How long were you off work?

[EJStorm 13]

How soon were you able to return to work and what kind of work do you do? If you don't want to disclose exactly what you do, please give me an idea of how much time you spend sitting, standing and bending.

I'm concerned about how much time I'll need to take off and trying to plan ahead. I stand a good part of the day and am usually slightly bend over at the waist working on clients. I also walk up a lot of stairs. I work for myself and can go back to work scheduling a break between each client at first if I need to.

How long until you could do whatever physical activity you wanted (within reason)? (not due to being overweight, just due to surgical healing).

[Dawn 16]

I can sit most of the time but I get up and move around the office a bit and I went back at 1 week! The first day I was tired but other then that I've been fine!

[AmMatthew 35]

After a week I could sit and talk to my staff, catch up on paperwork, etc. And 8 - 9 days I felt like I had more energy than before, in terms of walking fast etc. But, if you don't take time to eat or drink, like I did yesterday (I'm 10 days out), you crash, and then I tried to eat too quickly.....wasn't a good night. So, you have to schedule a lot more me time during the day than most of us are used to at work.

[MicNic 0]

I do most of my work sitting but do hve to get up and walk around to get things. I am the weird one in my surgical date group (there is always one!) that is not healing as fast as others! I took 2 weeks off and I am so glad I did! At 1 1/2 week, I move slowly and I still can't bend over tp pick up things. I get tired easily and I still need to take anti-nausea meds and pain meds (both of which can make me sleepy) combine that with the sudden lack of calories and less than normal drinking habits and whew! I am so glad that I get to take my time and focus on me before returning to work!

[KathyM 14]

Hi!

I am a nurse in a busy ER. I had surgery on July 16th, flew home on the 19th and was back at work on the 24th. my energy was great and I had very little pain other than the first night after surgery. Congrats on your decision to do this, I am so happy for you!!

Kathy

[dbrjredd 0]

I do most of my work sitting but do hve to get up and walk around to get things. I am the weird one in my surgical date group (there is always one!) that is not healing as fast as others! I took 2 weeks off and I am so glad I did! At 1 1/2 week, I move slowly and I still can't bend over tp pick up things. I get tired easily and I still need to take anti-nausea meds and pain meds (both of which can make me sleepy) combine that with the sudden lack of calories and less than normal drinking habits and whew! I am so glad that I get to take my time and focus on me before returning to work!

I'm right there with ya cuz my surgery was the 18th & I am supposed to go back to work on the 29th...I don't see how in the world I'm gonna do it! I dealt with trapped gas til just a few days ago & now I'm having this crazy burning type sensation in my chest & stomach,...kinda feels like real hard, sharp hunger pangs but when I eat it doesn't go away! I started out taking Prilosec once a day, then I bumped it up to 2 a day & yesterday I even took 3~ Today I switched to Prevacid & it is still not helping. I'm thinking maybe I need a prescription acid reducer...does this sound like what it is??? Acid??? I am not regretting my sleeve but I can sure say I'm very envious of others (KathyM) who've recovered a lot more smoothly & rapidly than me!

Rhonda

[myrori 55]

I'm right there with ya cuz my surgery was the 18th & I am supposed to go back to work on the 29th...I don't see how in the world I'm gonna do it! I dealt with trapped gas til just a few days ago & now I'm having this crazy burning type sensation in my chest & stomach,...kinda feels like real hard, sharp hunger pangs but when I eat it doesn't go away! I started out taking Prilosec once a day, then I bumped it up to 2 a day & yesterday I even took 3~ Today I switched to Prevacid & it is still not helping. I'm thinking maybe I need a prescription acid reducer...does this sound like what it is??? Acid??? I am not regretting my sleeve but I can sure say I'm very envious of others (KathyM) who've recovered a lot more smoothly & rapidly than me!

Rhonda

Don't get down Rhonda. I am on Day 3 post op and ended up spending and extra night in the hospital do to pain. I think from the descriptions on here I am going to a slow healer too. I am fortuanate enough to have disability and I am not real worried about going back and will take all the time I need. Sorry you have the pain in your chest, call your doc and see what can be done.

[redroses47 1]

I was off work for about 10 days and I planned it that way. I was pretty tired immediately post-op and continued to struggle with exhaustion for a number of weeks afterwards. I have a management/HR job .. office work mainly .. so it was a small blessing in my view that I didn't have to exert too much energy because I wasn't sure I could. That has all changed now, of course. Everyone is different but I have read mostly that people take 7-10 days off.

[kgremmy 36]

I am going to be off of work 3 weeks but I planned it like that also. I will be sleeved on 12/14/10 and go back to work on 1/3/11

[Secret Surgery 34 4]

I was off work 5 days. I am sitting most of the day so it wasn't hard at all. My biggest problem was being so tired and I think alot of that was from the liquid diet my first 10 days. I am 2 weeks out and still a little sore when I bend over (tie my shoes, ext.) Good luck.

[meltingaway 6]

I had my surgery on Monday and went back to work the next Monday. I probably could have gone back on Friday but chose not to. I am a CPA and I sit at my desk most all of the day except to go to the printer, fax machine, etc. I made it fine that first week but was extremely tired each evening. I would collapse at 6 after getting home. I pushed my walking that first fews days after surgery. I would just walk laps around in my house in my housecoat and I think that helped with my recovery. Now my stomach and incisions still hurt some until probalby the third week, but not bad.

I am now towards the end of my sixth week and I am feeling better and better each day and am getting more energy back. In fact I am going to start a more strenuous workout this Monday and do something in addition to just walking.

I think my first week was easier than some because I was in the hospital longer than some. My surgery was 5:30 am on Monday and I went home around 6 pm on Tuesday. I do know that this recovery for me was a little harder than when I had my gall bladder out several years ago.

[klus263 9]

I had surgery Dec 1st. I really did a lot of walking at the hospital-they recommended at least once every 2-4 hours. I walked every hour up and down the hallway. I was released by 10:30 am the next morning. I went back to work yesterday on the 8th. Any more than that would require short term disability and I could not afford the reduce of pay for any additional time (they pay 75% of salary while on disability). I work from home, customer service on phones all day and I work a 10 hour shift. I do have to get up every hour while I am still on the blood thinner shots. I tried to walked at 3-4 times a day while I was off and I think that helped alot.

[Mary Gordon 3]

How soon were you able to return to work and what kind of work do you do? If you don't want to disclose exactly what you do, please give me an idea of how much time you spend sitting, standing and bending.

I'm concerned about how much time I'll need to take off and trying to plan ahead. I stand a good part of the day and am usually slightly bend over at the waist working on clients. I also walk up a lot of stairs. I work for myself and can go back to work scheduling a break between each client at first if I need to.

How long until you could do whatever physical activity you wanted (within reason)? (not due to being overweight, just due to surgical healing).

well i took like one week off.....pretty strange when i went back to work, but i survived. you will too....wish you the best and welcome to the loser's bench!!!