Busy and important week ahead. Pocket duties please

Slosh

Well this is going to be a busy week and also an important one and I'm feeling a bit anxious. To take it day by day.
Monday, I'm going into work, not just to visit but to meet with the teacher who has been covering me during my absence. Some of you might remember my previous mentions of her. Anyway tomorrow the plan is for me to spend 3 hours with her starting to catch up on things. Feeling anxious both about finding out what she has done and how well I will manage this. She's not the most understanding of people and this will be complicated by the fact she had assumed she had a permanent post and instead her contract has not been renewed. When we arranged this she assumed I would be in for the whole day.

Tuesday, physio, worry here is to see if the muscle weakness in my left shoulder, arm and hand has got any worse.

Wednesday, the big one. I have a hospital appointment with an xray to check how well my neck fusion has taken. Unfortunately other things have not gone so well and I am basically in the same position as I was before the op with the added bonus that I now have a bit of a swallowing/throat problem, and my walking has got worse. In spite of that I am hoping to get the ok to get back to work, and hopefully some more effective pain meds.

Friday, visit to my GP for blood test results, discuss meds, and hopefully for a fitness to work note so I can get back at least for the last few days of term.

So, any support you can give will be much appreciated.

Numptydumpty

My word that's a busy week!
Is the one you're least looking forward to, Monday? If so, at least it will be dealt with and out of the way first
None of the others, are things you can really prepare yourself for, so it's a case of suck it and see, I guess!
I hope it all goes well and you get the outcomes you desire
I'll be thinking of you, take care,
Numpty

dreamdaisy

It's a week which will pass because they do. I am facing a week of major disruption here so may not be about as often but I will be thinking about you (and also furiously waving my arthritis wand in the direction of your colleague). DD

villier

Crikey that is what you call a busy week, haven't had one of those for a while. I hope all the appointments go well and have favourable outcomes. Us lot in your pocket you do so at your own risk as there is usually alcohol involved and can turn out a bit ermmmm 'raucous' :shock:(I wont mention any names ) good luck slosh will be thinking of you..................Marie x

dachshund

Hello Slosh
i will be thinking of you and hoping everything goes well with out too many problems.
take care
joan xx

GraceB

Slosh,

I hope ALL your appointments go well. With regards to liaising with your colleague who's been covering for you, I am sure you will be entirely professional and polite in your approach to her. If she isn't able to reciprocate that level of manners, well that's her loss and not yours.

Please let us know how you get on this week.

I am away in Norfolk this week so may not be able to post. I'll post separately about this as I don't want to hijack your thread!

Take care
GraceB

Slosh

Thank you all, be good to know you're on my side.

While I am not looking forward to the meeting tomorrow I am going to be very professional, and I am also going to make clear the fact I will have to take rest breaks, move around etc.

After that it's all in the lap of the gods, just need to be honest and open at all my other appointments.

Megrose489

I'll be in your pocket, Slosh, you've got a lot to get through. I hope that everything goes well for you and trust that your colleague will respond to you in the same professional manner tomorrow. I have to say that she should never have just assumed that the position was hers in the first place!

Take care.

Meg

Slosh

Have to agree there. Still I have the support of the Head and Deputy. I think what will also be hard for me is that I'm not going back "fully fixed" and need to learn and accept my limits, mind you I will look that one in the face next week. One day at a time and lots of treats as rewards.

barbara12

Hello Slosh
I have to agree with DD my late mum would always say it will pass, and when I was having my THR done this helped me..her proper words were things will come and go...so will be thinking about you and hope it all goes smoothly..

bubbadog

Hi Slosh, you are back and forth this week! Will be camping in your pocket the whole week I think! So will pitch a tent & toast marsh mellows on the camp fire!

stickywicket

I shall be thinking of you and hoping all goes well on all fronts, Slosh. Having jjust had a busy 5 days myself, the old brain cells can't do better than that right now :roll:

Slosh

Well the first bit is done. Her attitude wasn't as bad as I had feared but it is clear I will have my work cut out for me in September as she seems to have focused on the easy fixes and little has been done with the pupils with more significant needs.
She didn't seem really ready for our meeting so that worries me a bit, but I can't be held responsible for this.
Got a lovely welcome from other staff and pupils, still had a few asking if I was returning to work, but they were pleased whenmI said yes.

What I wasn't really prepared for was how tiring I found it, I was only in for 3 1/2 hours and feel shattered, as well as a lot of pain. Came in and went straight to bed for an hour. Going to take it easy for the rest of the day.

villier

Pleased the meeting went ok slosh she was probably more nervous than you. You sound a very focused and organised person I am sure you will get things back on track pretty quickly when you go back in September.
Enjoy your rest and good luck with the rest of the week...Marie x

Megrose489

So pleased your meeting went reasonably well, Slosh. I'm sure you'll soon get things moving in September. However, your tiredness is a reminder about making sure you pace yourself when you start back and perhaps delegating as much as you are able. I hope you have a good team around you.

Meg

Boomer13

Best wishes and good luck for your week, Slosh. Hope all goes well.
Anna

Slosh

Marie, I had my Access to Work assessment last week and the assessor commented on how organised I was.

Meg, having been on sick leave for 6 months pre and post surgery so I should have been more prepared for the tiredness. Next week the plan is to return to work but only for a max of 4 hours a day and there will only be three days of term left. In September OH have reccomended a phased return over 4-6 weeks. I do have an excellent support officer who will be back in September ( she's just had a back op). I am also glad I have had my Access to work assessment as that has included reccomendations about working hours and the need for regular rest breaks and my OH review has also made a number of reccomendations including a risk assessment and regular reviews of how I'm managing.

Thanks all for your support and encouragement. Physio tomorrow and I'll find out if my left shoulder/arm/hand has got any worse and I have a feeling he may comment on my walking.

stickywicket

One down Best of luck for the physio, Slosh.

Slosh

Day 2. Physio.
Well the positive news is that he is pleased overall with the gradual progress I'm making with the movement in my neck although, as I know, because of the fusion I won't get back full movement. He modified one neck exercise.

I had another session of soft tissue massage and all the practice I've been doing with relaxation/mindfulness must be paying off as he didn't complain about my shoulders being very tense this time!

He is concerned about the problems I'm having again with my left arm, hand and shoulder as there has not been any improvement with this since my last appointment 4 weeks ago despite the exercises he gave me then. He modified one to try and help re-train the nerves but said it was very important that I discussed this at hospital tomorrow.

I mentioned my leg and he felt again I need to raise it tomorrow. The problem is, it is described as "idiopathic" , meaning that while there is a problem they don't know the cause.

So I keep going with the exercises, make sure I raise all these things tomorrow and have another physio appointment in 4 weeks.

dreamdaisy

You're getting there, Slosh, one small step at a time. Make sure you take a list of points you wish to discuss with the consultant and, if your phone will allow, don't be afraid to record the session so you don't have to scribble down too many notes. Good luck, I will be thinking of you. DD

bubbadog

2 days gone and not too bad so far, lets hope the rest of the appointments you have stay as good, just make sure you raise your leg inbetween doing things.

stickywicket

Good luck for today, Slosh.

Slosh

Hospital appointment
Really have mixd feelings about this. On the positive the fusion has taken well from my surgery which as far as they are concerned was a success and I can return to work.

In terms of my arm and walking I was told that the aim of surgery was to stop things getting worse rather than to make them better, it would have been good to be told this beforehand rather than now!

He said the improvement I had was temporary and this is not unusual, but that if my shoulder got worse then I would need to ask my GP to investigate it to see if there is a problem there.

In terms of walking he doesn't know what has/is causing the problem but will ask physio to look at it as well. Thinking back to before the op I was often struggling especially after a few days at work and as it was the winter wasn't really going out for walks so I suppose it could again have been a temporary improvement.

He said my recovery was more difficult than usual and they will see me again in three months and may consider another MRI.

I must admit to feeling a bit down, I suppose I was hoping for something more positive, and wish my meds would allow me to have a glass or two of wine. Think I will have to go out on a chocolate run later!

Still I can go back to work!

stickywicket

I can understand the mixed feelings, especially if you believed you were going to 'be fixed'. It seems that other areas were being affected before your op but you weren't so aware of them because of all the pain in your neck. Is that right or have I got it hopelessly wrong?

It's good that he's seeing you again, might do another MRI (always best to know the score for my money), referring you to a physio and accepting that your GP might have to check the shoulder. Not good, of course, that these are necessary but at least he's being thorough.

I hope the chocolate helps

Slosh

Thanks Sticky, and yes the chocolate helped!

I was aware of the other problems but all that was said pre-op was that my leg might not improve as he was unsure of the cause. I may have been over optimistic, I suppose I just assumed it could be fixed and so didn't ask the questions and if I'm honest I was hoping today he was going to be able to come up with a plan.

I am pleased though that I did raise my concerns and got him to take it seriously enough to see me again. The physio I'm seeing is great, and Friday I'm seeing my favourite GP.

At least I was on the right track with getting things like my Access to work assessment done so now it's time to bite the bullet and apply for PIP.

stickywicket

I think it's still quite early days for you and often, at first, we simply don't know the questions to ask. I recall after my first TKR I was disappointed to find my leg still wasn't straight. I had assumed it would be but the ligaments were all knackered and, in those days, nothing could be done about them. It actually got straighter some 27 years later when they replaced it and did some fine embroidery with the tendons

So, it's tomorrow for the GP? I don't know about you but I'm getting exhausted