I had a Stroke on 2nd Dec 22, after 12 weeks i got my left vision back.
Im now back driving.
I feel a lot better,still get very tired,can be exhausted by 7pm, but Sleep not a chance, wake up 5 to 7 times a night.
Im looking at a phased return to work at the end of May, have a works meeting next week to discuss.
Whats reasonable and are there any adaptions that are required, my Job is a Facilities Manager. Some say work from home more,but im honestly not sure what i need to be asking,as not been in this position before.
Good luck with your return to work. Also welcome to our forum and Iâm sorry youâve had to join us. You sound like youâre doing really well. Keep going best wishes Loraine
Iâd advise keeping an open dialogue with your manager, let them know how youâre doing as you go along, donât be afraid to ask for any adjustments you require, itâs may be a little more tiring than you imagine going back to work initially, I was shocked myself, I thought Iâd be ok but wow I was so tired after just 3 hours (my initial couple of weeks were 3 hours per day, 3 times per week).
Rest breaks are essential, more time to complete tasks, I couldnât multitask initially, it was literally one job at a time.
Think about what you need to do your job, is there anything that will assist, if yes ask for it.
I know we are all very different in our stroke recovery but I recently had my OH appointment with a view to starting a phased return in a few weeks time will be 3 months post stroke for me.
These are the recommendations provided to my management and they have confirmed as reasonable they will provide them all.
They might just give you a little indication of the type of adjustments work are able to make.
As well as the below there was a whole section about mobility and accessibility of my office.
I hope your phased return goes smoothly.
G should gradually increase her day-to-day activities at home prior to
return to work to ensure she is ready to manage the number of hours required
to begin her phased return to work without significant impact on her day-to-
day life outside of work.
⢠Provision of a gradual, extended, phased return to work, starting on reduced
hours and days off between shifts and gradually increasing this.
⢠Weekly meetings with her supervisor to ensure she is managing her health
and her workload and to review her ability to introduce new tasks.
⢠Allow extra time to complete work to accommodate breaks.
⢠Provision of regular breaks to accommodate fatigue. This should include the
ability to take a break during a meeting if this is a long meeting. G may
also benefit from being able to switch her camera off to allow herself to move
around during virtual meetings to aid fatigue management.
⢠Review of the work environment to consider any factors that may impact on
G, for example she stated she has difficulty with temperature control
and therefore provision of a fan or aircon may be beneficial. I would also
recommend this review considers any risks related to her balance and she
completes a DSE self-assessment to ensure her DSE meet her needs.
⢠G and her line manager may benefit from viewing the following
information on fatigue management post stroke: Tiredness and fatigue after
stroke | Stroke Association
⢠G may wish to consider referring herself to our work based support and counselling regarding the
anxiety sheâs been experiencing post stroke.
G would also benefit from
not being asked too many questions face-to-face regarding her stroke when
she initially returns back to work to reduce anxiety related to talking about
it. I would recommend this issue is discussed with G prior to her
returning to work to plan accordingly.
@kermit69 i returned to work 3 weeks ago & below are some of tue adjustments iâve had put in place:
Phased return - starting 3 hrs a day 3 days a week building up over 13 weeks to full time
Regular breaks
Weekly meetings with management to discuss progress
Software to read long documents to me & software that types what i dictate
Wirk from home where possible
IT kit (e.g. large monitor, separate mouse, keyboard, printer etc)
Own office to minimise sensory overload & help manage fatigue
Change of job role & reduction in workload
Perching stool for office kitchen area
Meeting docs in advance
Removal of trip hazards (eg rugs, door mats)
Hand rails on steps
Allocated parking space
Travel to work - help with taxi costs through access to work scheme
Additional time for reading / comprehension
Flexible working hours
Time off for medical appointments
Wheeled laptop case
Ergonomic Chair
Some / all of these may not be needed or appropriate for your role but it will give you an idea.
As @Mahoney said returning was more tiring than i expected & 2 weeks in iâve been hit by dreaded fatigue but have managed to get through as Iâm only doing 3 hrs every other day at minute.
If you can get an occupational health assessment done.
Just wanted to chip-in - and of course offer you my very best wishes with your return.
I had a TIA end of December 2022. I began my phased return start of February. Working within IT, I have a mix of hands on and off and can work from home - but the mix also sees work at the office too.
Ensure you go at your own pace - never let anyone push. The only person who is allowed to push is you. Start slow and steady. Whether you increment your effort each week or biweekly is up to you.
Keep notes, keep a diary. Record each day so you can look back and understand whatâs working - and what isnât. You may find on a day that you can keep going, or just want to. Try if you wish but consider you may suffer the following day or 2-3 days later. Iâve found myself pushing here and there and have been learning from it. Noting and learning is key.
And go to bed that bit earlier, at least at first. You may need it. And any travel time should be factored into office days. The 45 mins in and out still tires me.
Likely your employer may want to create a plan, i.e. back fulltime by week ânâ. With what you both agree to, your employer will likely approve of a structured approach. Itâs good for you but you also get to demonstrate to them what youâre doing, trying etc. Means you can always call things out, adjust or shout if itâs not working.
I had the head of our organisation say to me today âglad youâve recoveredâ so i spent the next 5 mins telling him how I was recovering not recovered & how I am still affected.
What is it they say about never a truer word said in jest. Donât let them push you into something youâre not ready for.
Hi there - I too returned to work 3 months after my stroke. Work have been great. Theyâll let YOU decide ultimately what hours to do and you"ll take a lot of comfort from it. All the best to you
