Would you do PS if you could not take off work?

I am 20 lbs from my goal weight and I have decided I want plastics. It won't be until March or later (since I am testing for black belt in March, and training until then) and it will be self pay. I also think its better because I will be a year out from the RNY at that point.

I've been at my job 12 years. I can only take one week of vacation at a time. I MIGHT be able to wrangle a week off and a week working from home, but that would be pushing it. I'd be willing to take the time off without pay but my boss would never allow it, especially for plastic surgery. I know I could use FMLA on him, but honestly don't even know if that applies for elective surgery, and if I did that, I would just create a hostile environment when I came back.

So, if you could only take off 2 weeks at best, would you still try to do it? Everyone I see here doesn't work or is off for the summer or can take 3-6 weeks off when they do the surgery. Would it be impossible?

I am wanting either a tummy tuck or lbl and breast lift and augmentation.

Wanted to add - I have a desk job, and I could most likely get out of any traveling the first 2-3 weeks I came back. So it would just be getting to work, staying the course, and getting home. I could get my mom to help me with the kids and at my house, and my hubby too, depending on his work/travel.

Also adding - I had problems with RNY. I only took a week off work and then had to take an additional three days off the next week. Just had a lot of pain, could not get up and down easily, really really bad side pain for the first three weeks. I stayed on liquid Lortab the whole time (when I wasn't at work) and by the third week it was like it just disappeared.

Oh, I feel your pain...
I have very young manager at work, 25 y.o and he does not understand all pain I went through
with TT last september.

I came back to work after 3 weeks and was in such a pain after sitting 8 hours, but he did not let me go home early.

I think 1 week is not really enough after plastics to recover.
Try to take at leat 2-3 weeks, do you have sick days?

I am going for my breast lift in October and will have 1 week off.
Good luck,
Alla

 

I am the manager here. Luckily after my RNY I was able to work maybe 3-4 hours a day the second week and go home, then I used 3 sick days the following week and just said I was having trouble recovering. (They only knew I had "female" surgery and didn't ask questions.)

I'd love to have the luxury of taking off a month. There are time when I wish I had never changed my degree plan (to be a teacher) and I had the summers off!

 Everyone has a different experience with healing after ps.  There are so many factors that can impact your post-op healing - how many procedures you have at once, your health before surgery, etc.

My own experience?  I had an LBL 8 weeks ago.  Planned to be in the best possible shape pre-surgery, did "everything" that my ps recommended before the big day.  I'm 54 years old.  I planned on being off two weeks but changed it to three as my job requires a lot of standing, etc.  My recovery was uneventful - no wound separation problems, etc.

That said, I'm scheduled for a revision (outer thighs) in December and will only have one week to heal.

I hope that you can at least get two weeks off!  When you have your consult with your ps - ask them what their thoughts are on how quickly you can get back to your job.

Good luck!
Gracie150

I'll be 42 by the time I have the surgery. That is my worst fear - that I'll have complications that will result in even more time off!

One of the first questions my ps asked me was if it was possible to stay home, with my feet up, for two full weeks- minimum. I was only supposed to be up to use the restroom and shower. That was his rule to perform surgery at all. Every dr is different, but I think two weeks off seems standard.

I think a week is terribly pushing it to work, and you probably should not proceed- especially with multiple procedures, if that is all you can wrangle. It is a shame after that long at your job that they treat you so poorly.

Well there is always hope I'll win the lottery right? I am looking into the FMLA rules right now, just to see.

First, I wouldn't tell anyone at work the procedure you are having. It's NONE of their business.

Second, FMLA is federal law. I would look into the terms and conditions. I am not sure if elective surgery applies, but I am assuming it does.

Third, I'd question any job that only allows 1 week of vacation per yr after 12 yrs of working. That is insane! Find a new job on your recovery ;)

Fourth, I just had an arm lift, but got a consult for both a TT and AL. My PS ok'd 2 weeks for the arm lift, but wouldn't allow anything shorter than 3 weeks for a TT. Stomach surgery is very hard on a person. I'd imagine a LBL would be even more intensive because the cut is 360 degrees.

Fifth, and I know you didn't ask my opinion on this, I'd wait longer than a yr out of surgery. Maintain for a few months or years. The body has a tendency to rejuvenate itself. You may not need as much work as you are imagining once you skin catches up with the loss.

I have to correct myself. I have four weeks of vacation a year. Our company policy just states that we aren't allowed to take more than one week at any given time. My boss, honestly, isn't the nicest person in the world. But I rarely see him (I'm in a satellite office), I have flexible hours, I work from home sometimes, and I have a company car. I've looked for other jobs before but the pay is never even close to equal. SO I kinda just roll with the punches, especially since the economy has gotten bad.

I might be able to get two weeks off BUT I know he would never ever consider plastic surgery for any reason whatsoever to be a reason to miss work, and he'd never understand why someone would have it. And I could make a stand and pu**** I know that, but it would just create a very hostile environment when I came back and not working isn't an option.

I've been thinking alot about it though - that is 8-9 months out and things change. You never know where I'll be at that point or what I might be able to talk him into. Maybe I'll say I won a 14 day cruise, lol.

Thanks for the advice. I really DO think I need more time off. Three weeks at a bare minimum.