How long did you take off work to recover Post Op?

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My surgeon has advised me to take 2 weeks leave post op. I started a new job last year so the second week will have to be 'leave without pay' as I have not accrued enough sick leave. As I work at a desk job, if everything goes ok with surgery and recovery, do you think I could be ok to go back to work after one week?

I would love to hear your experiences. Thank you.

I took 3 weeks off. I was ok to go back after that. I do alot of lifting and pushing in my job so I was on light duties for 6 weeks after surgery.

As for my unpaid job, I had a cleaner come in once a week for 6 weeks and I had done a lot of frozen meals for the family as I was not sure if I would have the energy to cook. I did but it was great to not have to worry.

I had 6 weeks off work, I am sure I could have gone back after 3-4 weeks, but I work in a school and had my op the last week of the school year. Plus by the time I went back to work I was on a normal diet, as only one person at work knew I had been sleeved at that stage. Most know now!

Hear Hear Sassyred (a woman of a certain age LOL)

There is no way in hell you will be ready to return to work in a week after major abdominal surgery!

I to thought I would be right for work after two weeks but hey I wasnt I had 3 weeks off then worked 4 hours a day for about a fortnight.

There is alot of adjustment after the surgery including getting your meal routine in order.

No lifting and no driving the car for two weeks too.

Dont push yourself I did exactly that and my surgeon said YOU ARE NOT SUPERWOMAN go home and heal.

Honestly be kind to yourself.

mmm

I had 1 week in hospital ( 2 ops) full cut down the middle ect then 2 weeks off work then 4 weeks light duties at work, still have 2 weeks to go, all good, i noticed the total loss of fitness doing nothing and laying around, i was puffing walking up the stairs at work lol

I've applied for 3 weeks off. I started a new job in June last year and now work from home 3 days a week. What sick leave I accrue I've used up as Carers leave and sick days. On my anniversary, I get 100 hours sick leave, but I want to save them, otherwise I'll be using up the bulk of that leave (64 hours). Instead I'll use Long Service Leave, which has carried over from my previous job and sick leave at my other job, where I have approximately 1400 hours.

i had 4.5 weeks off, my longest time off work ever. but i work FIFO on a remote mine doing 12hour days and it was december. Was told by my surgeon that i wasnt allowed to go back to site for at least 10days and if i could stay longer that would be better, just incase of infection or a leak or somthing. i had plenty of sick leave and annual leave so it didnt bother me. wasnt up to doing much till the end of the 3rd week anyway.

im also allergic to morphine and that knocked me round while i was in hospital.

2 weeks..

No point rushing back to work if you can take the time to rest and recover.

i had 5 days off :) but only back for half days. But feel good now - first 2 days were tiring but gettin up to speed, just no lifting or bending too much xx

I gave myself four weeks off, but it was more to recover from the stresses of my work than from the surgery :). My job is intense so I used the opportunity to have some extra time to be well rested. I was well enough to go back after two weeks (had some issues managing to keep food down though and was tired) but I would not have been 100% focussed and it took awhile longer for my brain to kick fully into gear and have the concentration necessary.

With regard to middle age - I plan to live well beyond a 100 so I guess that I wont hit middle age until the magic 50 :). No grey hairs yet, and still give my kids a run for their money, so not quite ready to curl my toes up and throw a crocheted rug over my lap. :)

Ginka how about you and I create a new description for middle aged - I reckon it has something to do with being over 45 AND having teenage children AND having grey hair. You have to meet all those criteria before anyone dares call you middle aged.

So far I don't meet any of them so beware anyone uses that term for me (okay so last month I did find one solitary grey hair but that got yanked out and I am pretending it never happened!!)

I'm a big sook so I've taken 3 weeks off work:-)

I went back to work a week after the op. I felt o.k. and just made a big effort to keep the fluids going. I was fine but did sleep well.



See how you feel but take it easy.



Cheers

I had 3 weeks off (as I planned around the xmas break also). I think it depends on how well you are eating and drinking, I was having a lot of problems and eating/drinking verrrry little so had no energy, bad reflux and felt weak and dizzy.

So can be different for everybody.

Can you take the 2nd week as annual leave?

best wishes

middle aged still means living to 80 yrs plus, thats not too bad :)

oh dreadfully sorry! I work in a team with another Sarah who is 23yo, the other day when asked which Sarah someone was referring to they said "the middle aged one" and that was the first time I felt the sting of that term.... sorry for inflicting it on you! I wrote 'us older ladies' first but that sounded even worse.... how about 'experienced women' or 'mature' or 'ladies of a certain age' ???

I can tell we are both young at heart!!

Ahhh, first time I have been referred to as middle aged!!!! I have been avoiding that term.

I think I will discuss with my Manager the flexibilty of returning early if I feel ok to do so. Thank you Sarah and Serina for your feedback.

Hi Ginka luv

A different opinion here.... I went back to my desk job on the 12th day after my surgery and I didn't make the full day (ok so partially it was because I was sick of work already!). I had problems getting all my fluids in and the few days before I went back to work were really difficult as fluid intake was a bleedin full time job with lots of burping and pain involved. I was short of energy and my back was quite sore. Having just watched my sis recover from her sleeve I realise that because of the nausea I had in hospital I was set back alot - beware that not everyone has a smooth run... I say that not to scare you (because in the long run it is well worth it) but for me going back after a week would not have been possible. The second day back at work went well.

Also, I don't know how old Serina is but you and I are the same age and maybe us middle aged ladies take more than a week to repair lol!!

Could your employer be flexible regarding which day you return and perhaps leave it up to you?

Best of luck sweetie
Sarah

Hi Ginka

I also have a desk job and i took 2 weeks off. Provided you have a sitting desk job and not a running around like an idiot desk job (like i have) you should be fine to go back after a week. I have sleeved on monday and in my opinion could have gone to work on Friday. My second week at home i spent lounging around and visiting friends. I could have easily gone back to work. Hope this helps

My surgeon has advised me to take 2 weeks leave post op. I started a new job last year so the second week will have to be 'leave without pay' as I have not accrued enough sick leave. As I work at a desk job, if everything goes ok with surgery and recovery, do you think I could be ok to go back to work after one week?

I would love to hear your experiences. Thank you.