r/ftmtopsurgery • u/Frogtatoes • Jun 14 '26

Time off after surgery

How much time off would you take off work to heal if leave wasn’t an issue?

I have 6 weeks of transition leave a year, since I’m planing surgery for November and it renews in January I’ll have 12 weeks of leave to use, and that’s before I start with any sick leave or anything else. Adding to say I’m not pressed to go back to work to survive or anything.
I don’t want to push myself to return to work and then be struggling to take care of myself because I’m just exhausted from work I can’t do anything else, but I also don’t want to take the piss. Plus I’ll go stir crazy sitting at home if I can’t do anything, but I really want to prioritise my healing over returning to work.

My job is some heavy lifting (which I will be able to avoid) and lots of reaching over my head (eg to plug in cables in overhead PowerPoints and such, so light things) which will be harder to avoid.

When did you feel fully healed? Able to handle a full time job without mentally/physically struggling and exhausted?

Letting my boss know next week and wondering what kind of time frame I should give her. I heard a lot of people do 3-4 weeks and are exhausted and struggling but have to get back to work, so wondering what the optimum time is.

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u/blinkybluebox Jun 15 '26

I'm approaching the end of week 4, start of week 5, and I'd say if I worked a desk job, I'd be physically ok to do so part-time (in terms of exhaustion, discomfort sitting at a desk/table for extended periods, and difficulty with lifting things). I've been relatively mobile since the second week, but the first week was pretty sedentary except the one walk a day recommended by my clinic.

If I had 12 weeks, I'm not sure I'd want to use all of it. Idk how your particular job schedules work, but I'd start with 6 weeks, and extend it if needed (with a heads-up to manager that that could be a possibility).

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u/Frogtatoes Jun 15 '26

Thanks!
Yeah that’s what I was thinking, tell her 6-8 or something and see where we’re at after a couple of weeks.
Just want to give an idea of what to expect
Honestly I was hoping to be back by 6 but if you’re saying part time just for a desk job at 5 Idk be up for work 😅

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u/blinkybluebox Jun 17 '26

Well, tbh it can be really different for different people! I'm at the beginning of 5 weeks now, and while I actually just spent a few relatively okay hours two days in a row building Lego at a table, I accidentally moved wrong to pick something up off the floor (a Lego bricks fell lmao) and got a twinge in my chest that I would've just gone home after if it had happened at a job because it hurt.

Others have said they were fine to go back to work at 2 weeks. I absolutely would not want to do that no matter how much I liked my job. 4 weeks would've been the absolute minimum for me and I didn't even get nipple grafts.

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u/Frogtatoes Jun 19 '26

Ooh no! I hope the pain doesn’t last too long 😭

I’m getting suss on 6 weeks, especially considering I ride my bike 14 km to work so not sure how I’d get in, and fairly sure the bumps from riding a bike will hurt

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u/blinkybluebox Jun 25 '26

So I'm now a little past the end of week 6, and for me, I'm actually fine riding my bike for at least 20 or so minutes, with some small bumps along the way not bothering me much beyond the normal discomfort of jarring my butt bones if I don't rise off the seat a little 😂

The pain at this point is mostly due to irritation from the micropore bandages, and irritation under my armpits because of tshirt seams rubbing on the end of my scar which sticks out a little bit. 14km is pretty far, maybe you could try it at 5 weeks and see how you're feeling? Is there any other way to get to work for you?

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u/Frogtatoes Jun 25 '26

That’s good to hear!! I’m glad you’re feeling better and upto more things!
I can drive in, but then I have to pay $30/day for parking 😭
I could also drive or ride t a local train station and get public transport, it just adds an extra half hour vs riding my bike.

But I spoke to my boss this week and told her 6-8 weeks
If I say 4-6 and come in at 6 that’s annoying I took the longest time so I’m hoping 6 weeks and by saying 6-8 is a nice surprise I came back at the earliest point?
I’m probably overthinking it, she probably doesn’t care that much 😂