Chrissie and work

[Guest guest]

Hi Chrissie,

Of course you mustn't think in terms of being a burden and of course

your family needs you. The problem is that you are so keen to lead a

normal life including work, as we all are. I sincerely hope you will

be able to continue to work as I understand from personal experience

how important it is in our lives. However, you may have to accept

that you need more time off work. I simply can't tell beause I don't

feel what you are going through pain-wise. I do know that, in the

end, it will be better to accept whatever comes from this point of

view. You can't fight forever. There may even be other sorts of work

to look for, given your experience. (For example, we have here a

service called NHS Direct. It's a phone line to ring if you are

unsure what to do in particular circumstances with a sick person.

It's a fairly new service so I'm not certain how it works but it is

staffed by trained nurses who take the calls and pass you to the

relevant service or make the right appointment for you or give you

advice when they've made an assessment. It's supplementary to the

ordinary NHS which still exists of course. I recently used it when I

had an elderly cousin staying with me and he became sick one

Saturday when my own surgery was closed. The NHS Direct nurse

suggested an appointment with another local doctor that evening. She

would have been quite right I think, but I decided anyway to take

him to A & E....the ER room I think you call it....just so as not to

take any chances. There they kept him in for a couple of days and

did every imaginable test except pregnancy....well, he is

80!.....but it was just a bug.) I am NOT suggesting you should

change work but I think you need to be relaxed about the job and, if

necessary, take more time now to recover. I could be wrong but I get

the impression that you are at least better than when you intended

to go back before Christmas? Perhaps you just need more time now.

I do sympathise because work is such an important part of your life

but you must put your health first for the sake of your family who

NEED you!

Take care. That pain is the enemy of us all. Mine has been back a

bit the last few days and I'm back at school on Monday. Went in

yesterday to prepare with a few colleagues. One keeps trying to hide

it of course. It's the ever-present threat.

Blessings and good wishes,

Fliss