12 weeks - Your perspective on back to work
Posted , 10 users are following.
12 weeks this week. Nerve and muscle damage. Still on narcotics every 4-6 hours. Barely walking. The muscle still too weak to make knee weight bearing.
Surgeon put back to work date as May 6th. Felt intimidated by work and had surgeon revise note to return March 30.
Just spent another almost week on bed rest. I know there is no way I will be able to go back then. Unless there is a miracle in the next two weeks.
Have consulted with legal firm and I am protected by the ADA. Can't be fired even if I take a decent amount of extra time off.
I am thinking to let work know now with fair warning that I will be out after all until the original return date. I feel a lot of pressure from some family and colleagues to return to work. I feel intimidated.
BTW, I am normally a tough cookie. I suffer from chronic migraines and never miss work. If it was just pain I could "tough" it out, but I cannot sit, walk. Still on walker with severe pain when walking. Can only manage very limited walking.
0 likes, 35 replies
terri59470 Milla2017
Posted
Hey there Milla, sorry To hear you're going such a rough time, although you seem to have come to a decision about returning to work.
As for being pressurised by certain individuals, my suggestion is to sit them down, sign into YouTube and make them sit and watch a TKR. The whole thing! If that doesn't shut them up, nothing will! Also,
I remember Old Fat Guy described the surgery in pretty graphic manner one time, when someone else was having unreasonable expectations heaped on them, and I admit to using the description myself a couple of times, it sure shuts people up!
I hope that your recovery continues and that you stay strong!
Milla2017 terri59470
Posted
Thanks Terri. Great suggestion! It took me a good 6 weeks post op to watch the video and I had a much better understanding of why my leg felt terrible as it did.
Now if I had seen that video before the surgery... 😖😖😱
eileen15268 Milla2017
Posted
Oh, I've just watched the video it's incredible surgery I hadn't really given it much thought as to what it entailed. No wonder it hurts so much. I'm 7 weeks post & not fully realising when I feel better & have over done it & have to lay up a day or two, it's sometimes 1 step toward & 2 back. I'm only on paracetamol as I've had enough of the side affects of harder drugs , will see doctor tomorrow to see what she advises. I'm expected to be back to normal by my husband,he thinks I'm putting it on I've told him he wants to try it. Sorry to winge feeling down
:-( tomorrow is another day .
ali95530 eileen15268
Posted
My day hasn't been so good either ... pains where I haven't had them before but thankful I haven't got to relive the last 6 weeks.
onwards and hopefully upwards.
hugs xx
ali95530 Milla2017
Posted
I've just watched it again. The first time I watched it was a few months before I had my TKR. My consultant thought I was mad when I told him lol
Having watched it for the second time post op I can see why there's been so much pain, swelling and bruising.
cant wait to set those scanners off at the airports now I'm bionic 😂
Milla2017 eileen15268
Posted
Eileen
Love my family to death and they have been very supportive but very soon after I got comments like but the surgery was so many weeks ago, why are you still suffering. Or implying it must be because I am not doing what I am supposed to or I am being "negative".It is especially hard to maintain motivation in a situation like that. You know my new motto. Go get a TKR and then you can talk. 2 Weeks after one neighbor said: "But it is fixed now. How can you still have pain?" Focus on yourself. Do something for yourself to make you happy. Pamper yourself. And if someone had something to say either ignore it, it is pure ignorance or if you are mouthy like me ask them when they had their TKR. I am including you in my prayer list. Big Hugs🌻🌻🌻🌻
Milla2017 ali95530
Posted
It is an eye opener! You are brave. Had I watched this before the surgery I might have opted out.
My home therapist had a great analogy. And medically true. She said you have to remember that your leg doesn't know if it was in a bad car crash where both your femur and tibia and knee was fractured ( which is when they saw off the bone from all those bones. ). Just because it is elected surgery doesn't make the trauma less.
eileen15268 Milla2017
Posted
Thank you Milla, I love my husband too but as you say he just don't understand. It's hard & days like yesterday when I felt so down, not like me at all , you wonder how much more you can take. But today is another day & I pray for strength to take me through & all fellow sufferers x
eileen15268 ali95530
Posted
Yes Ali that's a point we haven't got to relive the first 6 weeks. I guess the pain isn't quite so intense & I sleep a couple hours at a time now instead of one, it's just that it's seems to be going on & on. Am sorry to hear that you've also had a particularly rough time just now, I think sometimes we think, how much more can we take? & then we go on again , well we have to don't we. So glad of this thread to talk to people who KNOW.
dolores84206 eileen15268
Posted
eileen15268 dolores84206
Posted
Yes Dolores the nights are the worst . I ice mine as much in the night as the day. I can't wait till it all subsides & can get a decent nights sleep. I had my surgery 21 January it's seems an age ago. Sure we'll get relief soon & appreciate our new knees. Keep your chin up
ali95530 eileen15268
Posted
I sleep ok most nights but I guess that's from sheer exhaustion and Tramadol. The unfortunate thing about Tramadol is that it gives you horrible hot sweats.
i'm divorced so at the beginning my grown up children helped me out lots but like everyone says they seem to think that six weeks on I'm ok which most days I'm most certainly not. The gloomy days get to me as I'm not usually that sort of character luckily ... this op is something else
bak7833 ali95530
Posted
eileen15268 ali95530
Posted
I was on Tramadol and Naproxen for a fair while then it suddenly got to me & I could hardly get to the loo in time to empty my entire stomach. Lost half a stone,thank goodness I'm off it now & on Co codamol & Codeine . Sorry for the graffic info