My Personal Experience Going Back to Work

I went back to work at about 6 1/2 weeks after a nice, uneventful recovery from a TAH BSO. My doctor phrased my official paperwork to the HR dept. as "return to work no sooner than 6 weeks" which helped because I went back full-time (8 hr days), BUT I went back in the middle of a week instead of a Monday. This helped me ease back into the routine without a full 40 hrs right off the bat.

I chose not to start out back to work with part-time hours. I tried it a year and half ago after gall bladder surgery and it just didn't work for my job. My boss convinced me to come back part time after 1 week and I thought I could. I went in mornings because that's when I had the most energy and thought I could go home in the afternoon and nap. Because 8 hrs of work still showed up on my desk, I tried to cram it all into 4 hrs, ended up working through lunch and into the afternoons to keep everyone at work happy and went home dead tired and in tears!

This time was different and my choice worked for me. Best of luck to everyone who needs to head back to the office soon. I find being back at work now, I don't dwell on every ache and pain I have and sometimes I forget I even had the hyst. Everyone's treating me nicer, too. I guess maybe they missed me. (Okay....I am milking it just a little : )

Thanks for this encouraging update, glow. I needed to hear that, very much!

My new boss emailed me over the weekend to ask when I thought I might be able to come in to begin my training. She stressed that she wasn't rushing me, just trying to make plans for the August schedule. We had discussed it before my surgery (which ended up being more involved than expected due to the surprising discovery of all the endo stuck here, there and everywhere) and I had thought that I could pop in for 2 hours a day a few days a week after 4 weeks. Now, (3 weeks post-op tomorrow) I'm not so sure that would be wise.

Once I finish training, which requires 60 hours of classtime and observation (so that won't be too physically demanding in one sense) the actual job will require a lot of physical activity. I'll be tutoring children with autism and that means lifting the toddlers, playing on the floor and running around, etc. I'm excited about the position, but kind of concerned about my energy level intially. Normally, I have enough energy for 10 people, but I sure don't now and that's disconcerting and discouraging at times.

I really appreciate that you took the time to send in your post.

I am just into week three after an abdominal hyst. As a business owner with 17 employees, I don't really have the option to stay home on paid leave for a full 6 weeks. However, since much of my work is "desk job" style, I actually did already accomplish a few phone meetings and managed a couple email "crises" from home week 2 and even showed up for a half day manager's meeting. WIth a holiday weekend, I get a break and then am going to try and do as much as I can the last three days of week 3. My doc will be shocked when I go in week 4 for my post op and she talks about "releasing me" for work!

I think the key is doing whatever you need to in order to stay in control of your own recovery, and getting those around you to believe you when you tell them what you can and can not do. That's the hard part. When you are in a role where others depend on you, they can be more concerned about their own needs and ask you for more than you can give ... and when you multiply that, it adds up and before you know it you have done too much and pay for it for the next two days.

I've had these talks with my team, and I'm hoping that together we will get through this short week without any setbacks.

~cfw