Hi there hippies,
Only 9 days post right THR and recovering during the UK summer holidays. My school have requested that I see Occupational Health to assess return to work and reasonable adjustments. They want me to attend a meeting in the holidays. I can bearly move without sticks so unsure what this appointment will do so early on in my recovery. i work with very young children aged 3-4 and am on my feet all day nornally on floor, jumping, running,moving furniture, lifting, cleaning etc, as well as carrying out teacher admin at my desk afterwards till 6pm. Any other hippie teachers who have returned to work- please could you share how the return was managed?
Hi Carol
Sorry I am not a teacher but I do work in education.
If you don't feel up to attending an appointment with your OH can they visit you at home?
I agree with you this seems very early in your recovery to be assessed. I had a RTHR on 28th April and did not return to work until I was 12 weeks post op as I did not feel ready. In fact it wasn't until week 10 that I started to feel that I was getting there and would have even considered my return.
I am only 46 and have a desk job but I am always going from meeting to meeting and do actually have to spend quite a bit of time on my feet.
Listen to your body and don't feel pushed into anything you feel is too much. Working with small children you will need to be heeled well enough not to worry about your surgery if you were to suddenly need to move for the safety of the children!
Good luck with your recovery, be strong and output yourself first!
Paula x
Carol, I have messaged you. I think you need to take one step at a time. You have had the surgery and now you need to concentrate on healing before thinking about return to work.
Occupational Health work both for you and for your employer. If you can get to this meeting then do so but if you can't then ring them and arrange a home or phone visit.
OH are useful for you in explaining to your work why you are off and making recommendations for you. If you are local authority funded and not private then you can have anything up to a year off. They will NOT be looking to get you back to work in Sept. Your minimum time off will be 3 months.
I have told you what my consultant said to me about preserving hips and nursery children are not ideal but that is all in the future.
Your doctor will give you a straight off 3 month sick/fit note. OH will make recommendations to your employer - please don't stress! You have time and no one will expect you to get back to work when you can't move.
Inform your union also of your circumstances. They won't do anything but they are then aware of your case.
I also know where your head is now, it is stressful and makes you panic which is not good for healing. get some reassurance from your doc, from OH and keep in touch with your school, who, btw, are just following protocol by sending you to OH.
Love and light
Kate
Hi Caron, OH should only be doing an assessment when you are ready to return to work i.e. when your consultant says you can. I can undersand that they will need to have the assessment done but NOT before you are ready to return. I would suggest that you offer to see their OC in your own home while you are signed off sick - to show willing. You might find that the OC will cancell the appointment anyhow until the consultant/doctor say you are fit. The Dr should also take into account the job you do when deciding - so make sure s/he is aware.
Thank you for your reply. I will take it easy and wait tfor the appointment to come through and take it from there. Others are saying it is a minimum of 12 weeks off so I wont start pushing myself to be back for 1 September!
Caron
Thank you. I do have a very supportive Head and in addition I am the Deputy so I am pretty stressed to have to let her and the school down at the moment. I am doing lots of admin work at gome to keep me occupied so that is a bonus. I will make sure that I dont overdo things and will try to contact my doctor to ascertain a sick note to give me some reassurance.
I will just take one day at a time too as my other hip is deteriorating too and could need operating on within a year.
Love and light.
Caron
Thank you for your reply. I'll wait for the OH appointment and take it from there. I will speak to my doctor to ensure they know about the role that I have. I'll let you know how I get on. All very new to me this.I've had perfect health and sickness record since I started work at 16 and now Im 54, I feel like I am falling apart. I am so looking forward to being fit and active again!
Caron
15 years ago I had my hip replaced in June aged 47 and a full time primary teacher. I recovered in the holidays and just went back as normal other than not doing playground duties straight away. All my adjustments were before my op - so I didn't do playground duties and TAs did my photocopying as I couldn't stand for long periods.
Maybe then there weren't all these protocols!
This time I gave up before my op- I was only doing a day a week having given up full time some years ago and won't be going back. I am not in the same physical shape I was though the first time when I had a really quick recovery and no other ailments.
Hope you get everything sorted.
Hi, I am a HLTA and had a new hip the end of May. I too had to see OH and saw them once my surgeon had signed me off to normality. I don't think it's fair that you should see OH until your surgeon has signed you off, after all he knows you best. Having said that OH were brilliant. I don't need a phased return as have school holidays but she did recommend that I stay on one site (we are a 2 site school), that I am assessed for a proper chair, that I am risk assessed for unruly students (I work with SEN teenagers). I was also worried about school trips and she said no to any outward bound trips. It was very positive.
I hope yours is too, and it sounds terrible to say but for once you have to be selfish and put yourself first - you want/need this hip to last as long as possible. Take care and good luck