Has anyone had to give up work as result of AF? I’ve been off work for over 3 months following failed ablation for PVCs which started after my successful ablation for AF a year ago. I have a stressful job and PVCs along with AF in previous 2 years were pretty much daily and had horrendous fatigue. Over last 3 months I’ve got my life back and feel amazing even though my AF is back but episodes short less than 10 mins and only every other week.
I’m returning to the same stressful job next month and my EP suggested I give up work completely but got him to agree for me to at least try. Have to think positively that I can manage this. Anyone else been in this position? I’m 48.
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Bailey2004
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I think many of us have and I am thinking of one person in particular who worked as a medic in a stressful environment and after many ablations, many attempts at returning to work eventually had to accept that for some of us, it’s just not possible.
It also depends upon the type of job; age; fitness; physical or sedentary; support outside work; how both your mind and your body deals with stress; ??????
Stress is the biggest antagonist for AF - period
I worked through but gradually had to accept I couldn’t do it and keep well and had to reduce the time and the intensity and so took a supervisory/mentoring role where I was one place away from the direct cause of the stress.
If you do attempt it - I suggest you ask for a graduated return to work, go part-time, learn to manage your stress, have lots of strategies in place for taking time out during the day to use those strategies - many of which take 2-3 minutes.
thanks for your reply, I’m trying to be positive about it but I’m under no illusion it’s going to be hard. I can’t go part time and prefer to not phase back as nature of my role involves progressive work that just needs to keep moving. It’s nature of business I’m in (clinical trials). I’m hoping with all my well-being tools I’ve got now to help me remain calm as I’ve found since being off the last 3 months will help but if see myself slip backwards into frequent episodes and fatigue coming back then I’ll know. Just not sure if best to go on long term sickness where I’ll still be partly paid or whether to medically retire or find a job unrelated to what I love doing. Time will tell but see what coming months brings once I’m back. I’ll need another ablation anyway at some point to top up. AF is definitely a beast of a condition!
Have you had a conversation with your employer about adjustments. This is something Occupational Health can help with. I do understand you want to just carry on but if you want to work you need to recognise your limits. If you don't then it won't work. I speak from the voice of experience. I saw OH (your workplace has a duty of care to refer you to them before returning to work). My return was post cancer treatment after a year off: They recommended the folliwing:_1. An extended phased return.
2. Reduced caseload.
3. Gaps between client visits.
4. Rest breaks.
5. Shorter travel times.
6. Flexibility in how I organised my work.
7. Working from home at times.
8. Temporary variance in contract.
This made a massive difference to me. My return was successful. I stayed on those adjustments for a long time....8yrs. I'm phasing out as retiring in the summer. Four years ago I reduced my hours to permant part-time. I loved it.
There's also called "a variation in contract" this is where you agree to reduce your hours (& pay) temporarily..... This can be for a long time but retains your right to resume the full-time element of your job should you wish to in the future.
Remember your employer has a duty of care to you.... Most will want to retain your skills knowledge & experience. This way everyone wins. It is NOT an all or nothing. Boom & bust does not work especially with Afib. I strongly suggest you ask to see OH before returning to look at this. You are only 45 - young!!
saw OH last summer after first ablation and they took my 10 direct reports off me temporarily and I’ve not taken the team back yet. Workload is very heavy and discussed this with my boss but told that’s my job as manager so May have to go to lesser job role but the industry I’m in there is stress no matter what. I already work from home since covid. I feel I have energy now to exercise more so I’ll be incorporating that into my day and have requested extended day so I can work my hours while taking regular breaks and pick and choose meetings if they are back to back so I can have a rest which has been agreed to but to be monitored to see if any impact on work. I’m sure there will be many more discussions when I return but they know the situation. I’ve worked there for 27 years so have a lot of experience which as you say they don’t want to lose. My EP has asked me to keep diary of episodes and reasons why as well as impact to me and discuss in 4-5 months .
Awww this sounds a very tough situation Bailey. I do feel for you. I notice they are saying they will monitor to see impact on workload, presumably from you taking & needing breaks. Very necessary! They also have a duty of care to look after you!! Am not sure if Afib comes under the Equality Act but worth checking.It sounds like you will have to lay it out for them. Not the other way round. My tip to you is do NOT over estimate what you can do. Underestimate...you can always increase, much harder to decrease. You need a much lighter workload. It's the only way this can possibly work. I also honestly do think they should be offering you an extended phased return. Manager or not.....
I found it hard to be firm as my nature is to please.....but I've learnt to do it.
Please don't go back without proper agreed adjustments in place & a long phased return agreed. It's not worth wrecking your health. Your GP can write on your return to work sic note. They can specify they must be in place for your return to proceed & not set a date until its in place. This will mean they'll send you back to OH... But so what. Been there done it. Big hugs.
thanks so much, I hear and agree with everything you’ve said. Asked for meeting with HR next week to discuss. I’ll give it a go but will ask about my options if doesn’t work out even with the breaks etc. An HR friend yesterday told me to go down the medically retired route due to the excellent benefit my work provide as long as AF qualifies for it. Lots of questions to ask! Keep everyone posted.
Yes, I tried for several years to continue. I had a stressful but rewarding role,involving travel across Warwickshire, lugging teaching equipment about,teaching,etc. I tried cutting hours,ok for a while. Then restricted geographical area,again ok for a while. I really began to feel so drained or ill.I was off work regularly, every few months. HR tried to help,in a limited way
Trying to think of what to do,I was 53.
Eventually I had a TIA and that finished me off ,I was so scared.
So I had to leave I felt. I was lucky to get a few months on some pay to ease my way out.
You can get support for a year if you leave employment due to ill health Contributions based Employment Support. Job centres will guide you, very helpful I found.
Was so much better almost straight away. I now have a little business selling hand-knitted flowers and am also a plant conserver in a group of residential homes.
I’ve been off sick about 9 months over the last 3 years since I was diagnosed but I’ve kept going back even though still feeling unwell but this time after my ablation in January and EP telling me to consider giving up I decided to take 3 months off work to recover mentally and physically and it’s worked. I’m still getting AF and ectopics episodes but they are short and don’t cause any fatigue. I’m probably delaying the inevitable and I don’t want to make myself ill even more and I’m sorry to hear you ended up having a TIA. I think I’ll give it one final shot as over last 3 years when I’ve kept going back I’ve never felt as well as I am now so now I’m in a good place maybe I can cope better. See what next few months brings and then decision will be made for me if I become ill again.
My work provide benefit of income protection after continuous absence of 6 months paying two thirds salary up to retirement if the insurer thinks you qualify after discussions with your GP and consultant and requires frequent reviews but not sure if applies to AF.
Nice to hear you’ve found something enjoyable to do, I’ll get thinking on my plan B!
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