A new thread...Returning to work??

This is for you new guys.  This is one of those common questions we hear a lot.  Thought we could talk about it.  With all 4 of the major surgeries (Lap Band, VSG, RNY, DS) your surgeon will request that you don't return to work for a certain amount of time.  You have had major surgery and you need to let the scars and your body heal and adjust to their new make up.  Yet each person is different when in comes to returning to work. 
A lot will depend on several questions: How is my recover going?  How physical is your job?  How far will it take to get to my job?  Can I work 1/2 shifts?  For those who have returned to work I hope you can share your experiences with the new guys.
I am a security guard.  I stayed out for 3 weeks (RNY).  When I came back it was very hard for me.  Remember it takes energy to get up, go to the bathroom, get dressed, eat breakfast, go to the car, drive to work, walk to the work area, start working.  It can really drain you...Esp for men who lose the weight quicker than women (we have a larger muscle structure so we can move better...Burn more calories).  Even at 3 weeks it was hard for me since I had to do a lot of walking...Just no energy.  I would try and grab for it...But it just wasn't there!! 
What I have told many people is when you go back to work try and do a couple of 1/2 days first...See how you handle them.  Even if you work at a desk it can be draining and after a few hours my may want a nap.  If you can handle the 1/2 days or you think you are OK, maybe try going in at the end of the week for your return to work.  If you are a Mon-Fri person, go in on Thursday and Friday.  You'll have 2 days to rest and organize what food and water you'll need for the coming weeks.  So how was your return to work??  Any advise to pass along??

Mine is an office job with little required activity. I thought I'd be out a couple of days and right back to it, but as it turns out that was not the case.

I was out about two weeks initially, and then worked half days (plus or minus) for a couple of weeks thereafter. I was fortunate to be in a situation that allowed me to be flexible. I was also able to do some work from home.

The issue wasn't pain, but simply being tired. Exhausted. Beat. I was glad to have been able to take it slow, and honestly if I had a job that required more activity, I'm not certain how I would have handled it. Of course, being inactive before the surgery made it more difficult to become active after.

My advice would be to do what you can manage, but try to have an "escape plan" that allows you to back off if needed. Ease back into your schedule using half days if possible - that was a godsend for me. And, make ceratin that when you go back to work that you have a definite meal and water plan recognizing that you absolutely must stay on track with both food and water to maintain your health and energy levels. I'm amazed at the number of people I hear who appear to think they can just "wing it" for their meals and water. Plan and prepare, people.

A lot of it has to do with which surgery you have.  The Lap Band and VSG are not malabsorption surgeries...I think they recover easier.  The RNY and DS lose the weight more quickly, have malabsorption, and the basic nutrients may not be there to get you over the hump.  Ken, I hear you on being tired, exhausted, beat.  Before we would grab a Snickers Bar...Not now. 
Also a quick reminder for those having surgery and new post ops...Know the signs of dehydration (Google it, if you need to).  Dehydration is the # 1 reason WLS patients reenter the hospital.  Just keep it in the back of your mind...

Hi All,

Like the thread. I am about 15 months post op. I had RNY surgery on 12/10/10. Going into the surgery I expected to take 2-3 weeks off. I am a school teacher so thought I could take it slow and be able to deal with it overall.

Well, that was not the case at all. I decided to go back to work after 2 Weeks. BIG MISTAKE. Like noted above, getting out of bed, showering, getting dressed, driving all used ALOT of energy. It was a struggle, but I survived. It took me quite some time to get my energy back. In reflecting on my WLS the only thing I would have changed is I would have stayed out of work for at least 4 weeks. I am no worse for the wear, but made recovery harder than it needed to be.

Hope all are well....

Yours in WLS,
Bill Mac

I had the VSG on 12/9/11 and I took 3 1/2 weeks off only because I work at a school and it was near Christmas break when I had my surgery. I had a fast recovery and felt great about a week out and could have gone back to work at that time. However, I took a road trip to Montana to see my daughter and grandkids. I really needed to get back to work after that trip,

 I believe your assertion that RNY takes more out of you than VSG is correct.  After VSG I was able to go back to the office on a reduced schedule 10 days post op.  I am a dental specialist and chose to avoid doing any surgeries myself until I was 14 days post op, and then started with short easy ones with rest in between.  No real pain issues but energy levels were challenging.  When you're self employed you can hear the clock ticking pretty loudly after several days out of the office.  While I had been walking quite a bit by one week post op, going back to work sucked the life out of me and I didn't exercise other than moving around the office till I was almost a month post op.

I couldn't agree more about the importance of planning food and water intake, you can't get away with just winging it without risk of getting in real trouble.

Thanks for this post.  I will be taking two weeks off after surgery and returning half time thereafter.  I am a Civil Engineer so this time of the year I am in the office doing bids and contracts.  I should be back to full strength when the construction starts back up heavy.  My boss is very understanding and supportive of the procedure so that helps.

Morning guys....similar story here.....surgery date 12/8/2010, so almost 16 months out.  My Dr recommended 2 weeks, I also have an office job with few physical demand requirements.  However, those 2 weeks pretty much led right into Christmas, so I took an additional week, then went back a few 1/2 days before New Years.  I was kind of tired at first, but nothing too overwhelming.

On thing that has not been mentioned is how quickly you start up some kind of exercise routine.  It definitely helps build the stamina.  I would suggest making every effort to increase activity PRIOR to surgery, walk around the block or down the street if you can.....if you have been doing nothing but sitting on the couch or in the lazyboy, even that is an improvement. 

Within 3 days post-op (2 days out of the hospital) I was either walking outside if the weather was warm enough or on the treadmill at the gym.  Increased the time I walked by a little bit every day - started at 10-15 minutes and went from there.  If I could not make it to the gym and it was too cold, I was walking up and down the stairs in my house 20-30 times a day (not all at once) just to move. 

Getting into a routine that includes some level of exercise is critical to your long term success and helps with just being able to adjust to your new life.


BTW, thought it was time I posted a new Pic -


Michael

Amazing changes for you. Congrats!

Damn! awesome pics!