How Much Time Off for Bilateral Mastectomies?

DancingElizabeth

Hi All,

I'm scheduled to have bilateral mastectomies on May, 18th - next week!

And not sure how many weeks off most people take for this... (I'm filing for a continuous leave of absence).

Also, they want to start chemo about 6 to 8 weeks after I have my surgery...

Any advice would be great!

BlueHeron

I was off for 8 weeks after my UMX, but my job is physical and I had a 10 lb lifting restriction for that time. Truth is, I was very glad for the mandated down time for rest and healing. For me personally, I would have probably been ready to return to a desk job at 6 weeks. Even sitting up at a desk for 8 hrs before then would have felt like a lot. I know some women feel ready earlier but that was me.

dtad

I agree 6-8 weeks depending on your job. Also you don't mention if you are having reconstruction which is actually the more difficult part of the surgery. Good luck to you...

dtad

I agree 6-8 weeks depending on your job. Also you don't mention if you are having reconstruction which is actually the more difficult part of the surgery. Good luck to you...

DancingElizabeth

Hi dtad - I am having reconstruction..

myToyStory2

Watching this thread! My BMX is next week, too, and I've asked for 6 weeks off. My place of employment is totally accommodating and not pushing me to set a specific return date. (For this I'm grateful!) I've never been through a major medical procedure before and have no idea how my body will respond. Maybe I'll bounce back quickly and return to work much earlier. So many unknowns ahead...

Cherrie

Give yourself 8 weeks,depending on what you do. I needed all of that, however I was in my late 50's. Rest, eat high protein, walk, hydrate.......Never stop. Let others take care of you. ((((Hugs))

bella237

I only took 4 weeks off, but I work as a counselor in a school office and can limit how much I move around. But I still recovered quicker than I expected. In the weeks leading up to surgery, I didn't do an weightlifting that was chest specific and spent a good bit of time stretching my chest and upper body muscles. Once I hit the 2 week mark post surgery I started stretching again (with the blessing of both surgeons). That helped me recover. Plan to take off 8 weeks, but you may be feeling well before then.

exercise_guru

I have to say that I had some pretty awful side effects from the oxy pain pills post surgery. For my second reconstruction surgery I got off pain pills as fast as I could. I felt that it really messed with my PBMX recovery. That being said I really was barely functional at 6 weeks when I started Chemo. I wish I had known to increase my protein as once I did that I healed significantly faster.

muska

Hi Scared, I had BMX with reconstruction. Normally they allow 5-6 weeks for full recovery. Depending on the type of job some women start working at 4-5 weeks. I returned to work two days after my last drain was out at five weeks post surgery (that was an exceptionally long time to have drains.)

ksusan

I took one day off, then had help covering my classes for two weeks, but I was able to do much of my non-classroom work from home. I'm not suggesting this, merely noting that in some cases it can be done.

Paxton29

I had a BMX with tissue expanders placed and I went back to work after three weeks. Bear in mind I'm a lawyer so my job has zero physical component most of the time. I had my surgery December 9 so part of my recuperation time was over the holidays anyway. Best Christmas gift I ever got was the path report saying my sentinel lymph node was clean.

I had never had surgery before either but it wasn't too bad. Getting out of bed is the hardest part since you can't really use your arms. The drains suck too. The best tip I have is to go get your hair done as soon as you feel like getting up and around. Showering is limited and pre-chemo I had long thick hair there was no way I could have dried/fixed myself.

Good luck with your surgery! I truly found it manageable as I was fortunate to have no real side effects. Just rest and take your pain meds as needed and don't feel like you have to meet somebody else's timeline. I think it's better to prepare for more time off and you can always go back early

DancingElizabeth

Thanks Everybody for your input - this has been (and continues to be) the most difficult thing I've ever gone through!!!

KSteve

Scared67 - I took 2 weeks off and then worked the 3rd week from home. Was back in the office for the 4th week (desk job). I had no problem doing that but everyone is different. Wishing you the best for your surgery and recovery. Just keep taking it one day at a time!

Hugs,

Kathy

kate376

I think it really depends on how physical your job is and how much pain medication you need. I had a unilateral mx & three lymph nodes removed without reconstruction (had rads after) and an oopharectomy and was back to working from home a little on my couch two days later. But, I only used Tylenol post-surgery, so I was clear headed enough to begin returning work emails, etc. but still was mostly lying around & resting.

Kathleen21

hi Paxton,

I have my bilateral mastectomy scheduled for June 7. My plastic surgeon is discouraging me from bilateral ( IDC on right side ). He feels it's overkill to do both. I want both for fear of recurrence. I will have skin sparing with tissue expanses and later silicone implants. Did your plastic surgeon go under the chest wall muscle? He is painting a horrible picture for recovery.

ER-/PR-/HER +.

mustlovepoodles

I had BMX in Feb 2016, no reconstruction. Even though I had a lot of complications and had to go back to work with a wound vac, I was able to return at 4 weeks. If I had had more time off, I would have taken it, but I had run through every bit of my sick leave and vacation time for this stupid breast cancer. I still wasn't able to drive much at 4 weeks, due to the chest/underarm tightness and continued drains. Much of my job involves driving long distances (community health nurse), but I am fortunate that my DH is retired and was happy to drive me around.

Lizzy1981

I had a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. I basically took a week off, worked from home for a week and returned to the office week three. I didn't have to go back to work but I had no reason not to. I'm younger (35) and in very good health besides the cancer. I have a desk job. I can't imagine needing to be off for six weeks afterwards. For me that would have been way too long.

Peppin

Hello Scared67,

In my case I wanted to go to work as soon as possible. Five days after my BMX I was back at work - I have a desk job with my own office. I had colleagues who prepared a couch in my office so that if I'd get tired I'd lie down which I did very occasionally. When I had my reconstruction some months after it took me longer - the tissue expanders were painful and in my case they wanted to fill them quickly so I could proceed to radiotherapy. It took me about 10 - 11 to get back to work cause I remained with the drains for some 9 days. To me work was distracting. I worked even through chemo. It helped me forget about the pain. The more I had to concentrate on things, the more I would forget. Staying at home in bed just made me feel miserable.

I think you need to go by what you feel comfortable doing. We are all different. Colleagues who had been through it themselves could not understand why I was at work so quickly after my surgeries. But to me being able to continue with my life despite cancer was important, it made me feel in control to some degree. And I kept in touch with people. Plus my colleagues were very supportive - they gave me lifts to and from work. And granted my work is flexible - there were many days when I don't think I produced much at work. And other occasions where the thinking skills I used were different to the logical thinking I'm used to - leading to some surprising results to me - cause I had to rely more on intuitive thinking during chemo. 

I am having an oophorectomy soon and this time I don't feel like going to work quickly. I don't know why I feel different now. I'll follow that feeling though because listening to yourself is what'll make you feel better. 

See how you will feel and go by that.

DancingElizabeth

Thanks Everyone! I told my supervisor about 5 weeks or so and she's ok with me returning later - if I need it. My main worry is getting the post mastectomy areas injured if I get in a car accident or even fender bender because I commute 100 miles every day! The ride home from the hospital hurt every time we went over a bump

Paxton29

Kathleen, I'm sorry I didn't see your question earlier. As far as I know my expanders are under the muscle. My surgeon initially was not particularly in favor of a BMX since I supposedly had DCIS on the right, but the surgical path report showed IDC on that side too so it was for sure the right choice for me. They didn't fill my expanders during surgery and my final fill is 280 cc per side, so they're not big. They're not painful (awkward, but not painful). I have to wait until the end of the year to exchange due to having radiation, but so far everything's holding up well.

Good luck with everything!

PattyK52

I have a very easy job. Just sitting, paying bills and answering the phone. I went back to work a week and a half later. I was tired but it wasn't that bad.

Betsy918

Wow! I am amazed by how little time many of you needed. I am 6 weeks post op today and have not returned to work, I'm an elementary school teacher, and except for things I can do from home for my sub, I won't go back this school year. My tissue expanders are so tight driving is a problem, and I commute 30 miles to my job. But the biggest reason I'm taking the time is I'm still soooooo tired! I sleep 11-12 hours a night (or night with a nap.) This is my fifth major surgery in 3 1/2 years, and I'm just not someone who bounces back quickly. I have done quite a bit on the computer starting at about 3 weeks out, but the thought of being up, on my feet with my thirty 8 year olds all day is just too much. (I'm 56.) I'm glad I was approved for 8 weeks off.