How long off from work after surgery?

How long is the recovery from surgery? I hope to have it done this spring when the business is getting busy. I do carpet cleaning and the lady I work for wants to know how long I will be off from work. I pull hoses in & out of homes, move furniture around and pick up the legs to put pads under them. Sometimes the stuff can be heavy. Not sure how long before going back to work. What is the average time off?

What kind of surgery are you having? I had lap RNY and was back in 3 weeks. Lois

I'm sorry. I did not think to say what kind of surgery. I am having the gastric bypass. Is that the RNY?

I teach, though. I did not do any lifting. L

Hi Debbie - I was off three and a half weeks but realistically could have gone back in 10 days or so. However I had open RNY and was told no heavy lifting or pulling for about 3 months. As I work in an office I did not do any of that - but I had to remember not to carry any heavy shopping so I would be careful with heavy hoses and equipment etc in case you give yourself a hernia..... Jackie

Do you know if your surgery will be laparascopic or open? Yes RNY isone kind of bypass. There are others, though. if you browse the site you will info on the other types. Lap surgery has a quicker recovery period, usually, than does, open. Are you going to UVa? Lois

Sorry I did not respond sooner to your question. Yes I am going to UVA but not soon enough. Dr Schrimer said he thought he could do the laparascopic (I had my gallbladder done that way in 4/05). Have been going thru the procedure with insurance since June. I see you are from right up the road from me. Did you have yours done at UVA and who did yours? Did you go thru the mixed emotions about wanting it done and maybe not doing it? I guess this is normal. Thank you Debbie

Hi Debbie, Yes, I am just south of you. I went tio MCV and had my surgery. JoAnn (Tigger) who posts to this board is in Staunton and a patient of Dr. Schirmer's. She is 18 months post-op I believe. Several others are his patient's, too. I had fluttery fears about 4 weeks before my date, but I had already made up my mind that I was NOT going to let my fears make me change my plans. After all, I was 55 and didn't want to spend a year trying to get myself together and get back on a surgery list. The fears/worries are normal. We have all had them. They will wash over you and go back out to sea if you let them. Lois

. WOW - carpet cleaning is HARD and intense work - I think whether you go with OPEN or LAPRO, you're going to need/want the entire SIX weeks that is normally suggested for recovery. Although having surgery done LAP is much less invasive on the OUTSIDE healing - it does NOT change any of the innnards. They still cut, snip, rearrange, sew, yada yada yada, everything the same - so healing does not speed up, just because they cut 5 tiny holes, vs one long slice. I had my Gallbladder taken out LAP, and was back at my office within ten days - BUT, I could not, in any way shape or form, gone back to something that was laborious intense, sooner than six weeks - the energy was just never there. Also, I had my WLS done OPEN, and took every last second of the 6 weeks suggested to recoup. Good luck to you - your health comes first, don't pu**** too soon.

Love your new picture Lei!! Very cute lol!! And here was you saying you could not get into the Christmas spirit! Jackie