Back to work too soon?

OK, so just got off phone with nurse @ MD's office. Had DeVinci assisted hysterectomy with large bikini incision 8/8/11. Took everything except L. ovary. Still with incision tenderness and some pinching, pulling sensations with movement. I work in medical office and am on my feet 8+ hrs. per day. Assist patients in and out of chairs as well as puch wheelchairs when needed. Also move some pretty heavy medical equipment around. Orig. plan was out for 4 weeks but that was before larger lower incision. Nurse said, "Yes, MD said 4 weeks out." Can't is not in my vocab but I don't know how I am going to be able to go back to work next week. She said talk to MD when you see him next week. I am scheduled to see him Tues. & return to work Wed! Would like to give work a heads up. They are concerned with me coming back too soon as they have said, they know I have a tendencey to overdue. Guess I just needed to vent. A little concerned about going back too soon and doing damage or increasing chance of scar tissue. Thanks for listening!

You may be sent back with restrictions. I just don't see being able to do the wheel chairs that soon.

Unfortunatly there really is no "light duty" at my job. It is more disruptive to have someone who can't do the full job then to have someone out if that makes sense. I guess we may just find out how much team work we really have!

I had the da vinci 6/13 and felt pretty good, until I went back to work at 7 weeks!! I teach Kindergarten, and I too am on my feet. I am just now starting to feel half way decent, now 12 weeks out. I went back and tried to tough it out way to soon. I advise you to take it easily, and take as long as you can. You only get one recovery.

I agree with fourdangers. Take it easy!!!!! I went back to work at 3 weeks and I sit at a desk all day and it was the hardest thing for me. Sitting is worse than walking around. If I had it to do all over again, I would stay out the whole 8 weeks.

Thank you all for the replies! Helps not to go through this alone. It was in a post that weeks 3 &4 you can feel great one day and blah the next. I think today is just a blah day. Tommorrow will be better. If MD only gives 4 weeks, it will not be the end of the world. I have 23 years in and administrator already emailed me and said to take it easy and don't overdue as she knows I have a tendencey to so I know they will work with me. I think part of it is fear of doing things right because there is no do over as so many have said. Thanks again, BIGTIME!

I too had a DaVinci surgery. And like you am a type A personality with giving it my all. My work has no light duty, so when i was released to slowly resume my normal activities at 4 weeks, the dr still decided I needed to wait 2 more weeks to resume work. When I called the dr office at week 6 to get a release faxed to work, the nurse once again wanted to make sure I was ready because of the time frame. Needless to say I was not. I had overdid it during the two weeks previously and then two days into work, I had to go see the dr again.

I had overdone it, which really surprised no one. And was put back on one arm lifting, which was not allowed at work. So I once again tried to go back at 7 weeks, and things are better. If I could do it again, I would of waited actually 8 weeks since I am still really tired at the end of the day and having spotting from over doing it.

I went back too soon. I was working with customers and it was not pretty to cry in front of them. I did anyhow.

AFter that we agreed that i ought to come back part time for a few days. That helped a lot.

Remember to take care of you and your body. - Heal well. We are here for you.

I was approved for six weeks disability and scheduled to return to work on 9/26 (my surgery was 8/10). When I went in today for my follow-up appointment, I had another piece of disability paperwork that needed to be filled out. The nurse who does that looked at the date and said, "Why did we put down 9/26? That's only 6 weeks. You should have 8 weeks." The thing is, my manager goes on a 3-week vacation on 10/5, so I *have* to get back into the office before 8 weeks or I'm going to come back "blind" with no one to get me up to speed. So the nurse suggested I go back half days for two weeks, which sounds like a good plan.

Is going back to work part-time for a little while an option for you?

I think they are figuring 4 weeks because that is what MD gives accross the board with a laproscopic procedure but I don't know how with the large lower insicion. I will talk to him about exactly what I do everyday when I see him next week. Right now they have 2 part time techs covering my hours. When I go back, I don't think I will be able to move things or help patients up & down. It is not like there is someone else who can follow me around to do the physical stuff. We will see what MD says and I will just be upfront with work. May have to take unpaid leave if too difficult. Again, as many have posted, you have ONE chance to heal. Work has prepared for me to be out 6-8 weeks but it is MD that keeps saying 4 weeks. The MDs where I work KNOW what I do on a daily basis so that is not the issue. They just don't want me back too soon as to not hurt myself. Guess I will have to get through to MD that job is much more physical than he thinks. I am sure he gets people trying to "milk" their time off but that is NOT the case here. Am doing computer stuff on my own time just to keep busy but I can't expect my job to "carry me" just to get back @ 4 weeks.
I hope you are continuing to feel better and will watch out for yourself when you go back. It is great that part-time is an option for you.