 8 weeks, but I'm old!  My pain level was minimal for the body work and hurt like hell with the face.  But, it was still minimal compared to my DS.

You can check out his posts back in Jan 2011 over on Dr Sauceda's board...

 I just had a tummy tuck as part of hernia repair. I am 17 days out from it and I'll be honest, I thought this was pretty hardcore.  I am improving finally, though I have a minor incisional complication (skin separated). I have not been able to return to work although I will start working from home part time next week. I'm fairly hearty, but this kicked my butt for two solid weeks. THey told me it would be 4-6 weeks of recovery, and I am thinking by the end of next week I will be strong enough to live on the very lowest end of my life (I have a very active life). The pain sucked, badly. You can't even stand up straight at first cause of the weird painful pull and I was unbelievably swollen. But it gets better. 

I took two weeks off. Felt great. Was tired but was able to do my
job slowly. Every day got better.
However, I was very lucky. I considered myself to be in great shape,
I worked out everyday, I upped my porteins, I increased my Vit D.
I was very very blessed with an easy recovery. Talk with the surgeon and
see what they say. But remember you know yourself best and if you
feel like I did then maybe two weeks is fine.

Good luck!!!
Dani