Returning to Work

Hi mate.

It's so upsetting the treatment people receive post Stroke, it beggars belief. 

Are you a member of a union at all? If so your Union will have specific people who can assist in ensuring that your employer adheres to the legislation in place to protect you after things like a Stroke. They have to make reasonable adjustment mate, and if as a result of the Stroke in can be evidenced that you have suffered some sort of impairement they are required under the equality act to provide that reasonable adjustment. 

If you are not a member of a Union, then Citizens Advice are always worth a call or ACAS. The main number for the CAB is 0800 144 8848 and the number for ACAS is 0300 123 1100.  

I hope this assists mate, please let me know how you get on. 

Regards. Gaz. 

Hi Chris. I'm interested to read your comments. I had a stroke last Nov with no lasting physical effects. I returned to work beg Feb and then changed to a better job in terms of hours, but I'm really struggling at times with tiredness and occasional memory issues. I can't decide if its best to quit work for a while or work through as a way of helping recover. I can't seem to get a definitive answer from anyone. Laurence

I won't burden you with the details of my own  experience. But will say that I don't think anyone can give you a definitive answer.  My Stroke was five years ago now. I had significant physical  impairment and continue to work with that. My GP supported my desire to return to work expressing the view that it would be good for my recovery. I had very  good support from the community OT team and was able to return to my role as the senior manager in a local charity.

 In retrospect I would say it wS a complete disaster but it did enable me to earn some much needed money.  While it was unbelievably stressful it did challenge me in some useful ways I was nowhere near the capacity I was pre stroke and encountered some really toxic ableism and in the end was forced to leave.  Had I been in better shape I would have negotiated a change of role as it was I had returned in the middle of a restructuring which I had had no part in designing. That was hard.

 So what's the message?

Yes it was a nightmare but I got through it and built back abilities to do certain things. It wasn't a crushing experience though at times it dwelt like that. So even a negative experience can help towards recovery. I now no longer have to work, having been bounced into retirement rather sooner than expected and not in the sort of condition I would have wanted. My employer was not up to taking me back and was inflexible if not downright hostile at times. So I suppose it depends on what your work is and how understanding your employer is. Much depends on your need to earn a living too. need drives recovery I have read somewhere. Honestly I wouldn't have done it had I not needed to, and for a while really regretted it. I am in a different place now and it begins to recede into the background. Others on this forum have had far more positive experiences than I did so worth having a look through chat threads. Forget to mention that I started working towards returning after about 10 months, possibly too early as I was very disabled even then started on what was supposed to be a phased return  at about end of year1. Fatigue was a big problem and mobility was very difficult. Fortunately cognitively I was reasonably OK but had some issues with processing speeds and flexible thinking which was very difficult at times. I found that stress wS a killer for both fatigue and processing speed. I can't function under stress at all now and fortunately can avoid it now entirely. I probably was never any good at it but took me a long time to learn.

 Anyway I hope some of that may be of interest to you. The decision is yours in the end, and I wish you every success

Best wishes

Tony 

Dear Laurence

Every stroke is different. So i dont think there is a definitive answer.

personally, i do not push myself, but i am retired so i dont have to earn.

I think i would give the new hours a good try, you could stop later if you cant manage.

best wishes

colin