Hi all,

Well, Im due to go back to work next Tuesday 30th March after having 3 weeks off with a flare. Really want to go back to try and get back to normal, whatever that is!! Nervous as well as I know there is an oral warning pending (its the way it works in our department) and also worried that Im going to burn out. This flare has really knocked the stuffing out of me, so Im really going to have to pace myself. I work 3 days per week, Tues, Weds, Thurs and have got a weeks leave booked for w/c 12th April. Im hoping that my line manager will let me have the next two Thursdays or Tuesdays off to ease myself back in!

Saw the GP Monday (he is lovely) and he told me to stop taking the co-codomol but gave me morphine tablets to take alongside paracetemol. Ive been taking Celebrex twice a day for the past 3 weeks as well which really help. Had a good chat with my GP about acceptance of this illness and he assured me that once the meds combination is sorted I will feel better (roll on that day!) Im seeing my rheummy specialist on 13th April.

My husband has gone away on business to Montreal today for a week so am really missing him already! My kids are great though. Jack my 18 year old is on hand for when the furry monster Bruce bring mice in, gets bored with them and they wander around (eeeekkkk!!!!) Ive bought him a collar with a bell on (although we are on the second one this week already) as the hooligan lost one in a fight!

Good news re my daughter, she auditioned the other day for a part in the Wizard of Oz, didnt get Dorothy, but did get the part of the Good Witch, so we are really proud of her!! Jack has applied for several more engineer apprenticeships which are looking promising.

Will keep posted about work etc, keep well everyone, and lets hope they've got ir right this year and we have a barbeque summer!!

love Heatherxxxxxxx

Hi Joanna, thanks for the reply. Yes the warning will be to do with sick leave. Ironic isnt it, as I work for the department of work and pensions!!! Im not sure what will happen when I get back, Iknow my job isnt under threat but there are certain processes that have to be done. It really annoys me as there are people in the department as in organisations across the country where people seem to get away with murder and then theres people like me who have a genuine illness and cop the lot!!! Anyway, I'll keep you posted on that one. My line manager is very good, so fingers crossed.

Take care

Heatherxxxx

Hope your return to work goes well Heather.

Doreen xx

Hi Heather,

Hope all goes well next week. I am also a civil servant. I used for work for DWP but work for the Home Office now. Have you had your sickness trigger points adjusted? RA definitely falls within the DDA. I have had the trigger points adjusted and a certain amount of any sick leave is treated as disibility leave when directly linked to RA (they still put limits on this but I still get a fair chance now). It does mean that you have to declare yourself to have a disability (which some people are reluctant to do), but it has helped me to get help I need in terms of equipment and support and protects me if I have a flare, or like last year when I had to have an operation, to some extent. I then don't have to have those excrutiating meetings with my line manager where they tell me they are forced by procedures to give me a warning. I strongly recommend you check the staff handbook and guidance on DDA.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Julie

Hi Heather,

Good luck going back to work - hope it goes well. Your GP is right - once you are on the right combination of meds things will be better.

Well done to your daughter!

Kathleen x

well done heather for going back it must be hard i now i had to give job up year ago and i really miss it and the people

Hi Heather
Good luck for your return to work. I know how you feel, I'm going back to work on monday after being off for eight weeks after very nasty flare in my hip, followed by various joints. I'm a Health Visitor working in the NHS. I've had to have a couple of meetings with my line manager during this period of sick leave and have been to occ health, who have reccomended a phased return, I think partly because the occupational health doctor looked like this when I told her about the RA and was googling RA when I walked in!
I think it's terrible that you'll get a warning when you go back, where on earth do they get these policies from??!!! I hope they give you the leave your entitled to.
Clairexx

Hi Heather,

Wishing you all the best with your return to work. Julie has past on some useful tips, and would encourage you to look at your entitlements as a disabled employee so that you can receive support whilst in work.

After nearly a year of being off sick (I'm having lots of complications with the drugs) I'm now in the process of being ill health retired. It's come as a big shock, but know with my other health complications I would not be able to cope with plodding the streets as a 50 yr old community social worker.

Good Luck,

love,

Barbara
XXXXXX

Good luck for tomorrow Heather. Let us know how you got on.

Bella - so glad it was'nt too horrendous for you - hope it lasts and you manage to get a good rest tonight.

Juliex