Back to work Monday and Trip (long)

mzjazz2u

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 6, 2003
Messages
10,133
Purraise
4
Location
The Beehave State!
Ok.... a lot of you know I've been off on medical leave because I had knee surgery. Well, I'm going back to work on Monday and have trying like heck to get into a schedule this week but to no avail!
Of all things, I've got my days and nights mixed up! I'll be darned if I can't sleep at night. I go to sleep for 2-3 hours and then I'm up until 4:00 or 5:00 A.M., then back to sleep until 10:00 or so.
I've tried benedryl, melatonin, and last night I took ambien AND melatonin! I'm at a total loss!


Now the good news. My knee is coming along well. I still have some challenges but I feel like this past week I've turned the corner and made huge progress!

Don't you just hate it when you have to go through the freaking secret service, just to get to your doctor?? I got a little frustrated when getting all the paper work to return to work. The surgeon and I discussed the date and restrictions. He said if I wanted to go back on the 22nd then I'd have to go back with no bending, squatting, climbing stairs or walking further then 200 feet at a time. Otherwise, I'd have to be off longer. Then he asked the medical assistant to fill out the paper work. So what does she do?? She fills out the paper work for return to work on the 22nd with no restrictions!
I didn't notice until I got home so the next day I called and told her my concerns. She got really defensive and told me "the doctor gave you 4 weeks off and that should be plenty of time to be back to normal." I was confused AND angry because I felt she was out of line and talking to me like a child (nothing will set me off faster then to talk to me like a child.) For crying out loud... she's a medical assistant with an 18 month certification where she learned to take blood pressures, temperatures, answer the phones etc.! (No offense to any medical assistants out there... I just don't feel she's qualified to be making medical decisions.) So I talked to my physical therapist, who said I had a valid concern and that no one should go back to work after an injury that required surgery with absolutely no restrictions. So she told me to call and ask to speak directly to the doctor. I did and the medical assistant gave me a hard time again. She wanted to know what it was so she could "help" me. She kept grilling me and I just kept telling her she can't help me and I need to talk directly to the doctor. Then she called me honey.
Wrong thing to say to a 50 year old woman who has children older then she is! I told her to please not call me honey and that she needed to talk to adults like they are adults and not like toddlers. I also told her again that she couldn't help me and I wanted the doctor to call me back. Finally she reluctantly gave in but made sure to tell me that the doctor is really busy and it could take days or a week for him to call me. I said that's fine, just have him call. Hmmmm guess who called me 20 minutes later? The doctor! I told him how she filled out my return to work for no restrictions and how I questioned it and she had told me 4 weeks should be more then enough time for me to be back to normal. I don't think he was too happy but he was fairly diplomatic. He agreed with me and went over with me once again, what restrictions he thought I should have. He said she was out of line and that my knee is way too bad for me to go back full force. So little girly girl called me today all nice like nothing had happened and repeated what my restrictions REALLY are and told me she was faxing them, as we spoke, to my company and workers compensation. Thank God it is finally over! Whew!

So I am on my way to work on Monday morning. Will work for a week and a couple of days and then am going on a trip to Michigan to see my parents. My mother is not doing well and I feel an urgency to get back there. I'm just not sure she'll make it through the winter. She has COPD, emphysema, a bad liver, congestive heart failure and now she found out she's in kidney failure. She went to her doctor and found out her kidney function was at 22%. Got sent to the nephrologist 3 weeks later and her kidney function was already down to 15%. I haven't seen my parents in 2 years and with her medical condition pretty fluid, at best, I'm going! Please send vibes for a fun and memorable visit. I just want it to be special for her and make some good memories.
 

duchess15

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 23, 2006
Messages
3,825
Purraise
14
Location
Wishing I were anywhere but here
Awww....it sounds like you have had a horrible time just getting all the paperwork in order. That is usually what is so aggravating to begin with. I'm glad your knee is healing up nicely!


I agree that if you have that feeling about your mom, then go! I'm so sorry that your mom is dealing with all this and a lot of it sounds similar to mine that I know what you may be facing. Try to make her as happy as you can and even if you can get her to laugh or smile, it will all be worth it.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

mzjazz2u

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 6, 2003
Messages
10,133
Purraise
4
Location
The Beehave State!
Originally Posted by Duchess15

Awww....it sounds like you have had a horrible time just getting all the paperwork in order. That is usually what is so aggravating to begin with. I'm glad your knee is healing up nicely!


I agree that if you have that feeling about your mom, then go! I'm so sorry that your mom is dealing with all this and a lot of it sounds similar to mine that I know what you may be facing. Try to make her as happy as you can and even if you can get her to laugh or smile, it will all be worth it.
Thank you so much. I know you understand what I may be going through. And that means a lot.
 

laureen227

Darksome Duo!
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 3, 2003
Messages
19,260
Purraise
387
Location
Denton TX
sending & a sleep suggestion... i have a lot of trouble becoming drowsy at night [always have had - i'm a night owl]. i not only take melatonin [two 3 mg capsuls, plus 3 mg sublingual tablet], but also take 100mg L-5-HTP capsule [griffonia bean extract]. while the melatonin helps, i really notice the difference when i run out of the L-5-HTP! it's sold [at least here] in different strengths - 50mg as well as 100mg. you might try that!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

mzjazz2u

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 6, 2003
Messages
10,133
Purraise
4
Location
The Beehave State!
Originally Posted by laureen227

sending & a sleep suggestion... i have a lot of trouble becoming drowsy at night [always have had - i'm a night owl]. i not only take melatonin [two 3 mg capsuls, plus 3 mg sublingual tablet], but also take 100mg L-5-HTP capsule [griffonia bean extract]. while the melatonin helps, i really notice the difference when i run out of the L-5-HTP! it's sold [at least here] in different strengths - 50mg as well as 100mg. you might try that!
I took two 5 mg melatonin tablets and it didn't do a thing for me.
I've never heard of the l-5-HTP.
 

tierre0

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 17, 2007
Messages
7,256
Purraise
1
Location
on the shores of Georgian Bay
Glad to hear that your knee is getting better. I understand what you mean about people talking and treating you like a child, that is the one thing that will set me off as well...
As for the sleep thing, have you tried gravol that works for me when nothing else will..
Hope things go well for you when you head back to work, remember to take it easy you certainly wouldn't want a set back now that you have come this far...


 

laureen227

Darksome Duo!
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 3, 2003
Messages
19,260
Purraise
387
Location
Denton TX
Originally Posted by mzjazz2u

I took two 5 mg melatonin tablets and it didn't do a thing for me.
I've never heard of the l-5-HTP.
i really think the L-5-HTP makes the difference, at least for me. Drug Emporium, the Vitamin Shoppe, & my local health food store all carry it... altho only the health food store has the 100mg strength. the others carry the 50mg strength.
i take the melatonin for other stuff - supposed to help w/RLS, effects of aging, etc.
 
Top