recovery time when you are 50 ish

I had my surgery on 4/4/08 and plan on returning to work on 4/23/08.  I'm giving myself two weeks.  The recovery isn't bad, but I can see that trying to get all your post-op liquids and "food" in will take some time.  I feel ok now, I still get a little tired in the afternoon, nap time, but it IS MAJOR SURGERY. My body is trying to heal itself on the inside.  I fly a desk at work so no heavy lifting or bending involved.  I'm off the pain meds.  Just need to chill a little and get this all figured out, I believe is the key.  I've come too far to have ANYTHING screw it up now. Oh, and I'm 55 years young, soon to be getting younger!

Hi I just turned 50 in February and am having open DS.  I'm and xray tech so I'm on my feet and lifting quite a lot,  I'm planning on taking 8 weeks off.   My surgery should be middle of June, good planning, I'll be off for the summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It really is very different for everyone.  I had a complicated hysterectomy about 6 months before wls and bounced back so fast no one could believe it.  For the first 10 weeks after gastric bypass surgery I was so tired I could barely walk across the room.  I did contract C-diff after surgery and that and the meds really did  a job on me.  I had plastics in January of this year and never really took a day off, I just worked from home.  One thing I will say over a year later and at goal I am SO happy I did this.  My world is so much better and I am not tired every day like I used to be.  Good luck to you, it WILL work out. Hugs, Jan

Welcome to the OFF family. This is so different for each person from the beginning and forever after too. My surgery was 17 months ago at age 59.  For me, there was little actual pain, more discomfort when I was trying to get in and out of the hospital bed. My feet didn't quite reach the floor. Within an hour of getting to my hospital room I was up and walking the halls. I never had any gas pains nor did I use any pain meds while in the hospital. the day after I returned home I felt "off", as if I had a fever. When I finally took my temp it was 99.9 degrees so I called my surgeon. He saw me immediately and said he thought the incision was inflamed and wanted to open then pack it. I was admitted to the hospital. My fever rose to 103 degrees at times. That was the only time I felt bad. The rest of the time I was up and walking.  they did several tests, gave me IV antibiotics and kept me for 10 days. It was finally determined that I had an infected blood clot in the abdomen.  When I returned home I was feeling quite well. The so called complication was more a nuisance to me than debilitating. There were no lifting restrictions and no bathroom issues. The hard part was trying to learn this new manner of eating, drinking and taking supplements. I did nap in the afternoon, but we are often up by 3 AM and I get tired. My starting weight was 320 pounds, I am 5'2". Today I weigh 116 pounds. Kisses Annette

It can really be hard to predict what will happen with any one in particular. I would be really careful about tring to go back to work too soon. If you schedule for 1 week off and then can't do it, it will be worse than planning for more time off in the first place. I am a little different than most people because I bleed every time I have a surgery. I was not able to even sit at my computer at home for 2 weeks. After that I recovered very quickley. I was very dizzy. I could walk around the house for a few minutesat a time, but sitting for long enough to do some work was impossible. ( I work at my home at my computer) By 3 weeks I was feeling really good. You must remember that a RNY is a major surgery and it really takes 6-8 weeks to recover. A lap band will have a little shorter recovery. But that is still 4-6 weeks. You may feel really good one week out, but you may feel like I did and can't go back to work. I didn't drive a car for at least a month. I am now 8 1/2 weeks out form knee replacement. That has a min. of 3 months recovery and a year to be 100% back to normal. What ever "normal" is. I don't think I have ever been "normal." As far as pain goes, the RNY as a little more painful and for a little longer than my Hysterectomy. But, it was far less painful than my foot surgeries and the knee.  I had diahrrea for a few days because of th econtrast dye they used. It is very concentrated and then I GI bleed for a week. Since then I have been fine to travel and I don't have to run to the bathroom or had any problem that way. Again we are all different. Diana

Thanks soooo much to every one of you for your thoughtful answers!  I think this will indeed be 'my' forum.!!!! I was thinking hard about waiting until november because of the work and recovery angle but I am not going to now.  I think my health is more important than anything ....I also have a sneaking suspicion that this is going to go really well... Ive been dealing with being fat for so long and I am pretty good at rolling with the punches!  Also sort of wishin hopin and prayin for the answers to this dilemma.  When I got into the surgery options...(By myself.... primary care physician never mentioned it of course!) everything started to look up.   I have met not 1 but 3 people that would like to help me with my work...and seem capable!  A young lady I have known for years would like a little after school job ...cleaning up my shop  comes to mind!!! (wooo hooo...kids like that are hard to come by in this area...Most are spoiled rotten and expect $12 an hour just to show up!)  It will be great to have a kid around too She is 14. Lifting will be a problem so i am just going to have to hire a helper grunt...and I will not offer as  much as usual in the props department...Simplicity is good too. So I am going to spend pre surgery time getting great nutrition, walking as much as I can and doing what I can to get my abdominal "muscles...(well really they are jelly rolls but rumor has it there are muscles under there) in a little bit of shape.  Gonna get my studio in fantastic organized shape and my proposals all done and finalized as much  as I can, get supplies ordered and ridiculously lined up. Get the house clean and dandy and pray like crazy for a great summer recovery.  I feel so great about this this morning!!!! I see the surgeon on Monday morning.  After she gets my official weight on the records I will start to try to work the diet.   Im ready!!!!  And oddly never felt mentally as healthy as this...because I am not destined to fail this time... Of course waiting for a surgery date will be another issue but one day  at a time right!!!!!   I love you all already!!!!   Suzle