Company and a whinge from A&E

[Professionalmess]

Fallen down the stairs for the second time in 6 months. Amongst other accidents.

Feeling mentally and emotionally broken by it all, and that's disregarding the physical injuries.

Right now I'm awaiting x-ray results for my shoulder. Bets on break Vs dislocated... Been waiting a few hoursbut resus is busy and I'm majors.

I'm hoping I don't need surgery. I can't afford the time off work.

Anyone for keeping me company and talking me through the emotional rollercoaster?

Fyi, this will be a ginormous drip feed asi don't know what will become relevant.

Awww hope you find out soon

I suspect we are talking hours longer rather than minutes. But I appreciate your support x

Sorry buddy! You defo sound drained.
but once you’re out of pain and have a good nights kip I’m sure it will be different

I'm not sure a will @Bluesheeps

This time last year I ended up with long COVID, then I injured my back before Xmas, fell down the stair in march and smashed both knees, last week I fell throat first on my bed post and ended up in resus, not I've fallen down the stairs again and I'm waiting to find out if my shoulder is broken or dislocated... It's definitely not a sprain.

My pet is also injured. I need to get home to give them pain relief and feed them.

All my injuries means I'm struggling to manage house work. I was just about making it through my working day before this new accident.

If I have time off with this I'll lose my job,or at least have my pay docked. Then I won't be able to pay the bills and I'll be homeless again.

Yesterday I called the doc, been having terrible suicidal ideation. Not sure it it's from my pain meds, hormones or just because everything sucks right now. I'm already having therapy

Are they investigating why you’re falling so much?

Easier said then done….but try not to worry too much about the other shit going on. Look after yourself.
I get it’s hard for your pet, but you’re also in pain so sort yourself out first.
housework - sod it for now, that doesn’t matter.
surely if you’re injured work put you on sick pay? You’re not going to be homeless again i promise

I suspect I'm falling now because of the high amount of Gabapentin I take for my back.

I could end up homeless again. There's nothing to prevent it happening

You can prevent it happening? Because you’ve been there before and you’ve got out of it. You’re stronger than you feel right now

But I have no money if I have no job. I have even fewer resources.

Just been and asked wait at nurses station. I'll be lucky to be seen before 6. And we're into a doctor's strike now so it's only gonna get worse.

Surely you can go on sick leave? Your employer can’t just sack you off.
sorry to hear it’s a long night

I've just come back off 6 months off for the initial back injury. I'm on review.

Ok shit that sucks. What do you do? Is it possible to get another job easy?
even if you’re on review surely with a shoulder injury they can’t change that?

I am a NHS lab technician. But even our great sickness policy only stretches so far

You’ve got skills then!
stop worrying about that for now.

There's quite aof you are an do to prevent this.

Talk to shelter

Tall to the government's debt advice line who'll help you prioritise bills and send template letters. To write to companies (like energy etc) to temporarily reduce your direct debits.

Speak to you landlord before paying the rent is due becomes a problem; there are ways they can help

If you have a mortgage, you cN ask to go on interest only payments for a while; they are obliged to offer solutions.

I've been where you are and where you have been; it's scary, but there are positive steps you can take to prevent bigger pro lems

I hope you're seen soo much for and your Injury is soon resolved, also 'if you are falling over so much you need to ask your doctor to either reduce your gabapentin (then slowly increase if needed) or swap you over to pregabalin which has fewer side effects and often works better. Good luck let us know you getting on.

Sorry for all the mistakes in my message, I use speech to text and it's not always as good as I'd like it to be.

Crikey OP you poor thing! You should have had an occupational health referral, I think you'll be OK being signed off again...tbh this many accidents you're not really safe in a lab xxx Wishing you a speedy recovery xxx

I've had occu health referral. All my accidents have happened at home, except for the initial back injury.

Thanks for the starting points on mitigating things @DontBeATwatPlease I shall refer back to it later when I know the outcome

@Professionalmess yes I know but doesn't mean the next one couldn't happen in the lab xxx

That's OK.

I was on a high dose of gabapentin. It cUsed me many falls too. I researched it and asked to swap to pregabalin.

Much better pain relief and no more falling.

Please try to not worry. I'm happy for you to message me if that helps, as I have been where you are and am out the other side.

They're all related to an ongoing issue, so you won't be sacked (its classed as a disability in the nhs policy). They will try to support you first. What stage of sickness are you on?

Also, an NHS worker. Who has previously been sacked for sickness with a different trust, but at the time, I was young and taking the piss.

It's actually quite hard to get sacked by the nhs for sickness. I went through 2 stage 3 meetings in the space of 2 years to get sacked, and none of my absences were related.

Seen by doctor at last. I've broken the top of my humorous. Waiting on orthopaedic doctors to decide the next move. Surgery or just a sling...

Work are gonna hate me.

I’m so sorry for your run of bad luck OP - I hope this is the end of your run of bad luck and things only get better x

A&E have sent me home in a sling to keep using Gabapentin and codeine. Codeine doesn't even touch the pain and I'm not taking anymore Gabapentin except for one final sleep when the pain gets intolerable. Called GP, they're siding with A&e.

I've tried to wash and dress myself since getting home and failed.

I'm supposed to stay sat up to sleep but have nowhere to do that properly and my back is already screaming in pain. I screamed practically all the way home in the cab as the break in my arm succumbed to roundabouts and pot holes.

I can't bend over the care for my sick pet.

I'm not gonna be fit for work for weeks.

I don't think I can do this.

Cocodomal doesn't work for everyone. I have back chronic pain and changed to dihydrocodeine 30mg x2 with paracetomal 500mg x2 instead of cocodomal 30/500

Sorry you're having a tough time at the moment x