How is it that I could feel so good at home but now that I'm at work I feel like icky

My surgery was three weeks ago and yesterday was my first day back at work. I was exhausted by the end of the day and went home and laid down.

Today, I'm even more freaking tired than yesterday. I can't seem to focus on what I'm doing and I feel like crying because I'm so tired.

Am I losing my mind or is this normal?? How can I get over being so exhausted?

*cries*

At this stage it's two steps forward and one step back and somedays it seemed like I went one step forward and two steps back. You are still healing. It may take weeks or even months for all of your internal work to heal.

Can you go back to work half time? Can you rest while at work? If nothing else, put your feet up to take the stress off your tummy because sitting is hard on your healing.

Give yourself more time to heal. It will take time, weeks, maybe even months. Be good to yourself and above all "Pamper the Princess"

I just go help feed horses (scoop feed into buckets) and that's half an hour and I'm wiped out!
I go back to work next week (it will be 4 weeks at that point) and I have been wondering how I'll hold up. Sounds to me like I should give myself some room for the possibility that all day may not be immediately feasible.

You just went through major surgery. You may be healed on the outside, but inside your body is still healing. Exhaustion is a big part of recover. So to off set that, you need to rest.

I'm 4 weeks post op and I'm still taking it easy. I did go back to work last Monday (desk job), but I make sure to rest in the evening. And on the weekend, I'm making myself lounge around. From what I've been reading on the site, it takes about 6 - 8 weeks to completely get your energy back, so don't rush it.

Hi - It is my experience (after several unrelated surgeries)that doctors consistently underestimate both the time necessary to recover full energy after an operation and the energy needed to work an ordinary "8-hour" day. Your ordinary workday begins at least an hour, more likely two or more, before you get to the workplace. You have to shower, probably dress less casually than while you were recuperating, maybe put on make-up, maybe fix breakfast for yourself and others, and then commute to work, driving (which takes energy) or standing in a subway car or walking part of the way. Even if you have a desk job, sitting up takes more energy than lying down. Talking, thinking, moving your arms, walking around the workplace, all take energy. Thenthere's the commute home. By the time you get home, how many hours has it been since you began your "8-hour" day? (I sure hope you don't have to fix dinner when you get home!) So if you're cleared to resume work at an 8-hour/day job, you're better off working half-time till you can get home at the end of the day and not feel exhausted. Listen to your body! If you're wiped out when you get home from work, you're doing too much too soon. Oh, and if you had general anesthesia, a good rule is to add one month of recovery for every hour you were under anesthesia.

spiketp, it wore me out just reading all that!

And I forgot to mention that the stress at work is probably greater than the stress of lying down at home, and stress is inherently tiring too!

that's what I told one of my coworkers when she was complaining that I could go to the farm and not work- well, farm is therapy. Work adds stress!