Back to work...

I'm having Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass.... About how long did it take you guys to recover to a comfortable stage? I'm a car sales womyn, so its not a heavy working job. I walk alot at work, and am able to sit and stand pretty much when ever i want. Reason I am asking, i'm always in need of the money... so when did you guys go back to work?

I was off for the whole 6 weeks. Your body needs time to recover and it was hard for me to learn what foods liked me and what foods didn't. You don't want to go back to work and find out that something doesn't agree with you.

I was out of work for 4 weeks.  However, my job is a desk job and I just sit in front of a computer all day.  I think you don't want to pu**** to much if you walk ALL the time.  You could, and prolly should (for the walking) go back at least part time after a few weeks.  I would talk to your surgeon about it because he will know when is too soon.

It's really a difficult question to answer because EVERYBODY is different. People have differences in complications, differences in tolerances for pain, differences in their surgeries, differences in how they heal, differences in how compliant they are with their surgeons instructions, etc... The good thing is that since your having laproscopic surgery the recovery should be more hasty then if you were having an open procedure. I have heard of people going back to work as soon as a few days after surgery and as long as six months although that was with extreme complications. For most people, it is somewhere in the middle. In my case I didn't have any major complications, just a urinary tract infection from when the dumbass technician in the operating room managed to scrape the lining of my urethra when inserting my catheter. My physical pain from the surgery had diminished by two or three days out, what got me though was first the gas which lasted about 4 or 5 days (a severe bloating that felt like it was putting pressure on every inch of my intestines, new pouch and even my throat), the second thing that did me in was the fatigue. My clinic told me that it was a combination of low caloric and fluid intake, combined with the extra energy by body was using to heal, and also the lasting effects of the anasthesia - yes the anasthesia - they said the lingering effects could leave you feeling drowsy for up to a month! I started to feel like myself again after about two and half to three weeks, that is when I felt comfortable enough to resume my duties as a stay-at-home dad unassisted. I was lucky that my mom and brother were able to come each spend  a week down here with me to help. For some people though neccessity requires them to go back to work before they really are ready, if that turns out to be the case in your situation I would just recommend that you listen to your body and keep in mind that the cost of an extra ER visit that could be brought on from rushing back and the extra time to recover from that may exceed what it would cost to stay out until your body tells you your ready. Don't feel pressured by outside influences who say that you seem OK, only you will know when you are really ready. Good luck!