What was your recovery time before you returned to work? Did you have complications.

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drivetopless

drivetopless

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Joined
Dec 28, 2008
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650
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formerly Atlanta, GA.
I gave my employer the heads up about by upcoming surgery last week. Glad I did, because my short term disability salary replacement is NOT as good as I thought it was, so I'm going to need to bank some cash to make up the difference (50%!) in income while I am out on medical leave.

I would like to know what your experience was with recovery time so I can plan for what is typical vs what the time might be with complications. Thanks.
 
They told me before surgery to plan on 8-12 weeks off. Even with some complications (I had afib and other irregular beats a couple wks after surgery) I feel like I easily could have gone back at about week 5 or 6 or so. And if I REALLY would have needed to, I could have gone back after the first couple weeks. I have an office job though, so if it was more physical, I might not have felt comfortable that soon. Luckily I've got great coverage and work isn't pushing for me to come back sooner, so I'm staying out a couple more weeks (will be week 10 or so).
 
The typical recommendation for returning to non-physical Work is 6 weeks assuming NO complications.
Some (but not many) members have returned to work in 4 weeks.
Some start back part-time for a couple of weeks, then ramp up to full time.
Minor complications can add a couple of weeks.
Hopefully you will not have major complications.
Most people do NOT have major complications.

Best Wishes for a successful surgery and uneventful recovery!

'AL Capshaw'
 
My situation was unusual so I don't know how helpful it is as an example, but I was actually doing some work, voluntarily, just a couple of weeks after surgery. The thing is, it was writing/editing work done from home. Ninety percent or more of my work could be done by telecommuting. It was maybe 2 months (best I recall) before I began doing any actual, stressful auto/Metro commuting in the DC area.

Of course, answers are going to vary a lot depending on how physical the work is, for one thing. No way could I have been doing physical work at 2 weeks, though I had no complications.
 
After two weeks I started going to work for a few mornings per week. This was mainly due to being bored at home and work said they would pay for taxis. I live in the country and promised myself not to watch daytime TV! My main pastime was running and swimming which I was unable to do post op, so going into work with no pressure was quite enjoyable. I gradually increased it to full time by eight weeks.
 
I didn't feel I was mentally fully sharp and alert for about 4+ weeks after each surgery. I was certainly functional but critical thinking and being sharply focused took time to return.

Everyone is different and everyone's work is different. I no longer work so time off wasn't an issue for me.
 
Why take te risk of going to work to early ?
You do this operation one time in your live (hopefully),so why rush it ?
If you don't recover properly and something happens,you have to do it al over again .
The only one that benifits is your boss
 
My first surgery I was back at work in two weeks for half days but it I work in IT sitting at a computer and only minor complications. I was a contractor so no work = no pay and I was motivated to return quickly. The second surgery I was/am an employee with the same 50 percent pay during short term disability. I was out for almost 3 months so I'm glad to have had the benefit beats having no income. :)
 
Recovery

Recovery

How long you take off work really is an individual thing. I took a total of 5 days off and that was mostly the the time required for my hospital stay. I really enjoyed my job and sitting at home doing the recovery thing just didn't appeal to me at all. I was back at work 1/2 days the week after my surgery and full days two weeks post op. Being back at work quickly with my staff and kids was a good thing for me.

Circumstances also vary. Often people simply must do what they need to do. If being off work for an extended period of time is going to result in financial hardship, your mindset for returning to work might have to be different than it could be if you can afford to be off for longer periods of time.

-Philip
 
You asked for experiences, DT. I stayed home for 4 weeks until I could drive then returned to work for just mornings. After 2 weeks of half days, I started working a longer schedule although there were some days I needed to leave early. By 8 weeks after the AVR, I had no difficulty.

DT, several of us just sent posts to < mhancock82 > so you might want to look there as well. Basically, what I told him was "Those first three after surgery are the period when the incisions heal including the incisions in your heart and aorta. It is really critical for your future to allow that healing to take place; screw it up and you live with the results for the rest of your life."

Returning to work very early requires that you pay much closer attention to your recovery routines. Walking some distance several times a day and observing the lifting, bending, twisting guidelines becomes essential if your body is to heal properly. Being able to rest during the day will be another essential and you might want to consider working a shorter day until your stamina has built back up. I guess what I am saying is that if you feel that you can then do it but don't make your recovery the bottom priority for the day.

Larry
 
You can tell that there is some individual times when people return to work. I would guess the average time is about 4 to 6 weeks. Depends on what you do for a living, and complications, if you have to drive yourself (recommended that you dont drive for about 4 weeks minimum by most doctors). I found that my stamina, even though I sit push a pencil around for a living, really began to wane particularly in the afternoons even after 4 weeks. So did my concentration and focus, so if your having to make critical decisions at work, that may not be the best time as well. On the other hand, I understand about the financial side. My job also dictates that if I dont work, then I dont eat. I think you will find the best for you as you journey through those times. Just dont put yourself in danger during the healing phase as Mentu says.
 
19 days, I could not sit around the house I was going stir crazy. Like others here though, I am self employed and have a staff that watched over me closely, if they thought my coffee cup was too heavy they put a straw in it for me.

When to return to work is always going to be dependant upon, how you are healing (complications) the type of job you have, what you have to do to get to and from, and how much support you have once there.

There are no two identical cases on this forum.

You can't plan it. The time will be determined by the outcome of all the variables.
 
I was out for 7 weeks, then went back 4 hours/day for 4 weeks.
At 10 days post-op, I was very tired, tried e-mailing friends, but couldn't do e-mail for very long. I had concentration problems -- not uncommon post-op. Had some concentration problems at 7 weeks post-op.

My STD covered 60%, and the other 40% came from my banked sick time. I got my full paycheck, all in all.
 
3 months out for me, felt I could have gone back a lot earlier, but why rush ? I was getting paid to sit at home.
 
markymark70 said:
Why take te risk of going to work to early ?
You do this operation one time in your live (hopefully),so why rush it ?
If you don't recover properly and something happens,you have to do it al over again .
The only one that benifits is your boss
Click to expand...

My thoughts entirely. Don't rush it. It also depends on yor type of work and your employer. I know from experience that some US employers talk the talk but don't walk the walk when it comes to investing in people. It is true in the UK too but we have more checks in place here due to the EEC.
Get fully well soon.

Best wishes
 
acr said:
3 months out for me, felt I could have gone back a lot earlier, but why rush ? I was getting paid to sit at home.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly, but then I get 6 months at full pay. I had my AVR in spring so I got to take a few summer months off. It's a pleasure doing your walks when the sun is out. :D

In all honesty I was very tired for about a month after the operation. I don't think it helped that I was overweight and generally unfit. I was still taking afternoon naps about 4-5 months after the op.

I'm now expecting to have more surgery to repair aortic dilation. This time I am hoping to be back at work sooner. I'm much fitter and, at 185 pounds, I am 76 pounds lighter than I was last time around.

It's a shame that financial considerations need to be made at times such as these because you will really need that time to get over the physical and mental concerns that are left after surgery. Whilst the physical effects are easy to see, don't underestimate the mental confidence that you will need to regain.
 
I am a pediatric orthopedic and rehab nurse so I do a lot of lifting and turning. Until I do not have any lifting restrictions I can not go back to work. I have 3 months of sick leave built up so i plan on taking it all. I am starting cardiac rehab today at 6 weeks post-op. I want as much of the finished as possible before I start back to work. I am taking this time to get my body as fit as possible. I may not have another chance. Last time I only took 8 weeks off and that was a mistake. I had plenty of energy, but I made a mistake lifting an oxygen tank without thinking. Luckily the only consequence was that I was very sore for 3 days. I could have really done some permanent damage. I want to know that if I have to quickly push a patient to ICU in their bed there will not be a problem. I also don't want my co-workers to have to compensate for my lifting restrictions.

Debbie
 
Thanks, all. The feedback really helps. I can take 12 weeks on STD if I need to. I don't get official sick time so none accrued that I could use, unfortunately. I do work from my home when I"m not travelling, so that helps. However, as some of you have seen in my posts I travel quite a bit and haul around a heavy presentation cases (60 lbs) when I do. So I'm wondering if I'll even be able to travel as usual at 4 months. Sounds like it is not likely. Maybe I can hire a porter to travel with me. :)
 
I was back at work and almost 100% after 6 weeks the first time.

This time round I started work from home at 6 weeks and went back at 8 weeks.
Still sore, swollen and clicky after 11 weeks and driving makes it worse.
 
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