work full time after just 2 weeks is a no-go

my tummy tuck was on June 10th and I went back to work June 24th. I have a desk job so I thought I could handle it but after 2 1/2 days I am sore and exhausted. I've taken off the rest of this week. Only 3 work days next week because of the holiday so I think I will try to get through the 3 days and have another 4 day weekend and after that I hope to be well enough to handle working 40 hours per week.

HI Angela, did you surgeon advise that you needed only 2 weeks off from work? I think that is what mine said as well. It did not matter to me because I was self employed, so it is not as though I could get paid leave. I do recall that two weeks would not have been enough. I think it really took me 4 weeks to have energy and strength enough to return to ordinary work. It certainly was not less than 3 weeks. 

I hope you get enough rest and return to full energy soon enough. Make sure to keep up your protein and water and supplements!!!

my surgeon said I could return after 1 week if I felt like it but I decided to take 2 weeks off and still that wasn't quite enough.

Stamina oh dear stamina where art thou?  I totally understand what you are saying.  I went back to work 12 days after but was able to work from home so I managed.  If I had to shower (which is EXHAUSTING these days!) get dressed and drive myself there I would have been ready to go home before I made it to lunch.  

It does get better. I am 3 weeks out today and last night I walked 2 miles (in the warm humidity too) and it went pretty well.  Good luck to you!

 

 

I knew I would not be a trooper and that I would need 4-6 weeks off.  Plus I had read so many people going back to work to soon and splitting incisions.  It scare me to much.  I would think any time after the 4 week mark then you would be safe and good to go slowly....Take care of yourself and get plenty of rest with your feet up.

Oh Angela, I'm so sorry. Sometimes we have to go back because we need the money. I had just enough sick days, personal days and vacation to take a total of seven weeks. I was hoping I could do six and not have to burn vacation days for the seventh. It's hard to tell right now at only 3 weeks out. I'm too exhausted at this point I know.

If you MUST work, come home and sleep right afterward. You have to keep healing. {HUGS}

It really depends on the person.  I had a LBL and BL in November and I was able to go back full time after 2 weeks.  I took one week completely off, worked from home week 2 and then went back full time.

The key is to listen to your body and DO NOT push yourself too soon.  You need to be kind to your body while this important healing is happening.

It is so worth it!  Hang in there.

Does anyone know if you can take paid disability time off from work for surgery? I assume yes but maybe not for "elective" surgery.

My company's policy specifically doesn't allow me to take short term disability for plastic surgery, so I had to use PTO time for my  time off.  I could take unpaid leave, but only after I had exhausted all PTO on the books.  Which sucks, so I'm glad I was able to begin working from home at 12 days out, which meant I only used up 8 of my PTO days.  I get 32, but I had used some in January when we went to Disney to run the DisneyWorld 1/2 Marathon and have plans for vacation time in Oct (San Francisco for the week)  and Nov (back to Disney for the Wine&Dine 1/2 Marathon)

Every company is different though.  

my company allowed me to use FMLA and short term disability for my time off. I had 5 weeks that I could have taken off fully paid if I used my 4 weeks vacation in 5 paid sick days but using the FMLA the 5 paid sick days were used anyway.