Coping with being signed off work
Discussion
Flip Martian said:
AlexC1981 said:
Game of Thrones should keep you occupied if you haven't seen it yet.
I haven't - I'm one of the few on the planet who haven't, apparently. Doesn't appeal at all but no doubt tv will be taking up some of my time.
FlyingMeeces said:
Dunno if it's your cup of tea but I'm liking the BBC Musketeers series at the moment. Good mixture of half-decent fight choreography, rude jokes, ripping the piss out of the French monarchy and various easy on the eye people being easy on the eye in period costume.
I know what you mean. Yes, seen a few of those - more my wife's thing really. Apart from Gotham I don't really watch much current tv. I think it will be catching up on older stuff I've not watched yet and a few films. E65Ross said:
I was off work for around 6 months due to health reasons last year. Once I could remotely function I used to read a lot, watch TV programmes, go for short walks, sleep when needed etc. It can get a bit boring being off for that long.
Six months?! Eesh... I should have nothing to worry about then. Must admit that would have sent me round the twist.Well I've got through a lot of web surfing, a 2 hour Carry On film special on youtube, 2 episodes of Buck Rogers with my wife (dvds were a present for her - don't ask me why she likes it so much bidi bidi bidi), a bit of Angry Birds and 90% of a book so far.
An update - still off work, 8 weeks later and not seen a consultant yet (the appointment isn't until next week). Managed to rest a lot, short walks out, etc and after about 5 weeks was starting to improve in small amounts, while still feeling exhausted and having brain fog some days. Then my wife said she wanted to empty the shed and I felt able to help a bit - but moving some heavy stuff in a wheelbarrow was a bad move. The following day I was back in bed and utterly knocked flat again. I've been recovering again since.
I've been taking organic multi vits, B12 and D. I've started taking 5-HTP to boost serotonin levels as my sleeping isn't great, with all this inactivity, and I've been doing body scanning meditation as that's apparently meant to help. When I've been back to the GP to update my sick certificate, they've only suggested anti depressants. Which is frustrating - the 1 thing I am NOT is depressed (I've been depressed before and know the signs).
I've been able to deal fine with the absence from work - taking the view that I will get well enough and for now I have to be patient. I've stayed positive throughout, apart from the odd day when there's been a setback. I miss getting out to places for the day and having the energy to do stuff but I'm not seeing them as gone forever.
Just frustrating that the GP can't offer anything productive and the hospital appointment has taken so long to come through.
I've been taking organic multi vits, B12 and D. I've started taking 5-HTP to boost serotonin levels as my sleeping isn't great, with all this inactivity, and I've been doing body scanning meditation as that's apparently meant to help. When I've been back to the GP to update my sick certificate, they've only suggested anti depressants. Which is frustrating - the 1 thing I am NOT is depressed (I've been depressed before and know the signs).
I've been able to deal fine with the absence from work - taking the view that I will get well enough and for now I have to be patient. I've stayed positive throughout, apart from the odd day when there's been a setback. I miss getting out to places for the day and having the energy to do stuff but I'm not seeing them as gone forever.
Just frustrating that the GP can't offer anything productive and the hospital appointment has taken so long to come through.
Very appropriate thread for me at the moment as yesterday I broke my foot after a 25kg granite parasol base fell on it (the handle broke as I was carrying it). I work offshore in Norway and had just about completed my 4 weeks home time. I was sorting things out prior to my planned departure for Bergen this evening. X rays at hospital last night showed fracture and got all plastered and bandaged up. I will now miss my entire 2 week trip and will then have my normal 4 week off time. In completely unchartered territory here as in 17 years that I have done this job with commutes from Spain, I have never missed so much as a day due to illness.
Was all a bit scary, as due to relatively recent circumstances, I live alone in a largish and isolated property, so had to deal with it myself and get myself to casualty etc.
Never really appreciated the thing about being fit and able until now. This is awful, can hardly move around and there are so many things needing doing.
Was all a bit scary, as due to relatively recent circumstances, I live alone in a largish and isolated property, so had to deal with it myself and get myself to casualty etc.
Never really appreciated the thing about being fit and able until now. This is awful, can hardly move around and there are so many things needing doing.
Edited by el romeral on Tuesday 6th September 21:24
jules_s said:
You sound like my mrs
She had glandular fever, at the age of 47. Took them a stupid amount of time to diagnose it too
Same as my daughter, glandular fever that led to M.E./CFS, she's been off school since the new year, having to have home tuition, barely able to walk any distance.She had glandular fever, at the age of 47. Took them a stupid amount of time to diagnose it too
el romeral said:
Very appropriate thread for me at the moment as yesterday I broke my foot after a 25kg granite parasol base fell on it (the handle broke as I was carrying it). I work offshore in Norway and had just about completed my 4 weeks home time. I was sorting things out prior to my planned departure for Bergen this evening. X rays at hospital last night showed fracture and got all plastered and bandaged up. I will now miss my entire 2 week trip and will then have my normal 4 week off time. In completely unchartered territory here as in 17 years that I have done this job with commutes from Spain, I have never missed so much as a day due to illness.
Was all a bit scary, as due to relatively recent circumstances, I live alone in a largish and isolated property, so had to deal with it myself and get myself to casualty etc.
Never really appreciated the thing about being fit and able until now. This is awful, can hardly move around and there are so many things needing doing.
I felt the same when I broke my ankle, although my wife looked after me very well. You notice all the things you just take for granted, like getting about and just doing things, when they're taken away. Hopefully you'll heal up quickly.Was all a bit scary, as due to relatively recent circumstances, I live alone in a largish and isolated property, so had to deal with it myself and get myself to casualty etc.
Never really appreciated the thing about being fit and able until now. This is awful, can hardly move around and there are so many things needing doing.
Edited by el romeral on Tuesday 6th September 21:24
Pickled said:
jules_s said:
You sound like my mrs
She had glandular fever, at the age of 47. Took them a stupid amount of time to diagnose it too
Same as my daughter, glandular fever that led to M.E./CFS, she's been off school since the new year, having to have home tuition, barely able to walk any distance.She had glandular fever, at the age of 47. Took them a stupid amount of time to diagnose it too
Flip Martian said:
I felt the same when I broke my ankle, although my wife looked after me very well. You notice all the things you just take for granted, like getting about and just doing things, when they're taken away. Hopefully you'll heal up quickly.
This 100%. After I had surgery I woke from being a 100% capable human being to being utterly, utterly helpless (couldn't talk, swallow, double vision, move etc). All the little things we take for granted!E65Ross said:
This 100%. After I had surgery I woke from being a 100% capable human being to being utterly, utterly helpless (couldn't talk, swallow, double vision, move etc). All the little things we take for granted!
With hindsight I think its what has made me more positive this time around - I value everything I CAN do now and take nothing for granted.Flip Martian said:
Pickled said:
jules_s said:
You sound like my mrs
She had glandular fever, at the age of 47. Took them a stupid amount of time to diagnose it too
Same as my daughter, glandular fever that led to M.E./CFS, she's been off school since the new year, having to have home tuition, barely able to walk any distance.She had glandular fever, at the age of 47. Took them a stupid amount of time to diagnose it too
Heartbreaking to see a normal active 12 year old confined to days in bed because she hasn't got the energy to move, and in agonising pain when she does try to.
Amazing to see how many doctors still don't recognise CFS as an illness (our GP to name one) but she has a great consultant who specialises in the illness.
Pickled said:
Yes I've had to bite my tongue many a time when the mother-in-law has said she looks fine and maybe she's just being lazy!
Heartbreaking to see a normal active 12 year old confined to days in bed because she hasn't got the energy to move, and in agonising pain when she does try to.
Amazing to see how many doctors still don't recognise CFS as an illness (our GP to name one) but she has a great consultant who specialises in the illness.
That does sound more like ME she has - they seem to differentiate the 2 on the basis that ME sufferers have pain too. Something I don't have (I don't think legs feeling like they're generating too much lactic acid really counts as pain).Heartbreaking to see a normal active 12 year old confined to days in bed because she hasn't got the energy to move, and in agonising pain when she does try to.
Amazing to see how many doctors still don't recognise CFS as an illness (our GP to name one) but she has a great consultant who specialises in the illness.
Apparently we don't have an ME/CF specialist in our local hospital so will be interesting to see what the rheumatologist I AM seeing next week, says. My GP only last week was trying to get me to take anti depressants and said "that's all the consultant will say"!! MIght end up needing to be referred further afield.
Its reading cases like that of your daughter that stop me getting down about this - there are so so many worse off. I hope at some point your daughter recovers some of her mobility again. Bloody awful thing for a child to go through.
Feels like forever since I started this thread - but I finally saw a consultant this morning who confirmed Chronic Fatigue after a lengthy talk and examination. There is apparently a specialist unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital who can offer a care and support package, including monitored exercise and CBT – which are the only 2 treatments clinically proven to be effective in alleviating symptoms. He’s suggesting that to my GP, as well as the name of the CFS specialist at Oxford if she wants another opinion (but he thinks that’s not needed, he’s quite sure this is what it is).
The consultant dismissed the use of SSRIs altogether as there’s no clinical evidence they help, unless there are other psychological problems – and he detected none in me. I think he was quite impressed with my attitude really and the fact that I'd done my own research. Best outlook seems to be that gradually I'll get more energy back but will have occasional relapses. He did underline that while few are cured from it, those who lie in bed all day and do nothing tend to get worse, not better. So I'll try and get out for a short walk every day at the very least and ultimately hopefully get back to work before long.
I'm seeing it as a positive - at least I have a diagnosis now. And God knows there are plenty of people worse off than me. Good luck to anyone with chronic conditions, all we can do is deal with them as best we can.
The consultant dismissed the use of SSRIs altogether as there’s no clinical evidence they help, unless there are other psychological problems – and he detected none in me. I think he was quite impressed with my attitude really and the fact that I'd done my own research. Best outlook seems to be that gradually I'll get more energy back but will have occasional relapses. He did underline that while few are cured from it, those who lie in bed all day and do nothing tend to get worse, not better. So I'll try and get out for a short walk every day at the very least and ultimately hopefully get back to work before long.
I'm seeing it as a positive - at least I have a diagnosis now. And God knows there are plenty of people worse off than me. Good luck to anyone with chronic conditions, all we can do is deal with them as best we can.
OP I know how you feel, I've been off work for 9 months now (luckily fully paid) and I can honestly say it's been the worst 9 months of my life. Only part of that has been due to the original injury.
I've found TV to generally be bad, a downward spiral of depression and regression to the point of not speaking to anyone. The best thing I've found is being able to walk the dog (last 2 months) and in my case Mission Motorsport have helped massively, combining something we love with a bit of integration back into normal society/routine.
Thankfully I should be returning to work soon, only problem being I'm now very anxious about going back as it's been 12 months since I actually did aby proper work and feel like I'll be way behind my peers.
I've found TV to generally be bad, a downward spiral of depression and regression to the point of not speaking to anyone. The best thing I've found is being able to walk the dog (last 2 months) and in my case Mission Motorsport have helped massively, combining something we love with a bit of integration back into normal society/routine.
Thankfully I should be returning to work soon, only problem being I'm now very anxious about going back as it's been 12 months since I actually did aby proper work and feel like I'll be way behind my peers.
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff