Push on or stay home

[icepole]

I've been off since October with post viral fatigue. I am a teacher in a secondary school and decided to try a phased return so I could get back to senior classes and my faculty head suggested I do mornings only. Got to school and was told I would need to do more than this. I said I felt it was too much and was told that was what I was to do, end of discussion.

I felt pretty awful today and burst into tears twice. I spoke to my union who said talk to the dr again. I spoke to my faculty head who said she would cover one of my classes tomorrow.

I don't know whether to push on or get signed off again. I feel they will just keep pushing me and that I need to wait until I am totally well but on the other hand being off is a nightmare for my senior classes. My faculty head suggested I might feel better if I manage to push on till the end of the week and I feel everyone around me expects me to just get on with it now.

i think you really need to speak to your doctor to see if they have any ideas as to when you will feel better. it sounds like you need more time to get well.
good luck.

I agree. Get medical advice. Teaching is physically strenuous which may be exactly the wrong thing for you right now.

How are you doing ICEPOLE? It's so stressful being expected to know how you are going to feel in a day/weeks time. I understand that they need to know how to plan around these absences, but that doesn't make it any easier for you or your doctor to plan how I'll you are! Did the doctor suggest a phased return? If he did, then surely what your school are trying to make you do is a health & safety issue?

I have not had a great week. I was signed off again and spent Tuesday and Wednesday in bed. Plan to stay home until I am 100% as the school are not supportive. I keep thinking of how much I was doing last year and now getting through the day is a challenge and I wonder what happened.

It is not in your head. I am also struggling with fatigue and it is just completely different than being tired. I remind myself that I have been through two newborn babies and never had this feeling, so I am not making it up! I think it is just very hard for people to understand.

It's always so much worse when you work in schools though. I spoke to a head of department last week, explaining my illhealth at the moment to be told 'as long as you're back before Christmas there won't be a problem with x y z'. You cannot plan illness like this & I have ended up being signed off for a little longer than necessary knowing that when I do go back, I can hit the ground running! You must put yourself first!!!