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Still un well

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Chloejoyce1
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2017 1:04 pm

Still un well

Post by Chloejoyce1 »

Hello I had an ectopic pregnancy 4 weeks ago Mine ruptured I wasn't very well at all a lot of pain and fainting, I went
Back to work two weeks later but couldn't cope I was still in pain so got signed off I was meant to go back today but I woke up in the night feeling sick and my bowels weren't feeling great could this be a sign from the ectopic pregnancy? And should my boss be understanding considering what I've been through?

jkrier84
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2017 2:51 pm

Re: Still un well

Post by jkrier84 »

Hi Chloejoyce1,

I am so sorry to hear about your ectopic. Though I did not have to have surgery, I am going on two and a half weeks and I still feel off. I had every expectation of working a full day every day this week. This morning, however, I yet again had intense cramps and a really heavy flow. First time for cramps since the methotrexate took full effect. While I can sit here and say your boss should be supportive, that really is unfortunately not up to any of us. I have tried my best to explain the situation to my boss without giving too much detail, but I have a very good relationship with her. I also know she has gone through pregnancy losses in the past so she is a bit more sympathetic. You need to take care of yourself physically, though. Only you know how your body is feeling - and your heart and soul. I have found that my heart hurts more when my body aches, as it's just an awful reminder.

Can you work from home? Can you perhaps work half a day? It's difficult, but I know being productive at work - a job I truly love - has been helping me cope. Even if it's from home or only half days (I worked 2 full and 2 halves last week).

Let me know how you are doing!

Jenna

EPT Host 20
Posts: 3155
Joined: Thu May 31, 2012 10:58 pm

Re: Still un well

Post by EPT Host 20 »

Dear Chloejoyce1,
I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and loss, it is an overwhelming experience and I will do my best to help.

Experiencing an ectopic pregnancy is a huge ordeal and you are in the early stages of recovery. Your body needs time to heal from your surgery which is in itself a gruelling task. You have also had to process the loss of your baby and been through an immense rollercoaster of emotions - all of this will take time to come to terms with.

You should take it very easily for about six weeks after surgery. Your body will be using its energies to heal internally. It is normal to feel physically and emotionally exhausted during this time and please do be kind to yourself. Recovery can take time and some days will be better than others, one day you maybe ok and the next you maybe in discomfort or more emotional. This is perfectly usual and the healing process will go back and forth in this way for however long you need. It is important to listen to your body's signals and pain and feeling tired are your body's signs to tell you to rest. We suggest keeping a healthy balanced diet, drinking lots of water and resting. Once your wounds have healed, very gentle exercise such as a short walk can help, but please do take this slowly.

Surgery is an immense ordeal for the body to go through. As previously advised, in general, after about six weeks, an employee should be able to return to most jobs from a physical point of view.
I would discuss your work situation with your employer or human resources department. I am not sure what your job entails but if it involves manual handling, we suggest that it would be sensible to have a phased approach, gently building up to the usual extent of activity.
A few options may be available depending on the role: might there be an opportunity to work reduced hours, increasing them slowly over a few weeks? Perhaps there are certain tasks that you could take on which may entail a change from your usual role or a series of reduced tasks initially? I am not sure whether this is appropriate in your circumstances, but is there anything that you could action from home (which may be different from your usual role but still be of use)
It really is such a a short time since your ectopic pregnancy and I presume surgery, please do not hesitate to speak to your GP for an extension of a sick note, this would be perfectly appropriate after all you have been through.

Many women experience pain after surgery and this can be the case weeks or months after the trauma. Pain is the body's sign to rest and it is important to be guided by this and taking it easier if you experience discomfort. Please remember to take regular pain killers as prescribed by your Dr. Whilst I do not wish to alarm you if you find that you have an increased body temperature of more than 37°C or offensive smelling discharge or the wound site starts oozing or feels hot to touch, please do get medical attention as soon as possible as these can be signs of infection.
In addition, it is worth bearing in mind that experiencing ectopic pregnancy is a very frightening experience and many women need to take time to help them deal with the psychological/emotional impact of the loss of their baby, being diagnosed with a life-threatening condition and undergoing major surgery.

Sending much love,
Karen x

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katia86
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue May 30, 2017 9:12 pm

Re: Still un well

Post by katia86 »

Hi there,
I also still feel like I'm recovering nearly 4 weeks on. I was off work for 2 weeks, but I was lucky that my work are really understanding and I was able to do a phased return. My first week back I did 1/2 days, working from home which was fine. I tried to do my first full day in the office today and couldn't concentrate at all beyond about 2pm, totally unproductive and had to go home... it's so frustrating! I can't help feeling rubbish because I had an expectation that I'd just be able to go back to normal much quicker - and I feel a bit pathetic saying I'm too tired - but from EPT advice and what my GP says I think it just takes a while for your body to get over it and you need to listen to your body and stay firm on only doing what feels right.
I'm sorry your boss isn't being helpful :( As others suggested, perhaps HR might be able to help? I definitely wouldn't have been able to do full days, but half days really worked for me and helped me to feel a bit better too.

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