What can and can’t you do while you’re off sick from work?

[StillChangingForTheBetter]

I had a laparoscopy for suspected endometriosis on Friday. I’m still exhausted and generally uncomfortable, but also feel a little more up to doing something gentle - like popping out to return some parcels, or maybe going to get my nails done. We’re also set to have some family visitors mid week next week.

Im off for the next two weeks. No way could I be back at work- I’m exhausted from doing the most basic of things. But is it okay to do small things like that, or is it bed rest only? I obviously don’t want my work to be angry at me, but there’s no way I could be at work right now. I’ve been signed off for a week.

When you are ready to return to work it may be worth you asking about a phased return. It can be really difficult to go from not working to full on, full days.

I had gynae surgery a few years ago, and was off work for a week. It was the GA that knocked me for six. I was very woozy and certainly unfit to drive let alone work.

On day 4 DH took me out for a pub lunch. He drove to the pub, I ate some lunch, he drove me home and I went to bed for the rest of the afternoon. I'm sure if someone from work had seen me then they'd have been judgemental but I honestly couldn't care less.

I hope you make a good recovery OP.

If I could I would but my work have been so clear about what they do and don’t expect! It’s up to two weeks off and then straight back to work full time. They’re not interested in any flexibility

You are just not fit for work. You can do other things. It's no one's business really.

She has legitimate time off. You should mind your own business if you see a colleague out and about in the same circumstances. Are you the sort of colleague people hope they don’t bump into when they have been signed off because they know what you’re like?

Me too.
I took the day of the procedure off, back at work the next day. I’ll be honest OP, if you just had a diagnostic laparoscopy (without actual surgery) I’d be thinking you were taking the piss having 2 weeks off, and if I saw you out in town I’d definitely have a moan to my friends about you! I wouldn’t report you because it’s not in my nature, but I wouldn’t be impressed.

And before anyone jumps down my throat, OP did ask for opinions.

Getting out and about after any operation is an expected part of your recovery.

Please ignore everyone who's telling you not to.

I had surgery last year (not the same as yours) under GA and yes i was completely flawed for a period of time. Then as i started to feel better I gradually increased my activities - weather that was doing some gentle exercise - ie walking, swimming etc, getting my nails done/going to the hair dressers or meeting someone for coffee.... or indeed any follow up appointments you may have to attend to get dressings/ stitches seen to - whatever.

As your employer has already stated they can't offer you a flexible return to work i would make 100% sure you are ready to return to work before you go back. nothing worse than going back too early then having to go off sick again because you've over done things.

I thought like that before this, but I’ve genuinely never experienced fatigue like this. I’m about to go for a nap and the most I’ve done today is a shower and get dressed!

You're unfit for work, not unfit for life and the whole point of time off to recover after surgery is that you need to gradually return to normal activities. So light activities are perfectly reasonable. Definitely don't stay in bed - not only is there no benefit but it can be positively harmful.
There probably will be people who moan about you behind your back if you are seen doing anything more vigorous than sticking a stamp on a letter but you need to ignore them and build up your activity gradually, listening to your body.. I had that experience after I had major surgery. I seriously think some of my colleagues (who really should know better!) expected me to go from being in ITU to fit to do 24 hours on call without any rehabilitation in between. I had my fair share of snidey comments, as if being able to push a trolley round Sainsbury's was the same as being fit for a full week's work. 🙄
Whilst you have "only" had laparoscopic surgery there can still be significant recovery needed. It will be better than the same operation done as an open procedure but just because there are only small incisions on the outside, that doesn't necessarily mean that there's only a small amount of healing to do inside. And the body still has a physiological stress response to surgery and anaesthesia to recover from.
Obviously if you were spotted out roller skating or bungee jumping your colleagues would be entitled to be suspicious about the validity of your sick leave but light every day activities are perfectly reasonable and in fact likely to be beneficial to your recovery.

You had it done on Friday and it’s now Monday. What makes you think you’ll still be incapacitated in 2 weeks?

I’m about to having laparoscopic surgery for endo including cyst drainage, and they’ve told me I need to be signed off for two weeks minimum, so I expect that’s normal?

It all depends though. I had a wisdom tooth out under GA and I was really unwell. For some reason it hit me really hard.

I think having a moan with your friends about it is awful. And if I heard you’d moaned about it I’d never speak to you again.

the OP has explained she had a general anesthetic - her GP has signed her off with a fit note - so presumably her own GP knows better if the time off is justified rather than the MN collective?

@MrsAvocet I may have missed some of OP’s posts but I thought it was just a laparoscopy, not laparoscopic surgery. There’s a significant difference, not just in internal cutting, but also in duration of the anaesthetic.

So probably not the best time to be thinking of going to get your nails done or posting parcels.

It's a shame you're not allowed to wfh - at least that way you could ease back into work after a few days, rather than planning to be off for 2 weeks because your employers wants you back full time or nothing. This inflexibility just pushes up the number of sick days.

This reminds me of another minor thing I had a few years ago, but also under a GA. Went back to work the next day as there was no pain and no wound. My boss called me into the office after about an hour and told me to go home, and that I could only communicate or email with people on my actual team... apparently I'd been sending complete gobbly gook via email. Apparently I wasn't as recoveredf from the GA as I thought.

I went home and passed out for about 5 hours!

I was teased mercilessly about that for YEARS. they all thought it was hilarious.

I mean I could be totally wrong and I could bounce back in the next couple of days, but this is genuinely unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Even when I suspected I had long covid/post viral fatigue I was able to do a bit more than make some eggs and get dressed!

@its2025 GPs just give what they’re asked to give by the patient in this situation. If the patient says they don’t feel well enough to work the GP issues a note. It’s too subjective for the GP to argue, and they’ve got more pressing things to worry about. I know this because I’ve been a GP for nearly 30 years.

@StillChangingForTheBetter well if you feel that unwell and fatigued then you would honestly be better off resting at home, rather than getting your nails done and hosting guests.

That’s what I was thinking. I think I had 1 or 2 days off each time. Mind you, I only got paid if I worked so I couldn’t afford it.

So surely as a GP you must realise people recover from GA totally differently and just because you were fighting fit and back to work the day after doesn't mean the OP feels the same? I get that some people take the piss with fit notes - but I dont think we can question OP's recovery just for couple of posts on MN.

And also - as a GP just because OP feels fit enough to get a lift an post some parcels - doesn't mean she's necessarily fit enough to work a 8 1/2 hour day?!

Exactly this. in addition, GPs here no longer see patients for extensions to sick notes, so they can roll on for weeks.

I've done all sorts of things while off sick after surgery - been out for lunch (the first time a friend picked me up and drove, another time I walked), been for walks, I even went to the gym in the couple of days before I was due back at work. There's a big difference in doing something for an hour if you feel good and then resting for the rest of the day compared to doing a full day at work, and if you don't break yourself back into "normality" gradually, it's going to hit you hard going straight back to work fulltime after 2 weeks of doing nothing.

I was off for 3 months after a hysterectomy. I was told by occupational health that you can do anything you feel able to, because you are off sick to get back to normal and also so that you don't cause any problems by being at work (I imagine they mean you could make yourself more ill or delay your recovery).
The only thing they frowned upon was going on holiday.

I had an appointment with the occupational health doctor after the first month but only to check that I was progressing OK and to let my employers know what I was allowed to do when I went back to work. He was expecting me to do things like go for walks and be able to care for myself as soon as I felt able.

That's how I was, I had the laparoscopy on the the first day where they went in saw all the endometriosis cleared it out, was sent home on that night. I think I was in bed all day the next day one cause I was shattered but secondly the had told me I would never get pregnant naturally so I was upset but I was fine after that. I must have been fine as I had the op on the 20th October and my first son was due 28th July. So I couldn't have been that tired or sore.