Help ! Deciding on when to have surgery- just got a GREAT new job opp-UPDATED

Hi everyone,

I wasn't planning on having surgery until January and I also was not planning on leaving my current job. However- I have just been approached with a few terrific job opportunities.. Still have to interview and everything but this is now a curveball regarding timing...

I may have to have surgery earlier now ( like this calendar year).. And was wondering if anyone did these two things close together... Surgery and new job ?

Thoughts on timing- etc? I am not worried about things like insurance, new requirements,etc .. Im more concerned about having the surgery and having to recover and then getting ramped up, etc in my new role.

How exciting! I didn't make a job change near surgery, but I do have some observations that might help. How you cope will depend a lot on the type of work you're doing.

My surgeon recommended that I take a month off after surgery, and I did. My recovery was uneventful, and I felt a little guilty for taking so much time off. I could have gone back sooner, but was glad I didn't. Even though I have a desk job, the first week back was tiring. I slept 10 or 11 hours a night. I was glad that I've been at my job for many years, and everyone knew I'd just had surgery (though not what kind of surgery), so if it took a while to get back up to speed no one would mind. I wouldn't have wanted to be at a new job where I felt the need to prove myself.

After a week, things felt pretty normal. But for about 6 months, I could easily become fatigued and/or dehydrated from things like walking quickly for too long. About two months after surgery, I tried to give a presentation where I was standing up in front of an audience, and a minute or so in I felt faint and had to stop. (It wasn't nerves; I'm comfortable giving presentations.) About 5 months after surgery I moved desks. I had help, so all I did was push my desk chair (on wheels) to the new desk (perhaps a two minute walk), and when I got there I had to sit and drink water for ten minutes before I was capable of carrying on a conversation.

I was 58 when I had my surgery. I don't think age plays a major role in how quickly you recover, but it probably has some effect. It does seem to vary a lot from person to person. Hopefully others will chime in with their recovery experience so you can get a better perspective.

I started a new position 3 weeks after surgery, same company, different department though.

Considerations would be changes to insurance (if using) - even the same insurers cover different options with different companies

Access to leave - will you be in position long enough to take advantage of FMLA protections; is there a difference in STD $ between the two companies; will you have appropriate leave to cover time off/flexible schedule while you recover, etc

If you move up, will you have satisfied all requirements in time to meet your accelerated timeline (no idea what your requirements are but it's something to consider, as well as medical scheduling can be challenging at the end of the year)

Workwise, I switched roles right after I came back from surgery, same company, different position - I think some of the new learnings took a bit longer because I was more tired and not on my sharpest that close to recovery but it was doable. Biggest issue was how much more sleep I required for longer than I expected - I think the combo of healing + reduced calories just makes you tired for a bit. My job is pretty sedentary but is a 50% travel and there were no issues with that (I did set a no travel while on pureed foods rule for myself).

Does your job provide your insurance? If so, you run the risk of joining an insurance plan that doesn't cover WLS or has different requirements than your current insurance.

Another thing to think about: you will probably need to be out of work for a few weeks to recover from surgery. If you take a new job, will you have enough PTO to be paid for that time out? Will you qualify for FMLA to protect your job?

I'm thinking I would try to have the surgery ASAP now .... and use whatever vacation time or sick leave Youve accrued for the several weeks recovery you'll need .

I wasn't functioning well work wise for about a month then again my work involves a lot of driving and being " judged " based on my appearance . I did run into an old acquaintance at one point who stared very hard at my needle bruised black and blue arms and I could just hear the gears grinding - I think he suspected me of having developed a drug addiction ! Not a good look especially in a new responsible job!

Expect to be very sleepy and grouchy for the first eight weeks while your insides heal .its good to concentrate on walking as much and frequently as you can to heal faster ( I walked 10 minutes every half hour all day .... ) you'll also be on liquids and soft foods through these weeks not convenient to take w U to work . Good luck w Ur decision!