Guess what?

What a day!  I went to the doctor. He DID release me to go back to work on this Thursday,  just like I wanted. And with no resrictions. I was happy. Then I get home and call my nursing superviosor. She was upset and said she thinks I am making a mistake. She said she thinks I need to come back on light duty. I don't want to do this. She said it is getting busy and winter is right aroound the corner. And that if I can't preform my duties than she will have to let me go. I told her I understand this and I accept that. This has really upset me. Myhead is pounding!!!! I called the doctor I work for and can't get in touch with him. I did call my doctors office and left a message for a return call. I do NOT want to go back light duty. I can do my job. I can do what is expected of me!!! I am sooo upset. I don't know what will happen... I'll post again when I find out...

Anice

Post Edited (anice) : 8/17/2009 1:13:23 PM (GMT-6)

Congrats to you. I wish you well. It will help you to get back to work. Where do you work and what are your duties. I think you sid you were a nurse right? I too am a nurse. i work at a paediatric hospital on a surgical, rehab, and cardivascular unit all ages. I miss my work terribly. I have been away since Oct. So I know how excited you must be to get back. I can see you smiling!!!
Keep your head up girl!!!

Congrats anice!!!!!! What fantastic news!! As far as your NS I would wait and see what happens on Thur when you go back to work. You have my total support darlin!! Great going!

Hugsssssssssssssssssssss

Scarred

Hey Anice, that is brilliant news that you can go back to work on Thursday. You'll just have to deal with the NS as you go, but I agree if your DR has released you then she can't override his descision. Were you managing to work before the op? If you were, you could remind her of how you coped then???

Just take it easy though, don't try overdoing it trying to prove you're able bodied to her. Make sure you don't lift and bend. You look after yourself and be positive!!! golitho

Thank you all so much. All your support is just great. And I hear all of you breathing a sigh of releif too as I know you must get tired of me going on and on about getting back to work...

I haven't gotten anything definite worked out yet. I did get the nurse to call me back and explained the situation to her. She said that they could rewrite the return to work paperwork and put limitations on this. She gave me several options. I could do my job (nursing) half of the day, and the other half I could do "light duty"(desk/paper work)for a couple weeks, or I could do light duty how ever many hours she(supervisor) requested me to do. I am suposed to call and let her know how I want her to fill the form out. She said she would work with me any way she could. So my plan is to either go up to my office first thing in the morning and talk with the doctor I work for or leave a message for him to call me first thing in the morning. I am not sure which I will do yet. After I discuss this with him, I will call the supervisor back and talk to her about it...It wasn't suposed to be this way. I didn't want any resrictions on me...I know I can do my job. I am determined in that way. I haven't ever seen this side of her before. She and I have never had words before now... I don't know why she is being this way. If I can say that I KNOW that if I can't do my job requirements that I'll be terminated, then why is she so determined to put me back light duty. The doctor released me today. He said I don't have to go back to him unless I have any problems. I just don't get this.. It is way stressful for me. It has given me a huge headache and made my BP go way up. I haven't checked it. I don't think I want to know right now what it is. This is just not the way I had it planned. When I spoke to her last week, I did tell her that I was still hurting. And that it was indeed nerve pain. But that I was ready to get on with my life and get back to work. I told her then, that I can do my duties. I can do my job. And now I won't be given the chance. It looks like SHE is putting me on light duty. And personally speaking from experience, I don't think sitting behind a deskk all day is going to help me with pain, I think that would make it worse. I know at home, I have to get up and walk around a little bit after sitting for a while.

Anyway, I will let you know more when I find out. Yes, I am very excited, well I was... Now, I am not so sure. I'll find out more tomorrow. Thank all of you so much for your wonderful support. I know I couldn't have made it this far without all of you being there for me. It has meant so much to me. You all are the greatest!!!!
Anice

Susie, My husband thinks they are thinking about me being a liability...I don't feel that I am. I do think I can do my job. Yes, I am still hurting. It doesn't look like it is going to change any time soon. But I need to work. He released me.

I can be on short term disability for up to 6 months. It will be 4 months on the 22nd since my surgery. I don't see waiting around for another 2 months. I don't see it making alot of difference in how I am feeling.

I still don't walk "normal". I still walk with smaller steps but I have gotten faster. We have 4 exam rooms on our side. And we are the least busy of our group. It is kinda like light duty in comparison with some of the others schedules in our clinic.

I didn't mean to do this to myself. I answered her questions. I told her that yes, I am hurting but that it is now time to go on with my life. And that I can do my job duties. I know that I can. She reminded me of the hard time I had before the surgery. But you know what? I was there every day. I did it. I didn't tell her that today. But she should know it.

This is stressing me out. But I can't change it tonight. I will see tomorrow what can be done to make every one else (but me) happy about this situation. What would make me happy would be to leave it as it is and be released to go back to work with no limitations , just as was written for me.
Anice

Skeye, Thanks. And you are probabley right. It doesn't look like they are going to let me do it the way I want to anyway. So it looks like I'll have to go to work any way I can right now. If I have to do the light duty, atleast I'll be making the same amount of money, and the main thing is I'll be back at work. As much as I don't want to do it this way, it may be for the best. I have to do what I am told to do. I want to keep my job so it looks like I have to be a good girl.

Anice

I am with White Beard but I really think they want you doing your reg job. I have no doubt you will give it your best shot. From this point on, I would be very careful on what I said to them concerning the pain-as Bionic said pain can cloud our thinking just as much as medication can. Tread lightly and be your upbeat self with them. I missed something, why are you now asking for restrictions after being given a full release. Restrictions will muddy the water up even more I would think and after you getting a full release with your dr, wonder what he will think when the nurse talks to him. WOW. Try to relax and play your best hand.

Anice,
I want to add m congratulations, too, but I guess I kind of weigh in with Skeye's thinking. I do wonder if your nursing supervisor is thinking about their liability, and to be honest she has every right to. Plus, she may want to do everything possible to make sure you're successful in your return, and easing in slowly can insure that. That half/half mixture really sounds like a good way to start from my perspective. I know when I went back to work after my surgery - and I only ended up going back part time because I had been laid off - it took me awhile to adjust to even a couple of days.

I'm thinking what's the harm in a couple of weeks? You'll be working, and plus it may ease the supervisor's mind, plus save your relationship with her, and give you the best chance of success. If you jump right back into those full duties and can't do it, then she has to let you go. Go back and reread your posts for some of the other more recent threads. You did talk about how much pain you were in even at home by the end of some days. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but you can make the restrictions for only 2 weeks, and then both you and your supervisor are going to know where things stand.

It seems like you got what you wanted from your doctor. But your workplace has to protect things there, too, even if it's just legally from their perspective.

I hope you decide to just relax, go back for a couple of weeks along with your supervisor's plan, and just celebrate!

Hugs,

PaLady

Hi friends, I have now been given my "new" job description. I will be on full light duty. I will do all the phone calls for the clinic-for 4 pediatricians!!! I will be on desk duty. She said for 6 weeks. I spoke with the nurse at the doctors office. She will now "rewrite" my release. And she made me a follow-up appt. for Oct.1. I guess then, I can return to my old job. I was told second hand that I'll be light duty until I can "walk normal". I may not ever "walk normal".

All this is VERY upsetting to me. I can't help it. I guess the important thing is that I'll be back at work and at the same pay. I'll do what is expected of me. And I'll do my best. I always do. One other thing is upsetting me. The supervisor told me that I was stuggling to keep up before I had my surgery. I didn't know this!!! I did what was expected of me. I did my job. And I never once said I can't do it. I was there every day and worked my ... off. I worked until the day before I had surgery!!!!

I need to pull myself together. This is the way it is. I can't change it. This is what is expected of me now. I will be a triage nurse and doing referrals, calling rx. in,etc... I will have to get over being upset. It isn't going to change anything. I'll have to bite my tongue and do all this with a "happy heart". I am just glad to be going back to work, period.

Hugs to all,

Anice

WhiteBeard, Your support and everyone elses means so much to me. I'll be okay. I just think it is pretty crappy on her part. But I am glad nontheless. I am very ready. And it will be great working again and bringing home a "real" paycheck, not this 60% pay, I've been getting. So I am glad. And I'll be okay as soon as I process this from my head to my heart...

Anice

I ditto what WB says. Of course sitting at a desk 8 hours is nuts, thats hard on a good back!! But, you may very well be able to get up and move around which should not be a problem. I think if more kinks get thrown in your rtw you may end up out the door before ever given the opportunity to see what you are actually capable of doing. This is a job at a drs office not a union job with a union to back you up. Not trying to be sarcastic here but, this rtw deal is working towards getting out of hand. I would just go in and do what I can & see how things go. Its temp just remember that. Joba are far too hard to come by and you need this one. Good luck on Thursday.

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'll be up and down taking the charts back to the stations, back and forth. I was not happy about the sitting down so much. I know that it isn't good to sit for too long at a time. I will move around often.

I feel like I am being sabatoged. I feel like I am going to be set up. And I feel like I am going to be pushed on out of the door. I have been here for 13 1/2 years. I have never felt like my job was in jeporady. I do feel this way now. I feel like this is a demotion and a slap in the face. I am feeling alot of things. I will pay very close attention since the way I walk seems to be of a major concern here from what I hear. And still I am so upset how she (nursing supervisor) can MAKE me do this. I have a doctors order releasing me to return to work with NO LIMITATIONS. That seems to make no difference here. I am really appalled at how she can dispute my doctors orders. It doesn't matter how I feel. It doesn't matter what this has done to me. It doesn't mattet that she has yelled at me for 2 days in a row. This has upset me so much. But I am going to sit down and write as much as I can remember of the conversations we've had to protect myself. I just feel like all of this is about to blow up in my face. Sorry. I am just upset. And maybe if she had treated me with the respect that I treat her with I wouldn't feel this way. I never raised my voice to her. She has treated me like trash for 2 days. I do not plan to speak to her again unless I am required to. As far as I know I am through with her. I think everything has been arranged and discussed. I reallly don't see any need in talking to her about anything else atleast any time soon. I will go to work care tomorrow to give them the release, and then that's it. I am so glad I won't have to see her everyday. I rarely see her, thank goodness. I have never had this kind of experience with her until now. She doesn't work in our office. She is over all the nurses in all the clinics for our hosp. Thanks again for listening. I think it is all out of my system now.

Tomorrow I'll drop my son off at school. Then I have a PM appt. I will go pick up my new doctor release, take it to work care, then get a haircut. I have alot of other odds and ends to get taken care of before Thursday. I'll be good and get it all out of my system by Thursday morning. Thanks for listening.

Anice