How long have you been off work when I’ll?

[Unconvinced8768]

Off work with absolutely exhaustion after (probably) COVID back in January. Have pushed through and through and through and finally body gave up last week and I’ve been off sick since.
have never had time off work before and feeling very weird and miserable (also no end in sight to this fatigue so probably at least another week until I’m recovered as currently still in bed).

What’s the longest you’ve had to be off work??

12 weeks after spinal surgery
3 weeks after major endo surgery

A fortnight, when I had my tonsils out as an adult. It was horrid.

At most, 3 days in a row- late 40's now.

OP- have you had blood tests to check its not a deficiency or something else going on? Anaemia, thyroid, diabetes, Vit D or some sort of immune deficiency making you so run down?

The longest I’ve ever been off was 4 weeks when my mum died.
For actual illness the longest is probably about a week

Nearly three months with depression and stress. Needed to totally shut down to get well. You must listen to your body. I hope you feel better soon

6 weeks with burnout. Total physical & mental shut down.

Beside that bugger, I took 2 days off for some but not all of my miscarriages. A couple I miscarried on the Saturday and was back at work on the Monday. Time off was because I needed morphine in A& E and couldn’t drive until it wore off.

Im like those French & Saunders farmer’s wife character I am. No time or patience to be bloody ill.

I’d only ever taken a day or two, max, when having a bad cold/infection/flu-tyoe thing. Then I got breast cancer and took 6 months off while having weekly chemo. I had to go back to work then as the sick pay expired. I then had to work through my surgery, radiotherapy and oral chemo all of which lasted a further six months and it was absolutely grim - nobody should have to do that but financially I had no choice.

Six weeks with post-viral syndrome.

3 months last winter due to burnout

I’m really hating being off. Part of it is the uncertainty of when will I/will I ever recover.
Have had every test under the sun by the GP and all normal. I just feel like hell, breathless, exhausted and useless. DH having to run the house as I can barely cook a meal let alone do laundry etc.
it’s awful.
A few short weeks ago I was totally normal and now I’m an invalid.

Longest ever was 2 months after my husband’s sudden death. I only managed to go back on a phased return which built up quickly to half my previous full time hours, and that was really tough to do, so I asked to cut my permanent contract to half time and stayed doing that for another couple of years. It was a good balance for me though insanely expensive in salary and pension contributions. Also if I weren’t a qualified professional in a shortage profession I might have worried more about finding more work after I felt able to go back full time.

Currently on week 6 off work after surgery for cancer and have just started chemo. I've another 6 weeks to go then my full pay finishes. I need to then decide if I stay off for the last 8 weeks of chemo, but on SSP, or try working reduced hours but put myself at risk due to a suppressed immune system.