Hi ladies im new to this site,i am due to have my rectocele repair in three weeks,i had my pre-op today. I have been off work for 13 weeks already as i stand for 8hrs a day and am in discomfort and pain. I have problems sitting,standing and walking and also leak from my bladder before i can make it to the loo and i have to help my bowels to open. Some times i go to the toilet for a wee and my bowels open too,i have to use wipes to clean my self,i can go through a whole toilet roll and pack of wipes in one sitting. My work place are putting pressure on me to return-can they really do this,it is causing me alot of stress! I work on a production line and apart from the discomfort i am not able to go to the loo when i feel the need,sometime 3-4 times an hour.
tracey a lot depends on your contract and how long you've worked for them. If you have a sick note then they know you are genuinely unwell and you are going to need about 12 weeks off following your operation. My advice would be to go to Citizens Advice and get some free but excellent advice.
Hi Tracey, yes I was like u I was off 9 weeks b4 my op then off 11 weeks I returned bk to work for 3 weeks and I'm off agen my recovery is slow and uncomfortable , if u putting a sick note in they can't force u bk , if ur worried may be u cud speak acas
Thankyou Matron,ive been there four and a half years and have a full contract. I have given them sick notes and hospital referral letters but they call me every week. I went back yesterday to work but couldnt manage my job as it changed whilst i was away,i have been referred back to the nurse to find me another job but they are all standing!
Thanks Joan,im so stressed out,you must work for a very understanding company. I have given them sick notes and hospital referral letters but they call me all the time!
They shouldn't be contacting you especially when you have a sick note. You are within your rights to ask them not to contact you so often. I was a senior manager in the NHS and I do remember that they can't keep hassling you.
Yes I work for the council Tracey they av rung to see how I am but not to put pressure on me to return they are very good
Thankyou for all your advise,im in the union so i will speak to them tomorrow too.
Thankyou Joan for your advise,im going back to the docs tomorrow and will speak to the union rep from work.
Let us know what they say , don't let them stress u
thankyou x
That is an excellent idea tracey. Try not to worry too much, I know it can be difficult but the more relaxed you are before your operation the better your recovery and remember this is a great forum for advice and support.
thankyou for your support,im glad i found this site x
Hello I have just been off work for 5 months, and I do feel for you at the moment as all you need is to be worrying about work, where I work after a month off it is classed as long term sick and they like you to phone in every week as they also have a duty of care towards you. you are also better to stay off from work as it is then only 1 sickness on your record. You could ask your consultant for a letter, but contacting the union is good, good luck and keep us posted
Sarah xx
Thanks Sarah,there are such lovely people on this site,have you had an op? X
Hi ladies,i just an update,i have spoken to my doctor and he said that he agrees that i shouldnt be standing and should not rush back to work,he has signed me off until 29th Feb (op 19th Feb) and will sign me off until i feel i am ready to go back to work. I spoke to the nurse at work and explained the situation,i think she is under pressure by management to get people back to work asap,she was really understanding until she said that she will call me a week after my op to discuss my return to work as it is not a major operation,ha ha ha ha,well after what i have read on here i dont think i will be back that quick x
That's good news tracey but it seems to me that the nurse at work has no understanding of prolapse surgery. I can't believe she said it isn't major. It makes me wonder just how much knowledge she has and as for discussing your return to work, well that's between you, your GP and consultant so when you get to that stage just firmly but politely tell her you are under the care of your GP, you don't have to say anything else. You are entitled to patient confidentiality.
Very true Matron,im just happy to get them off my back for a few weeks x
I can imagine because it becomes very stressful being contacted all the time. I think these workplace nurses forget about patient confidentiality