recovery time?
Thanks everybody for the responses about spices and spicy food post
op!
Here’s my next question…. what should I expect as a recovery time
to return to work? My job is esentially sedentary ( I am an air
traffic controller ) there are stairs for the tower, but I can stay
in the radar room for a while if stairs will be too much. There is
no heavy lifting.. the heaviest thing I lift is a pair of
binoculars. And we get 20 min breaks every 1-2hours.
I realize everybody’s recovery time will be different, I am kinda
lookng for a ballpark here.
Also, I read somewhere once (and haven’t seen it since) that after
WLS you cannot chew gum any longer because it gives you gas. Is this
true? It sounds bizarre, but I can understand that you might not
want to because of all the extra “juice” you swallow while chewing
gum. I am a trident bubblegum addict at work (there I admitted it…
they say that is the first step to recovery!! heheeh) and would hate
to give up that essentially free pleasure! Anybody ever heard of
this?
Thanks again!!
Ruth
Princess, Waiting for her Crown.
January 31st, 2005 at 3:53 am
Going back to work I guess would be what your doctor calls recovery time also.
My doctor always says 6 to 8 weeks unless you have a sedentary job. He has had
patients go back to work within 2 weeks after surgery. I went back to work in 4
weeks after surgery. I am a secretary so I have a pretty much sedentary job
though I do have to get up and walk short distances alot. To the mailboxes, to
the printer, to the administrators office etc. I felt fine but then I was lucky
and had a pretty easy recovery. Sounds like with your breaks you have quite a
bit of time to be able to get your little eating times in. Since we are supposed
to eat small meals more often. As far as steps. I have steps in my house to my
bedroom and I haven’t had any problem with them. Oh and chewing gum. We were
told the reason for not chewing gum because of the air you swallow will cause
burbing and probably gas also. I forgot and one week after surgery I chewed a
piece and got a bellyache but I know people who have been postop for a while and
chew gum with no problems.
Good luck
Thelma
open rny 10/1/02
2/02 consult 307lbs/surg276.5lbs
276.5/244.5
January 31st, 2005 at 5:51 am
I think that each person’s recovery time is VERY VERY individual. I’m
hoping to go back to work in 3 weeks - 4 at the most. My doctor says to
plan on 6 weeks (it will probably less), although she had a nurse go
back to work in 2 weeks (after an open - I’m thinking she was very
young, and maybe not very large.) I think another determining factor
for your job is not only physical, but mental - how alert you are for a
long day. I think it might take you longer to get to that point.
As far as the gum - my doctor says “NO GUM” - because if you swallow it,
it WILL clog your stoma and you WILL need scoped to remove it. Every
doctor that I’ve listened to talk about WLS says that, and they ALL have
had a patient ignore this and swallow their gum, and have to sheepishly
return and be scoped.
Good luck to you.
Pam
Pre-op - 12/18/02 <- first time I’ve written this sig!!)
Dr. Kelly Francis
February 1st, 2005 at 6:20 am
Hi Ruth, I started chewing gum shortly after my RNY.No it never made me gassy.
Matter of fact I seem to have a nasty taste in my mouth. most of the time.I use
lot of gum and sugar free hard candy. So chew away. Sharon inMi.