To be irritated by all the "medical staff" in my office.

[Charlie97]

Leaving work Monday, I had an unfortunate trip, when it happened, I felt extreme (and I mean extreme, difficult to breath!) pain, also felt a "elastic band type snap"

Called OH, straight to A&E, the nurse did a "Simmonds test" and said "you've snapped your Achilles Tendon", her words not mine. She called orthopaedic surgeon, he advised that as I was very swollen, she put me in half leg cast and arrange for scan and further examination in six days time. She further explained that the options then would be

a. surgery to rejoin
b. a "boot" cast and let it heal

Well, I have gone back to work (I accept I am short tempered due to pain and medication and extreme frustration at not being to move and being so reliant on others), sedentary job and colleague picked me up and will take me home. My colleagues are all suddenly medical experts, comments such as

1. If you had snapped it, they would immediately operate, you can't have snapped it.

1. You are not in enough pain, it can't be snapped

1. You would not have half leg cast but full leg cast if it had been snapped

Now, I know little about the injury, only what I have googled and been told by the nurse, but they are really getting on my nerves with their "medical knowledge".

My answer to them all was.....well I am in a half let cast, I am in pain and only going by what the nurse advised. Those are the facts and let's see what is said on Monday.

It's like I am trying to pull a fast one, please note this is the first time since joining this company (four years ago) I have EVER taken time off sick, so I'm not renowned for my want to exaggerate ailments.

Reading this back, I sound like a spoilt child, but it is exhausting and a horrible thought that this could go on six weeks plus and they are being extremely unhelpful with their derogatory comments!

They sound really fucking annoying.

That sounds really fucking sore btw!

Ask them why if they are all so fucking medically astute they are not doctors themselves? Idiots!

Oh that would really wind me up too. I'm so sorry about your accident and hope you have a fast recovery. As for your colleagues, you're just going to have to rise above it and ignore them all until after the scan. I am torn between wanting you to have snapped the tendon so you can smile at them all smugly when you return to work, or the alternative which would hopefully mean a quicker recovery for you, but no smug feelings.

Grr, some people just don't think before they open their mouths.

That is a nasty injury and bloody painful.

I'd ask them when they did their medical degree - it should shut them up.

I had a friend who severed her tendon on a glass, she was in agony, sympathies.

Tell them you're fed up of their comments and don't wish to discuss it anymore.

"Really? Is that so? Gosh, could you call my nurse and let her know she's wrong?"

Please say this!

'If you think the nurse got it wrong, do call her, if you think I'm exaggerating an illness in some way that affects my work, please talk to my manager. In the meantime I'm in pain and getting some work done and yes, a cup of tea would be really lovely'.

But they're probably just confusing the implications for your ability to work with those for a premiership footballer.

I have two colleagues who would do this. One of them is an insufferable know-it-all on every subject, the other has always got a story to trump yours. "Broke your leg? Mine fell completely off and had to be reattached by robots" type of thing.

I hope you feel better soon OP

I would just enquire where they got their medical degree from.

ask them if they think that you are lying or the hospital is incompetent. It has to be one or the other, so which do they think it is?

Kill them all.

Hope it heals soon.

I'm a proper 1st aider in my office (and spend part of my shift in the medical room) but I wouldn't dare pass judgement on someone's injury that has been diagnosed by proper qualified medics.

'Oh thanks. Why are you doing this job though, if you have a medical degree?'

I've had similar.

I broke my ankle but it couldn't be properly diagnosed because the swelling made the X-ray unclear. I had to go back 4 days later for further X-rays.

When I rang in to work another supervisor took the message and told everyone I'd sprained my ankle.

Everyone was a little shocked when I went in with a sick note for a broken ankle, they wouldn't let me return as they didn't allow people on crutches in work he said he didn't think I could've possibly have broken it because I didn't have a pot.

Since you've had so little time off, you probably haven't encountered the armchair medical expert phenomenon before. Their 'expertise' is usually based on something that happened to their mother-in-law's best friend's taxidermist, although they'll claim it happened to them. They've also probably forgotten most of the relevant details, and haven't kept up with developments in the field. It's very tiresome. Pregnancy elicits this kind of attention-seeking behaviour too. I think in the circumstances WireCat's advice to kill them all is probably your best bet, but if you can't catch them due to your injury, you could silently hand out cards with the consultant's phone number.

Ouch!
They sound bloody annoying and a bunch of unempathetic morons.

Owwww!

DFiL snapped his several years ago and was part of a trial to investigate whether surgery or boot cast + let it heal worked better. So both are absolutely a thing.

Owwch, I partially severed mine in the summer and it bloody hurt so a full rupture must have really hurt! I was signed off work for 2 weeks and on crutches from my toe to me knee.

It didn't hurt as long as I didn't put my foot down so I didn't physically look in pain and people thought I was fine, I couldn't flipping walk though as that hurt like hell!!

I'd tell them all to sod off and mind their own business

Mind you a diagnoses by a nurse is a bit scary. I know the nhs is poor but surely you should see a doctor for something important? I trained as a nurse practitioner it isn't exactly a MD

I broke my elbow a while back, didn't see a single Dr at the hospital. Went from GP who didn't suspect a fracture to Radiographer, nurse in A&E and out with a sling and some advice. Fucking brilliant service.

Glad you are so joyfully happy. Good for you. I am opening the champagne as we speak.

I fractured my wrist 18 months ago, xray showed a scaphoid fracture, they put it in a splint rather than plastering it. I went back to work the same day.

I was given an appointment to see a consultant and have an MRI the following week.

People at work:
"Oh it's not fractured or you wouldn't be able to type"
"you aren't in any pain, it's only a sprain"
"It's not swollen / bruised, not fractured"

A week later I have the MRI - fracture confirmed as well as a tear of the scaphoid ligament resulting in 9 weeks in plaster followed by physio.

That shut the fuckers up.

CavalierQueenCharlotte, if you're a nurse practitioner then you should be more supportive of your colleagues.