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!

"Are you implying that I am not telling the truth about what my injury is?".

Watch them squirm.

Thanks all! I favour the kill them all route. Lol.

I had a very loud conversation on the phone to OH, him obviously asking how I was blah blah, I loudly responded that it's ok I've been assured of my diagnosis and it's not snapped and that I might not even go back on Monday, why would I? Repeated the reasons why they all KNOW it's not snapped, not in enough pain etc etc.

There have been lots of offers of tea etc now!

I think you're doing very well. I'd be lying in the sofa at home with my foot up, eating biscuits.

My colleagues told me my tonsillectomy recovery would be like bad tonsillitis for three days then I would feel perfect, well it's hell on earth 7 days in and I'm cursing them. people believe that when someone is ill/hurt the attention is on them and like to make them believe it's not a big deal and that they are just being over dramatic. I don't know why people do this, I just see it all the time . Maybe say 'oh I didn't know you were a nurse , can you have a check for me ? '

Oh I was also told I'd be back at work 2 weeks after a hip replacement

I asked for an immediate pre operative referral to occ health. They changed their tune sharpish

I did it years ago. I left the NHS because it was frankly dangerous. I saw so many terrible things.

I'm 7 weeks into treatment for an Achilles' tendon rupture. I'm off work as I have a very active job. It hasn't been managed surgically, but in a boot and it's going well. Boot v surgery- similar results now . I've read a lot about it.
I found sleeping with the boot on really hard to start with and that alone would have affected my usefulness to be honest, had I been able to go to work. In the boot you are encouraged to weight bear and that does make it more painful than it probably is now if you are currently none- weight bearing on crutches.
I've found the one thing that is really important to my level of pain is to get the leg up for at least an hour in the afternoon. If I don't do that then it quite aggravated by evening and I suspect I am fairly grouchy. Is there some way you can do this at work?
Anything you want to know, feel free to ask.
Good luck on Monday.

Virewofthehills, that is really useful, much what was explained to me. I just finding the none weight bearing so tiring at the moment.

We will see what Monday brings, I'm going to try not to pre-empt the treatment and go with the flow. Or of course ask my colleagues coz they will know

a2011 I hope you start to feel better soon, I was shocked at the recovery time for a tonsillectomy when a friends child had it do e' ??

If they are normally nice people, is it possible they are trying to make you feel a bit less worried about it/trying to reassure you a bit? In a 'fingers crossed the nurse is wrong and when you are properly examined they'll find it isn't quite as serious as a full snap' , rather than their not believing you.

I've had a couple of serious things and got the 'maybe it's only X' reaction to it, but those people were only trying to be nice (in a bit of a strange way).

It's bloody annoying when people seem to think they know more than you and your Dr's about your ailments. I have RA, it's bastard painful and it's getting worse. I've had someone tell me I shouldn't be on my medication because I "don't look that bad and you don't want to be taking tablets like that anyway". Never mind the fact the tablets are the only reason I'm functional enough to work.

I hope you make a full recovery op. a2011x, my DS had his tonsils out, and he was ill for a fortnight. It was far worse than tonsillitis - they warned us it would get particularly bad at day 5 post-surgery, then slow progress getting better. He was on pain relief constantly for that 2 weeks just to eg him eating and drinking to help his recovery. It's horrible, and I hope you're better soon too for you both

My stock response to your coworkers' comments, Charlie97, is to say "Oh. Is that so?" and get on with whatever I was doing at the time.

It drives me absolutely batty when people try and second guess what a doctor has told me; it couldn't be that you'd be in much more pain etc. I live with pain every day. I'm used to dealing with it and am quite good at muddling through even when it's horrid. I tend to play it down when talking to people. I trust my doctors to make a medical diagnosis more than unqualified people who happen to know someone who had the same diagnosis.

Dh snapped his Achilles' tendon and was given the choice between surgery or cast for several weeks. He chose the latter.

You are right, your colleagues are tits.

Just wanted to say good luck at the hospital tomorrow. Let us know how it goes!

I favour the approach of saying, 'Oh, I never realised you were medically qualified, but now I have you here, can I talk to you about this awful itch* I developed?'

*itch / discharge / lump / paranoid delusions - any of these would work equally well.

I've had this for years from SIL over DS's Reflux....he was under a head guy part of Oxford University and she knew better than him. The same as when my Dad had a stroke...havn't they done xy or z ?.Its tiring having medical know it alls in the family

The correct response is: "Thank you, doctor."

My sympathies! I think a large mallet with spikes swung around your head would get the message across...!

Dont they understand you could have taken the easy route and be at home restng up??

Ive had this a lot too.. I have a chronic arthritis condition... Bloody painful and depressing on bad days when I can do f-all..

One colleague 'caught' me taking a whole load of prescribed meds in the loo.(I dont enjoy others commenting or offering 'help' .. She obviously felt the need to tell the rest of the group room....
.
Cue lots of exclamation how THEY wouldnt take pills.. Um they would if it was the only way to get out of bed, the only way they could focus on work...

And, how they 'absolutely, no way' could take pills.. As they dont like them (like I do?.!) how they are addictive.. Most of them are not, the ones that are... Well it's either addiction or no life... ..

Lots of vague comparisons how they/someobe they know has OA... And they were 'cured' by using hot water bottle/massages.. I hope my rheumatologist is aware of such cures...

And just look at those paraolympains doing high jump/marathons with no limbs/no sight etc etc you get the drift...

Well I've done a proper job! It's snapped with a significant gap, no choice but surgery! Waiting for a bed now, I'll let the medical officers in my office know that they need to reassess their diagnosis!

Get well soon it sounds horrendous, I wonder would your surgeon like to contact them and offer them tickets for your surgery, help them update their "medical expertise".

I'd either suffer in silence with a halo taped to my head and groan at various points through the afternoon...

or I'd be tempted to say something along the lines of either:-

'well ask my nurse/' etc

or:-

'nurse/doctor has actually signed me off sick now as I 'can't move' so see you in XXX weeks' (joke that was...) and see what they say to that.

My colleague is an ex intensive care nurse and similar to your staff or lacks/is sympathetic depending on her mood.

PS - hope you get better soon. Sounds bloody painful.

IamtheDevils - perhaps OP could set alight to herself in burning martyr style?!

Beryl - even better but have the itch someone personal - like crotch area, bottom area or feet area.... watch them flee....