Time Out of Work for a LBL?

I have a tentative date for a lower body lift with inner thigh lipo and I'm trying to plan out my down time.  I have a computer based job (IT Program Manager) and I can work from home as needed since most of our meetings are all conference calls anyway. I know the suggested out of work time is 6 weeks, so I will be working from home for at least that duration, but I am wondering, when can I start working from home?  

My original thought was to have the surgery on a Monday and beginning working from home in 3 weeks (21 days to recoup enough to WFH).  But the tentative surgery date I have is a Wednesday, so now I am wondering, can I go back to working from home earlier?  Will I need the full 21 days or could I do, say, 13 days recoup then work from home starting day 14?  

When I was banded, I was back working from home in 2 days.  When I had my revision for band to RNY, I was back working from home in 14 days but I felt like I could have gone back a bit earlier (say around day 10).  And that was 80lbs ago.  Not to mention that I am in so much better shape from a physical and nutrition perspective now.  But then again, a LBL is a long, extensive surgery and I fully expect to be hating life for a week or two after becuase of it.  

So for folks who have had a LBL or a TT, what was your experience?  Do I plan for 13 days and fall back to taking another week if I need it?  Or should I just take the full 3 weeks. 

Thanks for any insight you could provide!  

21 days, definitely enough for telework.  13 days, probably enough.  Certainly enough for part time telework.  As long as you can take breaks (ie naps) every now and then, I don't think it'll be a problem at 2 weeks.

You'll be able to sit in your chair and do computer work or phone work.  You do need to get up every hour or so and walk around.  Also, you may need a 10-15 min nap or longer.  Took me a while to get all my energy back.  Do what your body will allow.  Everybody's healing time is different.

I had an LBL and other procedures 4/2/13 and was able to go back to work (in the office) on day 13 (4/15/13.)  My boss was really flexible and I did leave early some days last week and this week depending on my energy level.  I found it waxes and wanes, and gets lower as the week goes on.  That's just my experience, and I had built in a cushion with my boss about possibly needing more time off depending on my healing.  Now everyone can't believe how well I'm doing so I make sure to remind them I'm still not 100%!

I am a teacher and was off for the summer when I had my lbl. I had 7 weeks to recover, which I am very thankful for. No way in hell I could have worked after week 2, even from home. 3 weeks off would have been iffy, too. Maybe I'm just a wimp 

I too am in the IT field and can work from home.  I took one week off, then worked at home the 2nd week and then returned full time to the office week 3. 

Everyone is different, and I seem to be a "super healer" so allow for your own progression. (I had LBL and BL)

THANK YOU!!!!

I had a LBL 7 days ago.  I work from home.  I was hopeful to be able to return to work, at least part time today.  Yup, NOT happening.  Im writing off the rest of this week already.  The pain is so much more than I anticipated and my head is so cloudy from the anesthesia and pain meds- there is just no way.  I also will just randomly fall asleep mid sentence, and I have fainted several times due to my blood pressure dropping.  AND Im also running a fever, so I feel just cruddy all over.  No work for me!

Thank you for the reply, I hope you start to feel better soon.  Please do let me know how you do, I'd like to see how you feel in like 3-4 days.  I think my plan is going to be take the 12 days planned off with the option for the 3rd week as unpaid if I need it.  

Good luck to you!

Just an update.  I opted to take an unpaid leave of absence from work beginning yesterday.  I will reevaluate Monday the 6th, and then again that Friday the 10th.  I am just not up for working.  Im sure MOST of that is the fever and whatever infection my body is trying to fight off, plus the heavy duty pain patch I had to resrt to when I just wouldnt absorb any oral pain meds (yay for being a super malabsorber (insert sarcasm here)!  Easy to maintain my loss, SUCKS for needing any medications!).  So yeah, Im pretty much a walking zombie at this point.  My incisions are healing uo OK- I have an area that opened back up that may need to be addressed, and a few that are quite red and swollen and possibly infected.  2 of my 4 drains are out and the other two are ready to come out (they havent put out anything in over 24 hours).  I have NO muscle pain.