When To Go Back To Work

Hi All,
I haven't told anyone at work that I am having the lap band surgery. My surgery will be on Wed July 2. How much time do you really need to take off to recover? I have taken a week off for "vacation" but afraid that I may not be fully recovered when I go back. I do office work so it's not very strenuous. Do you think I need more time. Any advice? Please let me know your experience. Thanks!

I'm a nurse and my Dr told me to plan on being off for 2 weeks because I have to lift and push and pull on people so I would think 1 week would be sufficient.

I haven't been banded yet, but will be on June 30th. I am also a Nurse and took off for two weeks. I work on Pediatrics and sometimes in the NICU, so I am always picking up babies and assisting children with positioning and such. I think two weeks should be plenty of time for me, at least, I hope it will be.

You should take off for 2 weeks. That way you are sure you are fully better.

It does depend on what kind of work you do. I work in an office too. I was banded on a Friday May 30th. After the weekend, I took an additional 3 full days off then went back to work 1/2 days on Thursday and Friday...I was back to full time by Monday the 9th. I also had Hiatal Hernia repair which made my recovery a bit more difficult because I had issues with breathing and pretty bad esophagal pain. I really think that had I not had the hernia repair I would have been well enough to start back to work for 1/2 days on the Monday following the surgery. I think that a week should be fine for you. Make sure you have some loose fitting clothes because you will have a little incision pain especially around the port.

Two weeks would have worked....but I took off 5 weeks to get past the first fill

I took of 6 days. 1 week is enough especially if you have a desk job. Congrats on getting banded!

I took off 2 1/2 weeks but after 1 week I think I could have returned to my desk job, HOWEVER, I was extremely tired the entire 2 1/2 weeks that I was off, doctor said it was because I had limited food calories going in, but 1 week should be good if you aren't too tired.

My Daughter had hers on a Friday and went back to work the following Tuesday. I'm being banded Friday July 11 and plan on being back to work the following Tuesday also. I sit at a desk all day. My Doctor said that he wish everyone would go back to work that soon.

I was off work for 1 week. I work in an office and am in a lot of meetings all day. But, the point is that I don't have a physically strenuous job. While I was fine to go back, I did get tired very quickly. I encourage you to force yourself to get up and walk quite a bit during your recovery--even if you don't feel like it (of course don't overdo it and let your body heal). It should help you when you go back to work.

I had my surgery on a Wednesday and returned to work the following Wednesday. Although I have a desk job, I wish I would have taken a full 2 weeks off. I was really feeling good after 2 weeks and wish I would have waited to return to work.

Good luck !

I took 2 weeks (go back on Tuesday). I started to feel much better maybe 3 or 4 days ago. But I'm still kinda sore, though healing nicely. I'm so glad I took the 2weeks. I work in an airport and I'm on my feet and lift heavy bags all day so he said to take 2 weeks. He also put me on light duty for 3 weeks when I get back.

I plan on taking a 3 days. My doc suggested a week but I work a desk job with absolutely no lifting. Unless you count paper. LOL Also I work part time so basically for 1 week I'm only going to go in for a few hours a day just to touch base and complete paperwork. I told my supervisor that I would just take it a day at a time and she was cool with it. I'm assuming my recovery is going to be similar to when I had my 2 c-sections so if I have that to go off of then my recovery should only take a couple of days before I'm back to normal. Atleast this time I won't have to take care of a baby. LOL