six weeks' recommended leave? And, Short Term Disability question

I spoke with the new doc's office today and happened to ask how many weeks they recommended I request off. The answer was 6. That seems like a lot, considering the last doc said 2. She did say they'd write me back in if I was ready to go earlier.

What's realistic? What did you have?

I am a consultant who runs from place to place and/or facilitates daylong meetings. I would really rather have my process and habits intact before I went back into crazy schedule land.

Also, anyone have any issues with their short term disability covering their time out? This policy is through Cigna. 

Thanks!

I would say to initially go for the 6 weeks and then play it by ear.  Most people are back to work after 2.  Personally, I am a Stay At Home Mom... however, if I were working, there's no way I would have been ready for even a desk job after 2 weeks.  I was one of those who had a tough recovery.  You won't really know what category you will fall into, until it happens... basically, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

If you can swing it... overall, a six week recovery is not a bad idea.  It will help you solidify your new habits, get used to your sleeve, work out any issues that may arise, plow through the fatigue that will hit you, and most likely be ready to hit the ground running at 6 weeks. :)

My doc was okay with one week off since I have a desk job. I was tired the first week back at work and went home early every day for a nap. By three weeks after surgery I was back to normal,  energy level wise.

If you can take six weeks, go for it.  Anything over 2 weeks is probably overkill unless you do heavy lifting kind of work. I know nurses that take a month and as hard as they work, I understand.

  I LOVE YOU!!!!   Your comment made me feel good.  I am a nurse and was kind of feeling "sissy" for taking a month off of work.  But honestly, I had banked the time and then some, so I felt like why not take it?  When ever else am I going to need like 140 hours of sick leave?  I know even once I got back to work, I made the mistake of helping out on the mama/baby ward, (usually I love this ward but it is fast and furious now with all the spring babies) and let me tell you by 3 am I was "hitting the wall'.  Literally.  My back hurt, I felt extremely fatigued and the other nurses really showed pity on me by trying to give me all the close patients to the nurses station.  And like others have said, I felt more intune to my body and more comfortable with my diet by the time I went back to work.  Hats off to those that go back in like less than a week.  Ya'll must be rock gods!

I used my employee illness bank and used my short term disablilty that I pay for out of my check.  Grateful I had it although I have to say, I hated the way they paid everything out....it was a little check here, a little check there....you get the idea.  But hey cant look a gift horse in the mouth!!!  At least I got paid.

Deckeriv, how many weeks out are you now?  Im 6 weeks.

My surgeon recommends 2 weeks for recovery. I work a desk job but was out and coming back at the busiest time of the year. I ended up being out for 4 weeks total. It was a good amount of time for me to get used to the new eating/drinking schedule, for me to prepare what I needed for work and to feel better. At the time I was working full time, going to school full time, married and have a 2 year old so it was a bit of a balancing act. Chances are you may feel a bit run down when you go back but that is normal, you will need to re-adjust and get back into the swing of things.

VSG is considered an abdominal surgery, which is a 6 week recovery time. Technically your Dr. can write you out for 6 weeks and your STD coverage would cover it without question. Everyone is different so if you really need the full 6 weeks will depend on you and your body. You should have no issues with your claim, I work for a large insurance carrier and weight loss surgery is pretty standard, the 6 weeks recovery is a norm. Just make sure that your Dr.s office gets all the requested paperwork to your claims payer and your claim should be paid no problem.

Good luck!

I requested 3 weeks.  I could have come back after two but took the whole time as I made some short distance travel plans.

I took two weeks off. I work on my feet for 8.5 hours without breaks or lunch. I was fine, but very tired at the end of the day. Heck, I'm ALWAYS tired at the end of the day! I guess if you're getting paid to be off that's great, but my job would have suffered. I know that's not "supposed" to happen, but that was my reality.

I am only going to take a week off, but I also work a desk job from home. 

I took off 2 weeks.  My job is pretty stationary but I'm also a part-time student.  Mentally, that was the hardest thing for me...I swear I had anesthesia brain for over a month!  But physically I was fine after the two weeks.  It all depends on your own recovery, though.  I agree it's probably best to plan for the worst and adjust it as you feel fits after.  Good luck!

Two weeks would probably be enough.  I'm a stay at home mom, and I was back to taking care of my two small kids by day 5.  I did need help lifting my son out of the bathtub, but other than that, it was business as usual for me in a week.  At three weeks out, I had no pain/soreness/fatigue.

Good luck