How long until you felt like you could go back to work?

[newyorklady20 97]

Hello!

I have finally received my surgery date for 3/30, and I absolutely can't believe it. I am so scared, but I am also so excited and hopeful about the future.

I am looking to make a plan for requesting time off of work, and I am wondering how long it really takes until people feel back to normal, or normal enough to start doing regular work again. I am a teacher who works in person, and my surgery will be happening over spring break, so that will be the first week. In the current environment, its good because we have the option to work remotely, so I am going to request to work remotely the week after break - doing google meet sessions with students for about 6 hours a day. For the following week, week 3, I was thinking I could come back to work in person as long as I'm not running/lifting or straining myself.

Does that sound reasonable based on people's experiences? Did you feel like you had the energy to work remotely by week 2, and back in person by week 3? I know it all depends on how things are actually going, and I'll change the plan if I need to, but I Just need to make an initial plan to give to my admin.

Thanks!

Edited March 2, 2021 by newyorklady20

[Stsher1739 1]

Hello. I was able to work remotely on week2. I rested the first week. I had the RNY. My coworker went back to work in person after one week, which I would have too, but due to the pandemic, we are working from home.

[Tim C 336]

I had mine done last Tuesday and back to work on Thursday. I work from home but I was lucky and had no pain and ready to resume life.

[Tim C 336]

2 hours ago, newyorklady20 said:

Hello!

I have finally received my surgery date for 3/30, and I absolutely can't believe it. I am so scared, but I am also so excited and hopeful about the future.

I am looking to make a plan for requesting time off of work, and I am wondering how long it really takes until people feel back to normal, or normal enough to start doing regular work again. I am a teacher who works in person, and my surgery will be happening over spring break, so that will be the first week. In the current environment, its good because we have the option to work remotely, so I am going to request to work remotely the week after break - doing google meet sessions with students for about 6 hours a day. For the following week, week 3, I was thinking I could come back to work in person as long as I'm not running/lifting or straining myself.

Does that sound reasonable based on people's experiences? Did you feel like you had the energy to work remotely by week 2, and back in person by week 3? I know it all depends on how things are actually going, and I'll change the plan if I need to, but I Just need to make an initial plan to give to my admin.

Thanks!

Yes this is absolutely doable. I work from home but was back in my office 2 days after surgrery. This may not be common but I had no pain once I got the gas out of me and this has really been incredibly uneventful.

[newyorklady20 97]

20 minutes ago, Tim C said:

Yes this is absolutely doable. I work from home but was back in my office 2 days after surgrery. This may not be common but I had no pain once I got the gas out of me and this has really been incredibly uneventful.

OMG, I hope that I have the same outcome as you!!! Its inspiring and comforting to hear that some people cruise through with little to no difficulty or pain - its good to know that its possible!

[icandothis_gastricsleeve020221 23]

I work from home and I worked the day of surgery as soon as I woke up in my hospital room. All the nurses and doctors would see me on my bed with my laptop working and on conference calls. I worked each day thereafter. I felt significantly better after 2 weeks post sleeve and went to the office for a few hours.

[snowcones 6]

Varies from person to person depending on how you're feeling and your recovery. I'm a nurse and was back at work doing 12.5 hour shifts 9 days after my bypass. I felt fine and my surgeon said it was fine too, just no heavy lifting.

[Hopefulin2021 244]

Wow everyone I’m off for 6 weeks and I work from home. Even though I don’t have a labor heavy job I still can’t imagine sitting at the computer for 8 or 9 hours and trying to concentrate on dealing with people. The pain is bearable but it’s still hurts to do a lot of things on my own and I’m not trying to rush anything. Maybe because I had a tumor removed also.

[Tim C 336]

7 hours ago, Hopefulin2021 said:

Wow everyone I’m off for 6 weeks and I work from home. Even though I don’t have a labor heavy job I still can’t imagine sitting at the computer for 8 or 9 hours and trying to concentrate on dealing with people. The pain is bearable but it’s still hurts to do a lot of things on my own and I’m not trying to rush anything. Maybe because I had a tumor removed also.

I had surgery on Tuesday 2/23 and went back to work on Thursday 2/25. I also had a lapband that I've had for 15 years taken out in the same surgery. I have experienced zero pain since I left the hospital.

[Maisey 260]

I had RNY and went back after 4 weeks. I would have been fine after 3. I had an easy surgery and recovery but felt the time off was beneficial to rest and recover. For the first few weeks, eating really did feel like a full-time job. Don't underestimate the time and energy that it takes to get ready for work and your commute. If you have the ability to work from home, your experience may be different. I did not have that option.

[Hopefulin2021 244]

2 hours ago, Tim C said:

I had surgery on Tuesday 2/23 and went back to work on Thursday 2/25. I also had a lapband that I've had for 15 years taken out in the same surgery. I have experienced zero pain since I left the hospital.

Well that’s good. I’m definitely in no rush to go back to work and I guess my surgeon didn’t think so either. Whatever she says I’m doing.

[Starwarsandcupcakes 2,034]

My sleeve surgery I’d have been ready by week 3 but had hardware removed from my knee during the same leave period so went back after 9 weeks.

When I had my revision surgery it took a full 6 weeks before I felt better but my hemoglobin was really low after surgery causing me to be anemic. I went back to work 2 weeks after that.

I had an internal hernia repair in November and was back to work after 2 weeks.

Then in December I was hospitalized for 2 weeks (12/18-12/31) with a small bowel ischemia that required a resection. I didn’t go back to work until 2/16.

Every person and every surgery is different but it’s totally possible to go back to work later in the week or the next week.