Going back to work

I am just asking for opinion.  I had my surgery on the 15th,  My boss wants me back to work tomorrow,  I am not sure if I'm ready.  I could probably do it.  I have a desk job, a lot of up and down, getting charts, but no heavy lifting.  It is very stressfull.  I don't know if am just enjoying my time off too much, or if I really need it.  I feel guilty saying I wont be back till next Monday, but realy want more time to relax and recoup and spend time with my son while he's on vacation.  I haven't called my doctor yet.  I was really sick with a horrible cold last week that has left me with huge cold sores under my nose, another reason I;m not anxious to go back, I do have tons of sick time.  Any opinions.

My surgery was Dec 12, and I handled it very well, thank God, no complications, up and around the house, went for a few walks, etc etc etc. So last week, I went to my office for an hour each day. No lifting, but the up and down and walking around really tired me out. But it was less noticeable towards the end of the week, so I chose to go back today, tentatively for the full day, but letting everyone know that I would not push myself too hard, and would leave whenever I felt I couldn't go farther.

I have the advantage of working only a half-mile from home, so this sort of experimentation might not work for you. But if you can, give it a try. Right now I'm home for lunch (somewhat) and relaxation (mostly). The only part of this story I regret is when I figured it would be a good idea to load up on protein beforehand, so I had an entire 9 ounce, 31 gram protein shake for breakfast. I took a nice leisurely full hour to sip it, but I really should have stopped halfway. It filled me up so much that I felt awful until around 10:00. But since then, I'm really okay, as long as I go slow and avoid the exertion.

I hope this gives to some ideas that you can apply to your own situation. Good luck!

Listen to YOUR mind and body -- it's not just a physical recuperation and when I see the words stressful, relax, recoup those are indications that your mind may not be ready.  You are not being a wimp!!!!! I took 5 weeks because I wanted to have my new routine down BEFORE I returned to work and got distracted.  Even after 5 weeks my surgeon was willing to approve more if I needed it.

I took 4 weeks off.  I worked as an OR nurse on my feet running all day, and I was exhausted by noon.

Once your doctor releases you then you are released.  If you don't know if you can handle it then personally I would take a little more time off.  If your doctor hasn't released you then your boss has no option other than to deal with it.  Do you have FMLA?  Is your position guaranteed while you are off on medical leave?  If so, definitely take the extra time off.