Need your opinion: can I work from home on day 7 after LBL and BL?

Hey pal! So excited for you! Honestly I am not trying to freak you out, but your right, it IS painful, but manageable with meds. I took tramadol, I would have loved percacet but these worked well. I wasn't fuzzy brained or nauseous at all and it took the edge off. After a few days I was on extra strength Tylenol. 

The first week, its hard. Sitting up, ouch, walking, ouch. Going to the bathroom, ugh. So, you will need a good lazy boy style chair. The one you found online looks great, but does it recline a lot? You will need to be in a 'beach chair' position most of the time so the chair you found may work. 

I think as long as you have a flexible enough schedule and can doze off throughout the day, you can do this. Will you have anyone with you the first few days to help you?

Annette 😄

Hi Annette - thanks for the words of inspiration!  I am seriously hoping it's manageable pain.  I am pretty freaked out!  My mom is going to come and stay with me for a week.  I also have a ton of friends in DC I could call on if needed.  I am going to keep looking for chairs - I don't want to buy a $700 chair since I will have to get rid of it after a few weeks (no room in my city apartment) but I would like to be comfortable for those few weeks or that month.  

I am totally hopeful that in a few days I will be on extra strength tylenol!  I know everyone heals differently and manages differently - just crossing my fingers that my healing is quick and easy :)

I was going to borrow a friends recliner but when we got it here, I didn't think I would be able to do the adjustment on it. A power one would have been great! I ended up just using the couch or my bed the first few weeks. I really couldn't sit well and my back was very sire the first week, you can't sit or stand straight.

Is there a place you could rent a chair perhaps? 

Lots of people here have great ideas, your at the right place for advice!

It will be here before you know it!

My plan was to chill completely for 2 weeks then work from home for another week or two.  Didn't happen.  I was still on pain meds, didn't have the energy to turn my computer on, much less go through the "getting through the firewall" security routine to get to my remote desktop, much less be able to think clearly to even respond to emails.  You may have better luck, but I was out for 4 weeks, didn't make it through the 5th week for full days (but at least managed to get dressed and get to work), and was still hunched over at 6 weeks.

Ouch!  I better not be hunched over at six weeks - I need to be at a conference in Orlando at five weeks!  I hope I heal faster as well - thanks for your insight :)

Well, I went to Vegas 5 weeks out! So I just needed someone to heft my luggage. Your lifting restriction will be 6 weeks.

I believe in good shoes, good food and good furniture.  I have a $700 leather power recliner with cup holders. Best investment ever. 

I am excited for you. Take lots of pictures!!!!

I got the lazy boy recliner - electric controls!  Best investment ever for this surgery! Had to try several to get one that fit me best - I'm short.  It's ok for my tall hubby but wasn't his first pick but this was for me!  A heating pad for your back while you are working on the laptop, naps, Extra-strength tylenol around the clock and hopefully co-workers will understand your brain fog from the anthesia!  

I had to get out of the house the 2nd week after surgery - was going crazy.  Maybe some working will help keep your mind off your uncomfortableness!

I work from home in finance.  I had no issues going "back" to work a week later (basically the same schedule you proposed, except I had surgery on a Thursday).  I had LBL, BA & BL.  I do not get foggy from pain pills, and I had no issue sitting up.  I worked from my bed, propped up on pillows, including my old u-shaped pregnancy pillow, and it wasn't an issue.  I took naps when necessary.  I have a high tolerance for pain, and I couldn't stop myself from working in the hospital after I delivered my baby girl so you can take this with a grain of salt.  It completely depends on you and how you handle pain, pain meds, etc.  If you need a lot of muscle tightening, you will be in a pretty substantial amount of pain.  If narcotics make you groggy or loopy, probably not a good idea to do anything really important or be on conference calls.  Otherwise, I think you'd be fine.  I'd tell your boss that you will likely be coming back to work at a week, but it's possible you will be unable to do full days for an additional week. 

Thank you for responding!  That gives me some hope.  My doctor doesn't think I will need a lot of muscle tightening (I work out six days a week so I am somewhat strong thankfully) but I guess I won't know until afterwards.  Narcotics actually make me nauseous so I likely won't take them for too long.  Depends on the pain I guess.  Thanks again for the advice!

Your PS will most likely prescribe Zofran if you get nauseated using pain meds.  I had to take percocet & benedryl together (which should have knocked out a horse), but I was fine.  Percocet makes me incredibly itchy, to the point where I was bleeding in the hospital before I realized there was an issue :)  Yeah, I worked out all the time before plastics and have a very strong core, but I've also had a baby.  The muscle tightening is a *****  Seriously.  Try not to cough or laugh or sneeze the first two weeks.  It's like lightening in your abs.  Or don't let your toddler crawl on you and then knee you in the abs either.