Time off

[Christinedonna]

I know that when you call in sick obviously it's common sense to not leave the house, if you're seen out it defeats the object of not being able to go to work but what about when you have time off to recover from surgery? Some people have said to me if you're ready to go out you're ready to work.. But taking all your painkillers and doing something for the few hours you're feeling better doesn't seem the same as doing a days work to me? Obviously I'm not planning on going to a theme park or roller skating for the day but is going for lunch or doing a bit of shopping taking the mick? I've had a laparoscopy btw (4 days ago)

I think if you're having time of for physical ill health then I'd expect outdoor stuff to be limited to recuperative constitutionals as opposed to shopping and lunch. Those things do require a lot of energy. Of course, if you have a physically demanding job that is different.

I'm off sick at the minute after shoulder arthroscopy, I had lunch out today, I'm not sick just need to heal and recover xxx

So you'd expect someone recuperating from a physical problem to,stay indoors, mainly TheHappinessTrap?

Can you see that getting out and about builds physical stamina so that someone might return to work more quickly?

After my op last year I couldn't have stayed mooching round/near the house for months, I would have gone stir crazy! Lunch, walks and light shopping was just what I needed.

My procedure was on Monday and I haven't left the house since. I feel like I'm going crazy! I need to do something and have even returned to all the house work, on my hands and knees hoovering the carpet..it's stupidly painful but I can't not do anything. I feel like little outings maybe getting my nails done or having lunch with friends is just what I need but I don't want people to think I'm milking it by being off work but seen out

OP I am the veteran of 3 operations for different reasons over the past 3 years. Operation 1 - I was signed off work for 2 weeks as I wasn't allowed to risk catching a cold or similar (operation on my sinuses) so I stayed at home watching daytime TV and doing lighthouse work, if I had gone out I would have made a mockery of the sick note.

Operation 2 was keyhole surgery and again I was signed off for 2 weeks, I was in pain or very tired for most of this time, and couldn't drive, but yes I popped into town to pick up some shopping or go back to the doctors, getting a lift and going with a friend as I didn't feel up to going on my own.

Operation 3 was major surgery and I chose to take a 6 month break from work, if I had still been employed I would have been signed off for around 12 weeks minimum. During this time I started daily walks to build up my strength and went on trips to town on the bus. Then I came home and slept to recover.

My point, if you have a sick note (or whatever it is now called) following an operation then it could well be that daily outings are good for your recovery. This is totally different to emergency sick leave when you call into work as you feel unwell, then go out for lunch with your friends.

Its a bit of a minefield really isn't it. I'm currently off with vertigo and migraines..whilst I'm mostly in bed currently as I hopefully improve over the next few weeks I need to work up to getting back to work by doing some of the things that make me feel bad..like supermarkets, walking etc but I'm going to have to do that by leaving the house but I'm really scared of being 'seen' and accused of having a nice time when nothing could be further from the truth.

Yeah exactly it can't be good for anyone to be cooped up in the house starring at walls for weeks. It's crazy how much better a shower made me feel so I can't imagine how myuch getting out would help!

A shower definitely helps, when I have been in recovery or even just when I am feeling unwell, I always make myself get up, shower and put on clean clothes, even if this exhausts me so much I have to go back to bed.

Somehow this helps my mental health, as does fresh air.

I had a laparotomy last year. Part of my recovery was that I kept moving, I have a desk job where I sit for 8 hours a day, couldn't drive and was signed off for 7 or 8 weeks in total. During that time my mum took me out in the car, shopping etc. I was 'seen' once and felt bad but the fact is on that shopping trip my mum had to tie my shoelaces for me said it all!

I had a hysterectomy a couple of years ago. Had the op (and was full abdo surgery, not keyhole) on the Monday, home on the Friday, the following Monday or Tuesday I went to town for a couple of hours, just to get out. I was driven the half mile there. My friend and I walked half a mile maximum, and that took a good hour. We then had lunch in a pub and got a taxi home - where I slept for a couple of hours! I was in no fit state for work, but staying at home drove me up the wall. It was however, the first step towards me going back to work 5 weeks later.

Think your own body tells you. I have been unable to work for 5 months and have been signed off under doctors orders for this long. Frustration at times has been an understatement. Initially I was ill because of meningitis and think my brain must gave been well and truly effected as thought it was just a bit of a headache and an ache. After a little spell intensive care and sent home to 'rest' did not technically need a note as was off work anyway ( in education). If I remember rightly even making a drink was a mammoth task so even thinking if going out into public did not enter my head. Other than the weekly if not more frequent hospital / doctors appointments physical I couldn't go out. Once physically I started to get better I started doing normal things like shopping by only with company and then always with company as emotionally could not cope with the prospect of seeing someone and being asked how I was as was still dealing with things myself. As an individual if at any point in the 5 months I felt I was doing stuff that could be seen as 'totally normal everyday life' then I would have been fit for work. Only yesterday did I go out with daughter and husband and manage a anywhere normal couple of hours.