scared as hell after 3 weeks, but going back to work

It will have been 4 weeks off from work, but I didn't want to use anymore of my remaining time.

My status has been ok...been only semi-successful at home with dietary adjustments, drinking liquids...but doing real well with exercise, joined YMCA and have light work-outs of 25 minutes, 15 bike, 10 treadmill.

I'm not sure how to keep up getting my protein amounts and all of my liquids in, as far as what should I bring, how do I handle shakes, puddings, etc., know what I'm saying.

Any ideas?

Al

Hi Al,  I do better at work than I do at home. I think it is because it is more structsured. I eat breakfast at the house. I bring a lunch with me to work along with two small tupperware containers premeasured with protein mix in them. I have the little packets of SF drink mix, "wal-mart brand crystal lite", at work and as soon as I get to my desk I mix a bottle of water. For lunch I have some kind of meat and vegie. I bring a snack, most of the time some small chunks of habanero cheese and some no sugar  added apple sauce and sometimes some beef jerky. I also bring my vitamins and take them through the day. Like I said I do better at work getting my liquids and protein and every thing else for that matter than I do on the weekends. Here at work it is part of my routine.  pan head

Al- I went back to work after a week.  I think it is all how your body reacts.  I know they key in the office for me was to drink water regularly and about every hour or two get up and take some steps, if not a little walk.  Realize you will likely be wiped out at the end of the day, but as stated above the structure is necessary as  you will need to learn how to proceed with your new life, which will include work. Good luck, remember to drink and step!

Al, Here's what I did, hope it helps. I was back at work after two weeks off. I would bring my lunch every day in a little cooler with ice packs.  I would bring soups (easy to add TVP to them and pop them in the microwave), Tuna salads, Crabsalads, chickensalads (all blended at that point, pudding, SF jello, cheese cubes, anyhing I could get that was soft, didn't have to chew, didn't require cooking , and was full of protein.  Yogurt was a great source of prtoein, fat free, low carb, and tasted really good to me.  It was a life saver, but everyone has their own thing.  Refried beans with cheese were another good thing to have with me. I didn't go out for lunches with my colleagues for at least 3 weeks, then stuck to chicken breasts and veggies.  Still do, actually. Fat free milk is a great way to get protien and also help with your 64 oz per day of fluids.  If you can tolerate it, make it doulbe strength with powdered milk.  The more protein you get right now the better, you are still healing and will need the energy. Even with that, it will still be pretty tiring for about a month if you're at all like I was. I would line up all the water requirements for the whole day on my desk and just constantly sip water while I worked, i liked it best room temperature. I would carry a four times a day pill case with all my vitamins and meds in it  (mine had removeable containers that had the whole day right there)  They can be found at any drug store and it made it much easier to remember/carry.  I would fill it once per week, on the weekend. Good luck, welcome to the losing side and keep us posted on how you are doing! Ken

In addition to the great points everyone else has said I add my .02. If you can, be totally transparant about the surgery. I don't know if you've told people exactly what it is you were on leave for, but my advice is to get yourself a box, stand on it, and tell everyone you know. It gets much easier to maneuver the daily food issues and traps of an office if you don't have to continuously come up with creative "outs".

In my case, people also started eating more healthful around me. In place of the usual doughnuts and coffee in the teacher's lunch room every once in a while the odd veggie platter, or crock-pot of soup shows up.