TITLE: To Work or not to Work...thats the Question
AUTHOR: Star
DATE: 10/23/2004 07:55:13 PM
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<span style="color:#ff0000;">That is a really GOOD question! Actually someone just emailed me that same question and let me see if I can get it for ya...here was my response...</span>
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"You really need to listen to your body on whether you should go back to work or not. I am a person of all traits at work...I actually get products and services and train them to Credit Union staff. This entails alot of sitting for preparation and then travel for the trainings in the branches and then alot of walking around and up on stage so to speak...training people. So I got a mobile job so to speak but not all the time does it demand that. Hope that helps in your decision making process. If you just sat at a desk that may be too much and if you stood all the time...the same. I would think somewhere in bewteen is right and depends on how your body is and how you feel. I would always consult with your Ortho first before making any life decisions like this. Took me a while to get back in the swing of things at work too. At first I took it real easy, left for home when I needed to and worked at home some days."

To add to what I wrote another person in the quote above...I started back to work 4 months post op. Like we always say, everyone is different and certainly the first person to chat with about this is your Doctor. I chatted with my local Ortho and Eunice about this before I started back and also had the option at work to curb my patterns...meaining if it was too much, I could work at home. I started working PT and then FT with doing 4 hours at home and 4 at work a day. That got me used to the travel, the prepping to get up and dressed and etc...that takes a long while to get back used to...or at least for me it did. My energy was still not 100% then but I worked on it and didn't push too hard. I also kept an ice bag at work in the freezer and put my leg up with ice as needed (That reminds me, I need to bring that home now. :)

There are many alternatives so take one day at a time to work toward your goals. Dont over do it...its easy to do so after a few months...one feels "well" again but still healing...same with me now. I feel great and am doing all these things but I remind myself daily that I am still healing.

Star</span>
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