Guilt for missing work when ill

[Emilia77]

I always had issues with my poor immunity and due to that I have missed work a lot throughout my adulthood years. Im pregnant now with my 2nd one and just recently returned to work as been not fit to work due to my poor health(other reasons). Im now 2nd week at home with viral infections and it just seems im not getting any better and getting very frustrated because it takes so long to recover. My child is ill with me home, so need to look after her too but mostly im worried as Im missing work and feeling guilty. i think my lovely colleagues who were so supportive before, have lost faith in me as I'm ill again. but im putting work always first and not thinking that i need to be calm and look after myself, my family and my pregnancy. I know my colleagues working double and are super busy and dont have time to think to comfort me each other day. And of course, guilt doesn't help me to recover as i don't let my body to relax and heal. its like a closed circle. How to calm down and stop over thinking? Im thinking to give a call to my manager today to update us on my health and say how I feel. But it wont reduce the amount of work for them..

[NGC2017]

i understand your feeling of guilt @Emilia77

I know it isn't the same but today is my first day back after being off work for a week with my poorly child. I felt a daily battle knowing I have a duty to care to my child, but also a duty to my employer to do the work I am employed to do.
Between me and my DS, we dont have the best run of health, and though it has improved over the last year, I feel terrible whenever I am off due to illness. I am a lone parent, with working parents so I have no childcare for when my son is ill, so it will always be me having to take the time off. I work for a small company so absences hit them quite hard, especially my job as its only me that does it. Comments have been made about illness levels before but I cant change it, and it is frowned upon. I am quite sensitive though so it hurts when comments are made about something beyond my control.
It definitely makes you feel guilty, not just for being off work, but I feel more horrendous that I feel like my duty to work should take precedence over my duty to my child and myself. That should never even come into my head, but unfortunately it sometimes does :-(