Released for work but worried ...

Well, I'm now seven weeks post-op and have been released for work on Thursday 11/1 ... only two days away but I have been really dragging the past few days and just don't feel ready. Have been trying to build up stamina last couple of weeks by not napping during the day, then trying to do some light housework and errands etc. for 8 hours straight for the past few days ... but I barely make it and of course what I am doing at home isn't the same as the rigors of the working world. I feel like I'm healed from the surgery but not fully recovered. Both gyn and urologist have said everything looks good and "It just takes time ..." But I'm worried that the ongoing fatigue, transient pains, and HRT which still isn't quite right will affect the clarity of my thinking and the speed at which I am able to generate paperwork. That was a problem before surgery for a couple of months because I got to feeling so bad, and my employer was understanding then, but I'm afraid that if I am not fully back up to par when I go back there's not going to be as much understanding as before. (The boss at my office had a hyst due to fibroids in January, and bounced incredibly fast right back from it -- she told me before I left for surgery that I would feel great, like a new person after this!) I have degeneration in my spine and some disk bulging, and today the orthopedist did some x-rays and told me that the pain in my knees that just started after the surgery is ostoeoarthritis too, probably just surfacing now due to lack of activity following surgery which he said is not an uncommon. And for a week or so now I have been itching and burning "down there" like there's a yeast infection, but doctor didn't say anything when I was examined ... so I went to the drugstore on my own and got some miconazole cream but it just doesn't seem to be curing the problem. Thinking now that maybe its not yeast but something else, or irritation from urine that has seemed "misdirected" since surgery. And on top of everything else I woke up this morning with a canker sore on my upper lip, and I never get those awful things, and it is bugging me like crazy! Everyone said before the surgery, "You are going to feel so much better after this," and a week ago I really thought I was getting better ... but this week my fanny is dragging and I am feeling "down" and overwhelmed by it all. I need somebody to tell me I'll make it when I go back to work... and how to make it when I go back to work ... my most sincere thanks to everyone at this site for "being there" ..

Hi

I am 5 weeks behind you.. so I can not offer advice.

But I can offer support.

Sure sounds like you are doing the correct things. I am impressed by your thinking ahead and trying to build stamina for work.

Can you start back to wrk 1/2 days at the beginning? Or can you leave early if it is too much.

I pray for peace and happiness for you.

Sweet Dreams!

Traci

I agree with traci....


can you go back part time till you get to the point you can add hours as you feel up to it....that seems to be what most of the ladies here do...

also another thing I noticed is that when the girls go back to work they say that they don't do anything else but work...come home take a nap...let somebody else cook dinner, etc...

I wouldn't worry to much about your boss..if she makes any comments I would just say well we all heal at our own bodys rate..I'm glad yours was easy....and leave it at that...

I am 10 weeks post and even doing things around the house still exhauts me at times so don't feel like your lagging in recovery...some of us do take just a little longer to back into the swing of things...Please keep us posted and let us know what you decide...maybe you could even ask the doc for one more week?

Dawn
Dtoolgrl@yahoo.com

Oh, boy do I ever wish I could start back at half days ... but at my office "that just isn't done" ... besides, I was so sick for so many months before the surgery and between that and all the time I had to take off while test after test was done to figure out what was wrong (I was even put through a colonoscopy!) I not only used up all my sick leave but all but two weeks of FMLA ... had a bad respiratory infection pre-op, couldn't seem to get over it while working and surgery had to be postponed twice because of this, so doctor finally ordered me to stay home from August 13th to surgery date which was September 10th! So I've been off a looong time, and its all been leave without pay, too. So even if they would let me work part time at first, at this point the old budget is beginning to suffer so much that I really do need to be working full time ... but I think when I go back that WILL BE ALL I do ... DH had wanted to have his side of family here for Thanksgiving, but I told him I thought trying to put on such an event so soon after the surgery and going back to work would be too much for me to handle -- and this year, not to expect so much decorating and other preparations I usually do for Christmas, either!

Peacelover - That's too bad you can't start back 1/2 days...that's what I did at 7 weeks and I was totally exhausted and sore at the end of each day. Try to put your feet up when you can at work. It really does take time like your gyn. said...for me I was feeling almost normal at 12 weeks...but it wasn't until 5 months that I had my energy level built back up.

I had that itching too...it was horrible and it wasn't yeast infection ....I figured it had something to do with stitches dissolving since mine didn't dissolve until 5 weeks and after. It finally stopped.

Good luck with work...REST as much as you can the rest of the week...AND I found that getting back in bed after work each day did wonders for me

I can feel for what you're saying.....I'm 3.5 weeks post op and only have 2.5 more weeks off before I go back to a very physical job. I'm trying to increase my activity and not sleep at all during day (but don't sleep at night either) but biggest concern is NO ENDURANCE! I'm working on my treadmill more and began my vitamin regime I used for chronic fatigue when I had Lyme disease - Vit B complex in AM and multi at night with meal in hopes to get more pep.
I have also been cleared for light exercise which I began today - I can really feel the weakness just from lying around in my house for these past weeks.......and beyond that I guess its just gonna take time! THe other thing is mentally I don't think I'll ever want to go back to work........I kind of like this sloth thing!

Godd luck and prayers for you!

I'm with you Alison!! I think I found my try calling as a sloth! I work 9 hour days and have to travel 1 hour to and 1 hour from work so I put in a really long day. Being home and not having to get up at 5am has really been great even though I am recovering from surgery. Everyone said I would get bored but not me. I am reading, watching TV, doing some projects around the house (not involving lifting, etc.). But to answer the original post by Peacelover: I am only 3 1/2 weeks post op but can feel my energy level is much lower than before. I can't imagine even in 2 1/2 more weeks going back to a 9 hour workday with a 2 hour commute. If I continue to feel this way I plan to ask for 1/2 days for the first week or two. I have used a big chunk of sick leave as well but am lucky to still have enough left that I can do this if need be and still have some left over.

I hope that you can work this out so that you do not worry and put a strain on yourself. I wish you the best.

Betty