Back to Work - Strenuous job

[kathytitus57@msn.com 0]

I've been reading posts about when people are returning to work and wondering if I'm being a big baby about returning. I was banded 3/8 - 2 weeks ago. I'm scheduled to go back to work 4/1. I am feeling GREAT. I am doing light to medium housework, driving, stairs etc. I am worried about returning to work because I work long shifts (12:30pm to 11:45pm) four nights a week. I am a supervisor for about thirty people in a very fast paced presort mail enviroment. I have to go back at 100%. As a supervisor I have be able to perform any and all job duties of my team. This involves lifting full mail trays (25-45 pds), stacking pallets of mail (6 trays wide x 10 high) so I lift these trays over my head constantly to stack/unstack a pallet, load pallets on USPS semis with a manual or electric power jack, pull pallets of mail from different areas in dept - to machines, loading dock, etc. "Throw" mail out of mail tray on to machine conveyor to sort. This is just a list of the more physical aspects of my job. All shift long I do the above many, many times a night whether I'm training a person, taking someones place while they take a break, etc. My husband found a job posting for one of the positions in my team some of it reads "moving full mail trays weighting 50-60 pounds to conveyor....must be able to stand for entire shift". As a supervisor I'm not stuck in one place all night but my job is to get the mail out the door ASAP. I do sit down maybe 30 to 90 minutes a night to do paperwork. I guess my main worry is that something might happen to th band or internally - I don't know. But my surgeon told me last week I could go back to work then. Luckly my company has good insurance coverage and so I have plenty of Short Term Disability time. When I return to work 4/1 I will be post surgery 3 weeks and 2 days. So tell me straight - am I just being a big baby about this? As long as I know I can go and do my job physically and not worry I will feel better - and actually this IS what my surgeon told me. Thank you!!

[Jess55 97]

I would think you should be ok. I have a very physical job too. I am an LVT, and I am constantly picking up dogs and bending down etc. I avoided lifting any animals over 20lbs in the beginning. By week 3, I believe it was, I was back lifting over 60 lb animals and carrying them to the scale, into x-ray etc. with no problem. At my 10 day post op check I asked when it was ok to do weights and stuff, and they said 2 moreweeks, so I waited til then (well almost0. But I think you should be ok.

[cheryl2586 3,053]

I worked in physical therapy rehab lifting 200lb plus patients after my surgery and I went back to work 3 weeks post op. I was still a little sore in my port area but managed just fine. It wasnt an issue

[kathytitus57@msn.com 0]

Thanks so much for the quick replies. I do feel better knowing others have had good results. Actually the physical part of my job I'm looking forward to because I know it will help with weight loss and geting/staying toned. I think it was just the fear of the unknown and scared I would hurt myself. I work with mostly 30 something males. I do not want to show any weakness around them because some of them are so ready to pounce . Thanks again and I hope you are both doing great!

[ElfiePoo 109]

I work in my own warehouse and haul around 400 pound drums (on a drum dolly, of course) and picking up 50 lb boxes and cans is common. My surgeon had me on restricted lifting for a month...nothing over 5 pounds the first week and nothing over 10 pounds until my 4 week checkup. At that time he cleared me for 25 lb for the next 2 weeks...rather than just returning me to 'normal' lifting since normal doesn't usually involved regular lifting of 50-400 lbs. I wasn't allowed back to normal (50 lbs, etc.) until 6 weeks postop. His reasoning was to give plenty of time for the port to settle into position so that future lifting would not tear stitches and cause the port to shift.

I 'felt' well enough to lift as usual after 3 weeks, but I'm glad I followed his advice after hearing how many people end up back in surgery for flipped ports.

.

[JakerT5 8]

I am a ups driver and I went back to work after to weeks , the only pain I had was my port was hurting , but that lasted 2 day , I went back on a wed. so I have a short week then 2 days off again , buy that Monday I was good

[kathytitus57@msn.com 0]

I work in my own warehouse and haul around 400 pound drums (on a drum dolly, of course) and picking up 50 lb boxes and cans is common. My surgeon had me on restricted lifting for a month...nothing over 5 pounds the first week and nothing over 10 pounds until my 4 week checkup. At that time he cleared me for 25 lb for the next 2 weeks...rather than just returning me to 'normal' lifting since normal doesn't usually involved regular lifting of 50-400 lbs. I wasn't allowed back to normal (50 lbs, etc.) until 6 weeks postop. His reasoning was to give plenty of time for the port to settle into position so that future lifting would not tear stitches and cause the port to shift.

I 'felt' well enough to lift as usual after 3 weeks, but I'm glad I followed his advice after hearing how many people end up back in surgery for flipped ports.

.

Thanks Melody - I am feeling so good and I want to stay that way. I've been thinking about being very specific about my job duties and include pictures along with descriptions and asking my surgeon to sign off on it specifically for me. My department is ahead of all other departments for injuries because of the very physical and fast paced enviroment. I am feeling better every day but I guess I don't know the specifics of how long it takes the stitches to heal. I'll just take one day at a time - I have a week plus a couple days left and I'm feeling more confident every day and making sure I stay physical. Thanks again.

[dragonflies 7]

I was wondering the same thing too. I work @ups as well. My surgeon said I could go back a week later, but I think he's crazy. I'm thinking 2 weeks at least.

[kathytitus57@msn.com 0]

I would think two weeks minimum also. When I go back a week from this Friday it will be 3 weeks and 2 days post op Two weeks just seems too early if you are on your feet most of the shift and lifting, bending, etc, I feel really good right now and I probably could go back this week but I would be scared because of all the physical work I do. I would question my surgeon if I were you. I had thought about writing down my job duties and the weight of the stuff I lifted etc. and then taking it as a statement to my surgeon's office and asking them to actually sign off that I was 100% ready to perform all these activities. Just a thought.

[sld21 26]

I am a middle school special ed teacher and have to be able to deescalate a physical crisis at any moment including cradling a violent child into my body. I was back to work in 10 days. I was fine.

[carol285 145]

I am a middle school special ed teacher and have to be able to deescalate a physical crisis at any moment including cradling a violent child into my body. I was back to work in 10 days. I was fine.

I am the Mom of an Autistic teenager, just the kind of student you describe & I went home and took care of him 24/7...well, except when the Angels on Earth who teach these amazing kids had him in school.

Sooooo, I'd say listen to your doctor, your body & take it one day a a time! Good luck

[AquarianCrab 8]

In our pre-op classes we were told that if we didn't lift anything over 30 pounds at work we would be back to work after 1-3 weeks, and if we did lift 30 pounds or more we'd be back to work in 1-3 months (depending on how much weight we had to lift). As always, you'll find as you read more here, every surgeon has their own recommendations.

[kathytitus57@msn.com 0]

Thanks for all the feedback - I really do appreciate it!