Time to Return to Work?

[kayla1578]

First of all, thanks so much everyone for all of your insight and support.  I've been following the forum for quite a while waiting for my surgery to be scheduled.  Finally! My aunt and I have surgery on November 18th! Thank you God!

So, my question today is about returning to work.  My transplant people have been saying 4-6 week recovery and plan on being off work 4 weeks.  The surgeon said if I feel well enough then I might return to my desk job for partial days after 3 weeks.  So, this is what I've told my work.

I've seen from watching some informational videos from the University of Maryland that they're saying that most donors return to work after 2 weeks! Is it just me, or does that seem a little too quick? 

What have your experiences been pr have you been told something different? Thankfully I have a very supportive workplace, but I am still very curious as to what to expect as my timeline for returning to work.

[Dora76]

Congratulations!  That's so amazing and I hope all goes well!

You asked a great question about work, and I had to laugh at my own experience a little bit too, thinking back on it.  I did a laparoscopic transplant, and my transplant coordinator and all of the literature I was given said something to the effect of, "All individuals heal at different rates, there's always a risk of complications, etc.  Most donors can return to work after two weeks."  That's what I was told, and I didn't have anything else to go on at the time, so I trusted it.  Luckily, my workplace is very understanding and my surgery occurred during a very hectic time in the office.  I ended up requesting (and receiving) 4 paid weeks of Family Medical Leave (FMLA) leave.  I decided to use it all, and if I decided I really was ready to come back sooner I could just work it out with my boss.

To make a long story short, I ended up being out of the office for approximately 8 weeks!  That was probably more than I needed physically, but with the timing it was over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's.  I work at a university, so there were some days when the university was closed and/or my supervisor was very supportive in letting me take time for recovery.  Plus, my mom was the recipient and of course we weren't sure how that would turn out.

In the end, I was happy I took all the extra time.  To be honest, I don't think I would have been in good shape if I was back in my hectic office environment (4 hours meeting with students each day, emails, meetings, workshops) in 2 weeks.  I probably could have made it back in 4-6 weeks.  I recovered pretty quickly physically by walking a lot, but it took me a lot longer to regain my endurance.  I would just get really tired really quickly, and that was the most difficult adjustment.  Concentrating for hours at a time or moving quickly from one appointment to the next before the 4 week mark would have made me two exhausted and/or sore.

Everyone is different, and I'm sure you'll figure it out.  But if you have the flexibility at your job...I know not everyone does...I would suggest allowing time for a lengthier recovery to allow yourself more time to recover physically and emotionally.  You can always come back earlier than you anticipated, or part time if they'll allow it.  It definitely would have been possible for me personally to return in 2 weeks, but I don't think I would have felt very well at all at work.  It does sound quick, right?  But maybe there are others out there who made it back to their "regular" activities?

Anyway, good luck, and let us know how it goes!  Sorry if I ramble...

Dora

[Snoopy]

Hi, Kayla.  Congratulations on getting a date. What a big step!
  About returning to work:  hmm, yes, Dora is right:  it's a great question.
  I'm planning on returning officially to work this coming Monday (day 22 post-op), although I've been working from home, on and off, this week. 
   Before my surgery, when I wasn't quite sure when the final date would be, I pushed very very hard to complete about two weeks' extra work in advance, to give me extra time to heal. In the end, I got an earlier date which removed a lot of the schedule pressure, and my recovery over the past 2-1/2 weeks has been blessedly smooth, so far.
   Nobody at work but my boss is aware of my surgery, so I am a little concerned about plunging right back into the full-dress schedule of meetings, e-mails, expectations, etc., etc.  Still, my workplace has enough flexibility that I can leave work in the early-to-mid afternoon if I want to (and I think I'll want to), and I only need to be physically at the office three days a week.  So, I should be OK.  {Let's hope I'm still standing at this time next week! }
  My biggest worry has been transportation.  I don't drive, and my commute is normally 1-3/4 hours, on two buses, each way.  On each end of my trip, I plan to take taxis locally to and from bus stops early enough on the inter-city bus route so that I can get a seat (I think I can go back to work, but I'm sure I'm not ready for standing for nearly two hours, and getting banged around every time the bus turns).
  Beyond that, I'm planning to allow extra time to get places, and trying to remember to limit the weight I carry around in my briefcase.
  May your surgery and recovery go even smoother than mine have, and may we both return successfully to work!
        Be well, Snoopy

[sherri]

Hi Kayla,

I think a lot depends on what type of work you do.When I donated I was working 24 hours a week as a sonographer (ultrasound technologist) in a private setting. The pace is fast and needs a lot of attention to detail, standing, pushing (especially on my very heavy patients). I do vascular ultrasound not OB/GYn that most people associate with ultrasound. Some of my patients need assistance getting off and on stretchers and into and out of wheelchairs. So I took off 4 weeks from work, also with the caveat that if I suffered a complication or was not ready to return I would take longer. I felt ready after about 3 weeks but certainly was glad I took the entire 4 weeks. You tire very easily. I am a mom of 4 children with a busy household, carpools, cooking, shopping, homework etc. I prepared a lot of meals in advance so that when I came home from work after my surgery I could relax a little and not worry about preparing dinner. Some people who have jobs where they need to pay attention to detail say that after surgery  the are a little foggy and have trouble concentrating so that may be an issue also. I always like to tell donors that this is real surgery, with real anesthesia, real sharp instruments etc. so treat it like that. I think that this type of surgery is like having a hysterectomy, which people generally take off 6 - 8 weeks. But each person is different depending on circumstances.

You mentioned you are at Maryland. Now 4 years post donation, I am a full time student at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. I have visited several donors and recipients at Hopkins and University of Maryland so if you would like a visitor or if you have any questions let me know. Who is doing your surgery? The donor suites at Maryland are very nice and I think they treat donors well comparatively.

Keep us posted.

Sherri

[Jewels]

Congratulations Kayla!  I know that feeling of relief once you get that surgery date.  Based on what my transplant center told me, this amazing forum and other research, I told my work 4-6 weeks. There is no way I would have wanted to go back at 2 weeks.  I was still nauseous and my innards were still very mixed up and not at all regular.  At 3 weeks I felt pretty good physically but still needed at least a little afternoon nap (I was doing a lot of walking which may have made me more tired.)  I think I probably could have gone back at 4 weeks but it was so nice to have a week in the summer with my kids where I felt great before I had to get back in the grind of work.  If you are able to take the time off be sure to allow your body and mind to heal, and enjoy the time! 5 weeks was the perfect amount of time off for me.  Good luck preparing!  Ask any questions on this forum!

Take care-
Julie

[treehugger]

Best wishes on yours and your aunt's upcoming surgery.

You've gotten good advice already, and this is certainly not a black and white issue; everyone's situation is different. That said, I am still surprised to hear about some information being given out that "most donors return to work after 2 weeks." That seems like an overstatement to me, but then I don't know the statistics.

Anyway, I heard (from here and from my transplant center) that 4-6 weeks was common, and my surgeon stressed that if I felt I needed more time, he would happily sign the FMLA paperwork for whatever date I wanted. I was grateful for that support but, what actually drove my return to work date was personal: I needed to go back to work because I needed the paycheck.

So, I ended up going back to work at just over 3 weeks. I felt OK, but got tired very easily. I have a desk job, but it can be stressful and there's some time on my feet. So, I certainly survived without any ill effects, but I would have loved to be able to stay home even a week longer.

Of course, my recovery was complicated by my husband needing to back into the hospital, a week after we got home, for 9 days. So, I spent 9 long days going back and forth to the hospital (my inlaws drove me), with all the stress that a worry of rejection caused, starting on day 10 after my own surgery. That definitely didn't improve my energy level or recovery time.

Bottom line: if you can afford it and your job is supportive, take all the time you need.

Kara

[smudge]

Hi

I started working from home after 3 weeks (not huge amounts I must admit) and then went back after 4 weeks.  That was the amount of time on my original medical cert, though as others have said, if I'd gone back and asked for more I'm sure I'd have got it.

I then worked part time for 2 weeks - mainly to avoid driving in rush hour - and did 3 days the first week and 4 the second.  My job is mainly desk based with a reasonable amount of lifting but I avoided lifting for about 3 months.

Had my 6 week follow up the second week of being back and my consultant said she thought I was ready to go back to work.  She was a little taken aback when I said I'd been back 2 weeks already but was fine with that.

All the best

[treehugger]

I then worked part time for 2 weeks - mainly to avoid driving in rush hour - and did 3 days the first week and 4 the second.  My job is mainly desk based with a reasonable amount of lifting but I avoided lifting for about 3 months.

This reminded me of some very good advice that I received and did follow. I scheduled my first day back for a Wednesday (my surgery was on a Thursday 3 weeks prior). Even if you can't come back to work part time at first, like I couldn't, starting on a Wednesday meant a lot less pressure (Mondays, ack!) and guaranteed that the first week back was a short one.

Kara

[Aries7]

Hi Kayla,

Congratulations on your surgery date! My doctor strongly recommended 6 weeks for recovery. The end of the 6 weeks fell right before Thanksgiving. I ended up using some vacation time and going back to work the Monday after Thanksgiving, so I ended up being off for just under 8 weeks. My recovery was fairly normal except for having to deal with a very stubborn rash I developed after surgery and a case of Thrombophlebitis that appeared about 2 weeks after surgery. I also experienced quite a bit of fatigue for several weeks after the surgery. I did have a hysterectomy 5 months prior to donating the kidney, so I am not sure how much of a part this played in the fatigue following my surgery to donate my kidney.

My advice would be to not push yourself and go back to soon. See how you feel afterward. Plan on the 4-6 weeks. If you end up really feeling like going back sooner and your doctor ok's it, that is great. But better to plan for long and end up going back sooner than the other way around. Just my two cents.

Best of luck to you and your Aunt on your upcoming surgeries!

Linda

[mom2three]

You asked a question that I wish I had asked before my surgery; I might have planned for more time off.  I took off a total of 4 weeks So that gave me about 3.5 weeks post-op. I have a desk job, but I usually work 55-60 hour weeks. I started working from home (mostly just checking emails) within a few days of being home and was able to continue working from home at my own pace during my entire leave. That helped since I didn't have any loss of pay and didn't need to tap into my short term disability.

I went back to the office full time at the 4 week mark but could have used another week at home. I just started feeling like myself during that last week I was home. My energy level was nowhere near normal when I went back. For about another 6-8 weeks I was feeling pretty drained after a full day's work. 

Someone told me for every hour of O.R. time it takes a month to fully recuperate from the anesthesia to the point where you have all your energy back. I found this guage to be true for me. My surgery was 3 hours and I felt like all my energy was back at the 3 month mark.

Good luck with your surgery and recuperation!

[kayla1578]

Wow!  I'm so thankful for each of you sharing your experience and advice!  It's going to make my recovery so much easier knowing I have the experience of others to reference when I have questions or worries.  You all also make me feel much better about the 4weeks I've told my work that I might need. 

I've been planning on returning after 3 weeks and I'll be working from home as soon as I feel able, but my work has told me that they're playing it by ear and are willing to wait and see how I do.  Plus, I'm trying to keep in mind that my office is over a factory and I have to climb a ramp and three flights of steps while carrying a laptop, so I know that will make getting in and out of work kind of tough.

Sherri- Thank you so much for offering to visit. You are so thoughtful to visit people who have gone through the surgery like you did.  I'm not actually in Maryland though, I'm in Ohio.  I was just watching the videos from the University of Maryland because they have online videos that show the surgery from beginning to end.  It was during those videos that they said donors return to work after 2 weeks. But if I were in Maryland, I would have loved to have you visit!

Snoopy- Wow, your post makes me so thankful I don't have to go through all of that to get to work.  I just have a 45 minute commute by car.  I hope that you're safe and you take your time getting to work.  It sounds like it won't be easy. But congrats on doing so well!  I hope that your return to work is smooth and not too tiring.

Dora- I think my timing will end up looking a lot like yours.  With the surgery being the Friday before Thanksgiving, I'll just be returning to work two weeks before Christmas and then I have the week after Christmas planned off already for vacation, so I will be off for more time than I realized.  I think I'm actually thankful that surgery ended up being during the holidays! It's more time off work. 

[mom2three]

Kayla, I'm from Columbus and had surgery at Cleveland Clinic. Where are you having yours done?

[Michael]

Medical research indicates donors return to work between 4 and 6 weeks on average. Here's the LDO web page with the information: https://livingdonorsonline.org/kidney/kidney5.htm

[Snoopy]

Snoopy- Wow, your post makes me so thankful I don't have to go through all of that to get to work.  I just have a 45 minute commute by car.  I hope that you're safe and you take your time getting to work.  It sounds like it won't be easy. But congrats on doing so well!  I hope that your return to work is smooth and not too tiring.

  Hi, Kayla.
    I'm happy to report that my return to work has been pretty smooth.  I began last week, at about the 3-week post-surgery mark.  One thing that helped is that, on the days I have a certain on-my-feet period (most of my work can be done at my desk), I've taken cabs to and from work.  This allowed me to do what I had to without getting completely wiped out.  Apart from the commute, the rest of the time went normally.  I do get much more tired, and much faster, and I have to make sure not to load up my briefcase (note:  even carrying things well under the 10 lb. limit causes some painful twinges--and I used to lift weights), but, again, I hope your initial return to work goes at least as well as mine has, so far.
   Be well, Snoopy

[kayla1578]

Snoopy- I'm glad your return to work is going well! Thanks for sharing your experience.

Mom2three- Great to hear from another Columbus person! My surgery was just done at OSU Medical Center.

My surgery was successfully completed on Friday, November 18. I'll be posting a post-surgery update soon! I'm home now and doing well!  Thanks everyone!

Hugs,
Amanda