1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Osteoarthritis

my new diagonosis

Posted , 3 users are following.

dave308
dave308

hi guys need a little advice i am currently employed as a print finisher/guillotine operator ans i have been off work since february 2014 with a pain in my right groin/buttock well finally i have a diagnosis and my doctor has told me no more heavy lifting and no more running although she recomends swimming and walking and light excersise.well ive been off work for quite a while now and i got called in to talk to the occupational consultant he seems to think i can reverse this situation and get back to normal so tomorrow i am going back to work on light duties having recently being sent home because my manager got quite angry when i presented him with my sick note saying i was fit to do light duties and come back on phased return to work. well to be honest my work was very heavy manually as im a guillotine operator and have to lift heavy work into the guillotines and some of it is very large and heavy to the point that i struggled before i hurt myself before christmas 2013.i am worried about how long these so called duties are going to go on for and when i stand if the manager tries to make me start heavy lifting again and straining myself. i need to know what will happen if i refuse to go on the large guillotine(very heavy lifting,twisting and turning) oor on the large drilling machine where sometimes i have to climb up on top of it to set the drills.im terrified im going to hurt myself more or that they will just sack me or force me out of my job please help.

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • crissy_wissy
    crissy_wissy dave308

    Posted

    Dave...your employer has to make reasonable adjustments especially if you consider yourself to have a disability.....if those adjustments cannot be made and you are incapable of doing the job you are employed to do then ultimately you could be dismissed on capability grounds...I'd get your union involved at the earliest opportunity.

    Good luck but nothing is as precious as your health...perhaps the employer can find you something lighter as a long term job...?

    • dave308
      dave308 crissy_wissy

      Posted

      they have said there is no other job for me and im not in a union sad

       

  • dave308
    dave308

    Posted

    sorry forgot to add that i have now been diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the right hip and at some point in the future im looking at a hip replacement im worried that my employer will either try and get rid of me or they will try to make me do the job i did before i hurt myself what are my rights? i just dont want leave and be left in the lurch but i dont know where i stand and what i can do if they try and force me to do jobs that i feel are too heavy for me.i have been trying to find another job while been off but im not having much luck as of yet.
  • crissy_wissy
    crissy_wissy dave308

    Posted

    You can get advice from Disability rights UK....on a positive note...once you've had a new hip you will be so much better....I suggest you join a union too! 
  • eileen64__UK
    eileen64__UK dave308

    Posted

    Hi Dave

    I'm sorry I cant help you with the work angle of it.....I'm retired.....but I cant see that it will get back to normal......All of us with arthritis can adjust and adapt ...do things a different way. I have OA in both hipos, spine, ankle nd neck.....have had 2 hip replacements...both went well but 4 weeks into revcovery of the second one I was doing an exercise {NHS one} and there was a crack......they took me bck into hospital for a couple of days, decided i had fractured my Gfreater Trochanter bone {spelling} so I'm on crutches now because they cant do anything "it will heal itself but will take a long time.....been 8 weeks now!!}

    Do the exercises, all light impact......no heavy impact like running etc. You need to strengthen your muscles. I hope someone who knows more about the work situation than I do comes on and answers.

    Eileen

    ps will pm you

    • dave308
      dave308 eileen64__UK

      Posted

      well hi there and thx for replying eileen smile well my so called light duties went well this morning turned up for my first day back and was told that id be on the small guillotine (its a normal sized guillotine but they use the name to diffrentiate betweenthat and the large guillotine. well at least they provided me with a chair to sit on as and when as i cant sit on it all the time operating a guillotine. after just afew minutes my right hip starts to ache and then i get a pain/ache like cramp at the base of my back and right across to my left buttock (ive had a constant ache in my right buttock for a few weeks now. anyway left leg gets a little achey i feel a bit of numbness in it making me feel sick i went over to my supervisor and asked if there was any chance i could have half a days holiday as my hip was hurting and i needed to go to my gp abt better pain relief he went and asked and next  thing my manager is in front of me saying that they have put me on light duties and if im saying i cant do the job then i will have to go to human resources office. i said im sorry but i am hurting and i cannot do my work i said "what do you want me to do ignore it and carry on regardless? he just said i dont know im not suffering with it am i?. so off i went to hr ive told them im strugling with standing for long periods and they said thats what the chair is for i how come im only on light duties for 4 weeks i also said my condition will not get better only worse so what happens after the 4 weeks are up will they be expecting me to go back on the very heavy lifting large guillotines the hr lady just said dont worry about that just yet omg how can i not worry part of me wants to just walk away from the place another part is scared of what will happen if i do or i dont sorry for venting on here but i dont know what to do.
    • eileen64__UK
      eileen64__UK dave308

      Posted

      Hi Dave

      Glad the light duties went well for the morning at leastwink

      I've found with OA  that you cant sit too long nor can you do exercise or walk for very long...one is as bad as the other.....you have to hit a happy mediumconfused  I know its so easyto say dont worry but it is true....there is no point because everyone is different, we all progress {or not} at different speeds.

      This is coming from the  person who had a hip replacement and 4 weeks later had a fracture in that bone so am now on crutches.....I've been told they cant do anything about it...it will heal itself but I'll be left with a dip and it will take a long long time......am I worrying??? Of course i am. I had myself sorted before with the OA and spinal problems and knew what i could do and how to do it and then this!!!!eek

      Did you check that link out.......they give lots of good advice.....none of them are medical.....all people with various kinds of arthritis so they have been through what your going through.....or some will.

      Hope things get sorted for you

      Eileen

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.