How much time to take off of work?

Hello!

This is my first time posting....I joined this site about a week ago. My surgery date is July 15th....

I had planned on taking two full weeks off from work after my surgery. I have a desk job with very little movement required. Also, my job is such that if I went into work, and started to not feel well,  I could go home with no worries of getting in trouble, losing my job, etc. 


I would like to hear the opinions of those who have already had their RNY Surgery....Does this seem like enough time off from work to recover?

Thanks for listening!

I think that I may be the exception to the rule, but I took one week off of work. The first few days back I worked half days.  I also have a desk job.  The most important thing to do, is listen to your body.  Don't overdo it. Make sure you don't forget about your water intake, your vitamins, or your protein.

Hope this helps.  Any questions, don't hesiate to ask.

Sheryl

Hello - good luck with your surgery on the 15th.

I also have a desk job and I went back to work after two weeks.  I was a little tired, but didn't have any problems at all.  My situation was similar to yours where if I went in and needed to go home I would have no worries of getting in trouble or losing my job.

 

 

 Hi there :)

I work at a desk as well and also took 2 weeks off.  I was definitely ready after 2 weeks.  One week would have been too soon for me.  I just took it easy walking into work, etc, but other than that it went well.  My surgeon did write my disability/fmla paperwork for 4 weeks though, then just wrote me a note that I could come back early.

Let me first start off by saying WELCOME to the board... You will find a wealth of information here... There are so many people that can give you wise words of advice....

Congrats on having a date... You will be on the losers bench before you know it.... It is a whirlwind and can be exciting and scary all in the same breath...

About the time off... Well, I don't work outside the home and had to take care of the 4 little ones that are still at home within a few days of being home.  I made sure to have simple stuff for meals for them and had them help out as much as they could... At that time they were 3, 5, 7 & 8... I still had diapers for the youngest too.... I would sit on the couch and have him hop up there and change him, then I would get back to my comfy spot and chill.... Fortunately they were all in school or pre-school so that helped during the day and I only had a little bit of time until hubby got home from work... But I made sure to NOT OVER DUE it... That is the key.... When I started feeling overwhelmed or like I was hurting I called on someone to come over and help for an hour or two....

I think I was a rare patient that came home and didn't need anything more then tylenol for pain... Even in the hospital the first dose of Morphine made me so sick that I stopped all pain meds other than the tylenol and that was good enough for me....

I would venture to say that two weeks should be good enough, but listen to your body when you return to work and make sure if you are feeling too tired and hurting in the least bit... GO HOME and REST!!!!  And like someone else said, don't forget the WATER, vitamins and protein!!!!  You will heal much fast if you make sure you are getting these in....

Best of luck to you on your journey... Can't wait to hear from you more and how your surgery goes.... You will be in my prayers for a safe and successful surgery... and a speedy recovery!!!!

 

HUGS,

 

Welcome to the board!

I had surgery on a Thursday and then was back to work on Tuesday.  I only did that because I had to.  If I could have taken two weeks, then I would have.  I have a desk job, and like you, if I started to feel bad, I could go home.  That happened a few times the following week, but then I was ok.  

Make sure you are resting while at home.  You'll be surprised how tiring just sitting up and thinking is!

Stock up on stuff you will need so you don't have to go to work and then out shopping or running errands.  

If you listen to your body, you'll know exactly what you can and can't do.

Good Luck!

Thank you so much Ladies! Your replies put my mind at ease.

I was off for 6 weeks and needed every day. I had a torn muscle at one of my incision sites and that was worse than the surgery. I could hardly move, and sleeping was very difficult. I then had a stricture and that had to be fixed. You'll find the hardest part of recovery is learning when and how much to eat, sipping all day, and moving. You'll still need to use your breathing device, especially because you have a sedentary job. I'm just saying everyone is different, but by all means be careful. My surgeon refused to let me go bac****il I was fully healed.

I was 68 when I had my RNY and was only off work a little over 2 wks.  My next door neighbor stayed with me the first nite, and after that I was on my own.  I too only took a few Tylenol for pain, as I had  very little.   I was on prepackaged foods for the 2 wks after, so that made meals very easy.

Sip your water, and make sure to walk as much as you can while you are recovering, it will help not only with gas pains but with regaining your strength.

Prayers for a successful surgery and we are looking forward to having you join us on the losers bench.

Pat R.