Oh fucking hell, I am going to have to call in sick on my NYE night shift!

[HTKB]

I've got tonsillitis. I am probably feeling as ill as I have ever felt as an adult. Temp intermittently going up, along with shivers and shakes. Agony speaking or swallowing. Incredibly weak. One side of throat visibly blown up.

I have penicillin, I am gargling with Corsodyl every couple of hours. I am taking cocodamol and ibuprofen.

I am supposed to be working tomorrow night shift on labour ward. I got the whole of Christmas off in return for doing this shift. I also had two days off three weeks ago because of that crappy virus going around.

Fuck! Any ideas what to do?

Oh OP if your not well, your not well. You can't help it!
I know exactly the guilt though. We were on hugely minimum staffing yesterday and I had a mega emergency and had to leave early morning (very early morning). I felt so bad, but what can you do?

I don't know if you would do this but I have taken photos of my swollen face etc as evidence to send them when cancelling

OP if I was giving birth and the midwife there was clearly ill with tonsillitis I'd be seriously considering putting in a complaint about them putting my newborn at risk. YABU to go to work in the circumstances.

Poor OP. Anything to do with your throat is so miserable because there's no relief and it's always there. I tried Vicks Chloraseptic(?) and that helped a little bit just to let me swallow some sleeping pills and sleep through it. That was the only thing for me. Waking up just to spray again and have a bit of water.

Do you have somebody who can ring in for you tomorrow?

Poor you it is horrid. Had it 3x's all together. First time dp had it, he really did think he was dying. He actually apologised to his sister who used to have it frequently up until her teens, he thought it was just a 'sore throat'.
But please , if I were you, give them the heads up today though in work, just in case others are off ill- as soon as you say what it is and that you are on antibiotics, which you've just started, they will know you can't come in. But in case others are off, they have some time to find cover. Nothing worse than something saying they can't come in at last minute!!!

You might well feel better tomorrow, and bacterial tonsillitis isn’t particularly contagious (you’d have to snog).

All that said it’s probably less than ideal you working tomorrow. I would call to discuss, see what they say.

I feel your pain OP. Also a HCP, meant work yesterday, 31st and 1st, had Xmas off. But I'm sat on the peads ward cradleing my sick 14month old.

It feels shit to let my team down, they're having to work extra to cover me. We carry a bleep and my absence has been escalated to the chief exec . Not much I can do dh is home with the 3yr old and my 14month old really does need his mum.

I hope you feel better soon and keep a lid on the guilt.

HTKB
Poor you, I feel your pain. The year swine flu was going round, I caught it. I was supposed to be on nights 30th and 31st. I was SO poorly but was adamant that I was going to work, right up until 8pm when I was shivering and sweating in my duvet when my husband finally put his foot down and made me call in sick.
What made it even worse was that 31st was my birthday and I was convinced they'd think I was throwing a sickie!
As it was, my boss was lovely, and I ended up being off for about 2 weeks with it!

Same hung happened to me a couple of years ago; I had proper tonsillitis, temperatures above 40, took me a good week to 10 days to recover. I’m a doctor and had got some time off for Christmas by working over New Year, but I couldn’t get out of bed. I felt v guilt but there was nothing I could do. Be kind to yourself and hope you feel better soon x

You can't go to work in a Labour ward whilst having Tonsillitis! You must be crazy to think that'd be ok.

Fucks sake. I posted on Mumsnet yesterday when I was in the throws of stomach flu. I needed to take my mind off feeling like I'd been hit by a lorry.

Couldn't actually make it out of bed to puke though. You're being unreasonable @Viviennemary

I had 2 sickness bugs in the first 3 weeks after maternity leave so I fully get the guilt thing. But if you're ill you're ill. Call them now and put it out your mind

what a sad state of affairs is it if a midwife who is clearly unwell with bacterial infection is under so much pressure to show up and work in a role which involves dealing with newborns I agree. But unfortunately it's the case in most jobs. Every job I've had has been the same. I'm a carer and obviously working with vulnerable people but many of us have had to go in when unwell. It's awful because we are putting people at risk but we are pretty much forced to come in due to pressure and being short staffed anyway. And we don't get sick pay. Losing a days pay is a lot of money when you earn so little, single parents like myself can't afford it.

Hope you feel better soon. Unfortunately really nasty tonsillitis can really knock you for six. Last time I had a bad bout the doctor tried to sign me off for a week. Unfortunately I was on a residential trip abroad with a load of students so I had to refuse. It was a seriously hard week, I felt truly truly awful and spent of lot of time wrapped in a blanket on the coach feeling wretched.

I had similar a few years ago. I'm also a HCP and got tonsillitis about 3 or 4 days before my NYD shift so was able to give them notice to find cover. They were fine about it (as was the person getting the BH overtime rate), but I felt dreadfully guilty.

My colleagues are dropping like flies this week with bad colds and chest infections. As they say there's a lot of it about atm.

Plus flu season is only just starting to kick off, so it is definitely going to get worse.

It is really awful that health workers feel forced to work when they are unwell because of staffing or pay. Patients and clients are vulnerable and at risk of picking up infections, how can that ever be acceptable.

How are you feeling OP?

My dad had a pulmonary Embolism and had days to live, he was posting away his goodbyes to friends via email because he also had a throat infection, he was shaking, white and in agony, and I barely recognised him, so, to say someone cannot post because they are ill is complete twaddle, unless you are a giant kitty cat @Viviennemary....Jesus.

I’m a nurse and had to call in sick for my shift today because of a bad cold. I’ve completely lost my voice and as I’m 7months pregnant, I can’t even dose myself up and crack on. I feel awful but unfortunately if I can’t do my job safely and effectively then it’s better for me not to be there.

I wouldn't want you anywhere near me in labour, much less near my newborn. Stay home, get well, and cover a few shifts for people to make it up if you still feel guilty. Get well soon

Are you feeling better OP. Did you make it?

Volunteer to do Xmas next year. Give whoever covers your shift flowers.

why are you asking Mums net, its bloody obvious you don't go in sick and risk giving what you have to new born babies, silly question really!

Vivienne - many work places insist you have to phone. I questioned this when I went back in after a day and a half with a chest infection (no sick pay so went back in) as by that point I had no voice. I was told it was still necessary, even if I then had to follow it up with a text if they couldn't understand me.

I've also been able to use my laptop even when really unwell. If you're awake but feel too ill to do anything using a laptop / tablet / phone from bed takes very little effort.

Nothing you can do. You’re sick. Phone in and explain. Or turn up clearly ill and get sent home. Either way if you’re that sick you won’t be working!

Besides anything else you can’t really take that nasty into a labour ward can you!!