Meniscus :
Return to work question - - Posted by cjones (cjones), 15 December 2004
I will be having my scope done on Jan. 14. My surgery is on a Friday and my OS said I will be back at work on Monday. I've had several people here at work tell me there is no way I will be back that early. What do you all think? I am a secretary so I sit most of the day. I won't be able to elevate my leg while I'm at work (10 hours). I have almost a 1/2 mile walk from my car to my desk. If I miss more then 5 days of work I have to go on short term disability so I am trying to plan ahead. What does everyone on here think?
Thanks!!
Posted by Nettan (Nettan), 15 December 2004
Hey !!!
It all depends on what kind of surgery you are having is it meniscectomy you can be back quick like this, is it meniscurepair it will take longer, is it only a diagnostic scope and nothing done you also will be back soon.
Why can't you elevate if you are a secretery ? If you put your leg while sitting, on a chair with a pillow under.
Maybe you can't do it all day but try as much ass possible. I'm sure your boss can manage if you do that and be happy having you back soon instead.
Good luck !!
hugs nettan 
Posted by cjones (cjones), 15 December 2004
Thanks for your quick response Nettan! They are almost positive I have a tear and are going to remove it. Since my MRI was negative they don't know for sure what they will find. I also have a small Petilla tilt (sp?) but they are not doing anything surgically with it. The reason I can't elevate my leg is because of the way our office is set up. We have ergonomic desk that wrap around us and because of the support legs there is no way to elevate it. Since our desk wrap around we can't sit side ways either. I'm sure it will be fine and eveyone at work is very understanding. Thanks for your help.
Posted by Amanda (Amanda), 15 December 2004
I put 2 photocopy paper boxes under my desk with a pillow. There was just enough room for my leg to go up on it.
Posted by cjones (cjones), 15 December 2004
That would work great but I don't even have enough room under my desk to cross my legs. Our desk are very low to the ground. Is keeping my leg elevated going to make that big of a difference?
Posted by SallyW (SallyW), 15 December 2004
Elevation *might* make a difference - it really depends on what the doc does.
If you just have a simple tear clean up/removal, you might be back to normal by Sunday or Monday - no crutches, no limp. That's how it was for a friend of mine. I had a tear clean up a week ago, though; the doc also drilled holes in the menescus to encourage new tissue growth. I used crutches for the first 4 days and started walking after that. I was really uncomfortable during those first 4 days - knee was stiff and swollen, so it helped to keep my leg up (besides, I couldn't bend it for sitting!).
Can you get a short term parking spot closer to work if necessary? If you're still using crutches when you return to work, that half mile might be impossible. Even if you're walking - I'm walking now, but no way I'm ready for a half mile walk!
I doubt that you'll be unable to work - this is a really simple thing (even if you have holes - and you might not). You might just have to be creative, maybe talk to your boss, about adjusting your workstation if necessary.
Still, not everyone has holes drilled. For those that don't, I think recovery is so quick that you hardly notice it!
Posted by cjones (cjones), 15 December 2004
Thank you so much for all the help!! Everyone is so nice and helpful. I'm pretty sure I will be fine coming back to work on Monday. I work for a goverment defense contractor and because of security reason's we can't get any closer to the building. I'm sure I will be fine. I just didn't want to rush anything and end up hurting my knee after getting it fixed.
Thanks again!
Posted by bwalling (bwalling), 16 December 2004
I was told that I'd be walking out of the hospital after the surgery and that I didn't have to take any time off work (my surgery is on a Tuesday, so I'd presumably be at work the next day). He even said I'll be playing sports again in 2-3 weeks, so my desk job can't be too bad!
Posted by SallyW (SallyW), 16 December 2004
Bwalling...hopefully you will be doing sports in 2-3 weeks; that was the "positive" time frame my doc gave me pre-op. He also said I should be prepared to not do anything strenuous for 5-6 weeks (didn't want me to be disappointed).
Now I'm post op, with the extra stuff that he did (holes) that he didn't anticipate doing, I have to wait the entire 5 week period. No skiing or hiking until mid January.
I think Island Girl had a similar experience to mine...
Hopefully you'll get the quick recovery period...
Posted by sivyaleah (sivyaleah), 20 December 2004
Just saw your message and wanted to give some input.
I had my medial meniscus removal (not 100%, actually just a small part of it) on 11/5. I was not able to get back to work until well over a week later.
Personally, I can't imagine how anyone can possibly go back to work 3 days later, nor do I think it is healthy to push yourself that quickly, especially if you have a difficult commute as you say (the long walk from car to office). My commute is a tough one too, with several changes of transportation and inconvenient with occassionally broken escalators and too many stairs. I was on crutches for nearly 2 weeks and navigating train stations on them was difficult even when I was rid of them.
I couldn't even get up and down the stairs even remotely normally until about 3 weeks after surgery. Mind you, I was healing quite well, it is just that the surgical site is very swollen and filled with fluid for quite some time after surgery. Keeping your leg elevated and iced is very important in the beginning. I know there would have been no way to do this in the office. Driving was difficult too in the beginning, although had my problem been with my left knee, this wouldn't have matter as much.
I certainly don't mean to alarm you. This was my experience and according to the doctor and my therapist, very normal in the healing process and nothing out of the ordinary. I am now nearly 2 months post surgery and doing much better (thanks to a lot of physical therapy) there is still a bit of pain around the incisions sites. I just don't think this is something which can be rushed and if you do, what winds up happening is you don't allow the knee to properly heal and may risk causing further damage.
Good luck with your surgery tho, and don't worry too much. If you are able to take the short-term disability, I'd take advantage. My company unfortunately only pays the bare minimum, and in NYS you have to be out 2 full weeks before you can even collect. So, I didn't even get paid for many of the days I was out. I had used up all my sick pay for the year. But, it was worth losing the money for the piece of mind that I wasn't forcing myself back too soon (thankfully we're a 2-income family so the pay wasn't missed too much).
Laurie
Posted by blackbeltgirl (blackbeltgirl), 23 December 2004
I had a small tear removed, and my dr. recommended 2 weeks off work, even though I have a desk job where I can elevate. I was given exercises to start at home the day after surgery. Since you should be icing much of the day, and if you're given exercises (I had to do mine 3x a day, so with icing that was nearly 5 hours just for exercise) the day can be used up just with the healing. FMLA is designed to give you the time you need to heal. And if you work for a defense contractor, they are probably large enough that they have to offer you the time off work. (And I'll tell you I really enjoyed the 2 weeks off also.)
Good luck, no matter what you do.
Posted by bwalling (bwalling), 29 December 2004
I had my surgery yesterday. I was planning on going to work today, but my wife won't let me go. I'm definitely going in tomorrow. Heck, it's safer at work than it is at home with the kids and the dog (my 20 month old head butted my knee this morning)!
Since you're going from Friday to Monday, you'll probably be fine. Follow your post-op instructions - keep up with the ice and whatnot.
Of course, if you end up getting a repair instead of a removal, you won't be able to walk on it for a while.
Posted by chaplainbabs (chaplainbabs), 29 December 2004
I had my surgery on 7 Dec, and even though I had some complications (unrelated to the knee itself) I was back at work in 10 days. I am a hospital chaplain, in acute care, and so I am on my feet almost all day. I stopped twice to ice it, mid-morning and mid-afternoon, but no problems at all. Most uncomfortable ( I haven't taken any pain meds but Tylenol) was the standing still; walking wasn't a problem. I still try to elevate on a footstool (or paper case) when I am sitting. FYI, I am 63 but have always been active.
Peace, Babs
Posted by chaplainbabs (chaplainbabs), 29 December 2004
bwalling, you are funny!!! My two dogs, my babies, were both concerned, and wanted to climb on me! We had to have a little talk, about either they'd behave or they'd go to their crates - not an option they care for. But, I can see going to work where no one will run over you roughshod!
Have a great day!
Peace, Babs
Posted by cjones (cjones), 3 January 2005
Just wanted to thank everyone for all the responses!! I have been on vacation for 2 weeks and just got caught up. I am planning on taking Monday off just to be safe. I can take off more days if I have to. My doc is going to do a repair if it is possible but says I will still be able to return on Monday. He also said most of the time he doesn't order PT. He is suppose to be a great OS but now I'm wondering.
Posted by chaplainbabs (chaplainbabs), 3 January 2005
I would never have got on as well as I have without PT. That's partly for the guidance as well as the visits. I don't know where I posted this bit, so I will share again: my OS had me go to PT for evaluation prior to surgery, and that was when I got my two sheets of exercises all printed out. It was quite helpful to me to be able to see the improvement with surgery.
The biggest reason the OS gave was that if the muscles are stronger prior to surgery, the recovery is usually faster and easier. My own experience would support his contention!
Best to you,
Peace, Babs
Posted by cjones (cjones), 4 January 2005
I did call my doc yesterday and they said even if they do a repair I can still return to work on Monday. I guess I'm just concerned because I've heard recovery for a repair is longer. They did give me excercises to do and I started them already and will continue to do them afterwards. He only orders PT for about 5% of his patients so it looks like I will be on my own.
Updated Mon Sep 8 2008