Work after surgery

Hello! I am new to the site but I am have submitted my papers to my insurance company for approval on laproscopic wls. So we will see what happens. But my question is to everyone that works. I am just curious about how long it to you after surgery to get back to work. I work full-time and I haven't told my employer about the surgery yet. And when I take the medical leave I don't want to under estimate the time I may need off. I also am not sure how to explain this personal decision to my boss if I get the approval. Any suggestions? Well thanks for the help! Christina

Hi Christina, I planned on taking 3 weeks, but actually went back after 2 weeks part time. I was not necessarily typical. A lot will depend on the type of work you do (sit at a desk vs something more physical). It will also depend on when your doctor is willing to release you to go back. I think that you need to figure on at least 4 and possibly even 6 weeks to be covered. good luck with everything! Hugs, Mo

I took 6 weeks off. I've been back to work for a week now, but I am still finding that quite often I am tired. My energy levels are still up and down throughout the day. It really depends on what you think you can do. Kee

Hello, I had my surgery on a Wednesday and was back to work the next Monday. I had laproscopic and I have a sit down job. I also telecommute for my job. Which means, no driving and I can rest when I need to. However, if I did work in the office, I probably would have went back in one week. Who enjoys sitting home and doing nothing?? It's really a personal decision and a physician's decision according to your health. But..... my doctor initially did say 3 to 4 weeks for most.

Christina, Everyone is different. Although I don't have a job that requires a lot of physical force it is taxing mentally at times so I took off the entire 6 weeks to allow myself to get used to all the changes that are required of me to make after surgery. I still took naps every afternoon through the 6 weeks and I am greatful that I had the time and financial STD to take the time. I know with my physician it is a minimum of 2 weeks depending on the type of job you do. Good Luck on your journey, I can say it is honestly the best gift I ever gave myself. Denise

Hi Christina, I had open RNY and took the entire 6 weeks off. I had never had surgery before and did not know what to expect, so felt that it was better to let my employer know the worst case scenario. Recovery was fine, and I could have returned back to work earlier, but chose to enjoy the time off that was given to me. I'm a school bus driver, and the mental recooperation period was wonderful. Best of luck with your journey. TraciL

Thank you everyone for your responses. Now it is just time to sit and wait on the insurance company. I am getting anxious and nervous. Best of luck to all of you.

I would recommend that you ask for 6 weeks off from work. You may end up going back to work sooner, if you feel up to it, either starting with part-time hours 5 days a week or only a couple days a week. It would make a better impression to your boss if you came back early from your medical leave rather than having to add time on to the original requested medical leave. Everyone reacts differently after this surgery, physically and mentally, but most people appreciate having the extra time, if the need(s) arise. Surgeons usually recommend 6 weeks as a generic amount of time for most surgeries, so that amount of time is usually accepted by most supervisers. There is no guarantee that the surgery will be done lap and could always end up being done open, so extra recovery time would probably be needed in that case. As far as what to tell your employer, some people just say it is "abdominal surgery" and is "personal" or "female surgery". If you know you are having your gallbladder removed also, you can say just that. Or you can be totally honest and either have your boss keep it confidential or you can tell everyone you work with. It depends on your situation and relationship with your boss. If you are using your medical insurance through your employment, your boss will see on the paperwork that you had abdominal surgery, but that is usually all it says, other than a medical code for the procedure(s). Good luck to you. SueZ

I had a lap RNY and I took 3 weeks off from work. I had a lot of pain, nausea and dumping issues for the first few weeks, so I could not have gone back to work any sooner. Good luck!