Confused about going back to work *UPDATE*

Can you arrange a part time return for a few weeks? Say, 4 hours/day for 2 weeks, then 6 hrs/day and so on.

Well Miss Gail, you know my opinion :)

Does the nature of your work (or your company's culture) allow you to do any work from home or must you be in the office 8 hours a day, 5 days a week?

The company requires fulltime back only, but do you have any vacation or PTO days available that you coud use early on? Say, take each Monday or Friday off to make it a 4-day work week?

When I started back to work earlier this year, I started on a Wednesday - 3 day work week.
The next week was the 4th of July, so the office was only open 4 days.
The third week was a normal 5 day work week.

Also, I did have the flexability to work from home...so the 3-day week was all from home. 2 of the 4 days were from home. But the 5-day week was all at work. If I would have felt a drag from that full work work, I would have taken Thursday or Friday off, but ended up not needing to.

If you can't work from home, perhaps still starting on a Wednesday would help? Work 3 days, 2 days off. Work the next week, but consider taking a day off Friday (if allowed). Then you would have 3 days off before the next full work week...

I'm going to have to agree with habshockeyfan here.. see what your doctor says, but you really do have to put yourself first. I have learned the hard way that doing too much too soon just defeats the whole purpose of any recovery/remission you might have gained. And women (sorry guys but it is mainly true) are reluctant to put themselves first. But please do it for your health. It will be better in the long run, especially since you don't have the part-time option.

Be careful and keep us posted...
Sudsmom

Thanks for all your thoughts guys, they are appreciated. First off Roni, you are absolutely right I need to think of myself not my co workers, but being "me" I still fret about it. My doc has written me off thru this Friday, and will be seeing him again tomorrow about the Atrial Fibrillation. I am probably fretting for naught and he will probably extend it anyways. I will tell him to extend it as long as thinks I needs but make it where I go back on a Wednesday vs a Monday. That way it will ease me back into work vs a full 5 day week right off the back

I cannot go back, and then go off again. I mean I probably could, but I wouldn't allow myself to do that. I want to go back and be 100% sure I feel up to it. I am just concerned with still having these bad days each week and I have been quite crampy with it, and thats what knocks me down. I will keep you updated on what the doc says. Hugs!

Gee Nanners I hear what you are saying. I rarely miss work becasue I feel guilty too about the strain on my co-workers. I also find that working helps me to feel better. I would say definetly go to work except that your heart fibrillations concern me. Can you start with half days or the like? Kind of ease into it? That is what I did when I went back to work after my bad flare last year. Whatever you decide I wish you the best.

It is a shame your employers are not more enlightened. In the company I work for if you have been off sick for more than 4 weeks then you do what is called a phased return and this is individual for each person. When I went back earlier this year I started off doing 3-4 hours each day for 1 week, then 5 hours for 1 week, 6 hours for one week then had week holiday and back full time after that. It means people are less likely to go downhill again and the phased return can be lengthened if need by. They view if that would rather staff came back gradually and be healthy than try and do full hours and then have to go off sick again.

I've been off since midday Friday as had bad reaction to increase in the fentanyl pain patches, made me very spaced out - not safe to drive a car let alone a computer :). So have changed patches to Bustran ones instead and hope these work better but still have to have tests to decide if the Humira has caused Lupus or CTD, whoopee something else to add to the list :(

mtgman said...
i think clonehead's idea of starting on a wed is great! that gives you the short week to acclimate a bit. would they be understanding if you went, made it through most of the day but had to leave a bit early? it really sucks that these job thinggies always have to get in the way of our healing.

And I wanted to also add that while it was my idea in this thread, I got the idea from someone else in this wonderful forum a few months ago.  I can't remember who, but I thought I'd pay it forward. 

Phew... thank goodness for that!! I'm just so pleased you get to have more rest. Hugs x

so glad your doc was supportive! Take good care & rest and heal....

Yep, work will be there when you get back. Rest and heal is your main priorty now.

Take care of yourself!

So glad you have more time to get back to being you!

Do you have to be monitored for the coumidin? That can be a bit of a scary drug in and of itself too. Please make sure you are resting and taking care of yourself, you are very important to all of us.