At the beginning of January I was admitted very poorly to hospital. I ended up staying for two weeks and discharged with a diagnosis of active myocarditis. Advised to rest. I’m to have a follow up in three months with mri and cardiologist. I also had a massive drop in iron and had to have an infusion before discharge and waiting for a gastro appointment. Im still experiencing tightness in chest and lethargy but want to return to light duties at work. My job is a very physical stressful retail management role.
my line manager is being difficult about it and saying they may not be able to accommodate light duties because it won’t benefit the department or business! Any advice or useful experience anyone can help with? So fed up and feel like I’m being punished for being unwell. Thank you
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Clarefinn
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Hi Clare. Is your store part of a company large enough to have an HR or Occ Health department that you can talk to? Legally, an employer is obliged to try to accommodate you in your recovery, assuming you have a full contract, but if it is a small store this simply may not be possible. In that case it might be worth talking to a citizen’s advice bureau to see what your rights are. Good luck xx
Yes it’s a very large company and they do have an occ health department. I’m asking for the occ health referral. I’m just finding it really upsetting that I’m being treated so badly by my line manager whom I’ve always had a good relationship with. It’s horrible to feel like I’m being victimised due to ill health.
Thank you for your advice and yes I will contact the citizen advice, I hadn’t thought of them
Sorry to hear you are feeling penalised for being ill. From your line managers point of view, they are only allocated so many hours a week to run their departments, if you are not back to full productivity then they maybe looking at it as non beneficial to them, selfish I know but all retail managers are under so much pressure, with big companies looking at their profit lines rather then the loyal people who work for them. Have an off the record chat with them and tell them how you feel.
I suggest 2 things:
Get your GP to give you a fit for work note, stating reduced hours and reduced activity
Or
Swap with another colleague in another department where the work is not so strenuous, advising your line manager it is a temporary situation till you are back to full capacity
HR or OH should be able to help you with this compromise
I am sure it will all work out in the end for you, take care and stay well
Hi Claire, a word of caution, if you are experiencing pains your myocarditis is still active and you need to rest. When they say rest they really mean rest on the settee, do as little as possible. I was not allowed to do any housework, even groom my horse or dogs , lift anything heavy , anything which caused a strain on your chest or heart, until it had resolved ie no pains or symptoms . Not wanting to frighten you as it is scary enough as it is, If you push yourself while it is active you are in danger of having a heart event. I didnt know I had Myo until while swimming I did have a heart event which has caused mild damage to my heart mid wall, and that was when I was eventually diagnosed with it. I waited until the MRI results before I was given the all clear by the cardio to start to resume light exercise and build up from there. It will get better but takes time.. so I would be very careful even thinking of returning to work yet as it is early days
listen to your body not your manager or you will be back in hospital.
As a manager you will access to the HR policies, book yourself an occupational health referral. Request a phased return.
Spend this afternoon reading through here and tell your manager you have consulted them. Do it all by email or messages and make a diary or events starting from January (which hopeful you will never need) .
Starting chasing the NHS for appointment dates on Monday…. Finally good luck and remember you don’t need the job if it’s going to finish you off!
Good luck, Clarefinn! I’ve come here today to thank the people in this forum who advised me so kindly about my own myocarditis. They stressed how important it is to rest, rest, and when you think you’re fine to be up and at work, then rest some more. This is terribly difficult for anyone who is active and has a full life to live! But I am here to tell you, they were correct, entirely correct. Look up the posts of (for instance) Captain_Birdseye or just search myocarditis and look at 2023 posts. They had wonderful advice for me, better than the doctors’ cryptic, laconic words—and because I followed it I have been pronounced healed without scarring or fibrosis, after a 13month fight with it. Really the fight was with myself, making sure I did not pull weeds the garden or lift a heavy pot to cook or do any cleaning or hoovering, really had to rest in bed, read, draw and paint a little, play piano at most (and no Rachmaninoff—that’s too much exercise!). The people here are correct that if you strain your heart you can have an event and have to go to emergency, and that is also what causes scarring and long-term damage. So please, please: it is well worth it to rest. If you had a broken leg you wouldn’t be up walking on it; likewise with the heart, do NOTHING that causes it to have to work any harder.
As for the job, you’ve had better advice than I would have known to give; it is a terrible feeling you’ve described, to feel so ill and have no sympathy at all from the workplace. It is upsetting, but again, don’t let yourself dwell on it because stress is also harmful to the heart. Just know that your doctors must write a note protecting you and the workplace must accept that. Rest well and before long you’ll be all healed and returning here to let us all know! xx
So pleased to hear back from someone who listened to our much repeated now, myocarditis mantra REST, REST & REST some more 🩷 enjoy your great diagnosis going forward and your healthy heart ♥️
Hi, so sorry to hear this your manager is not being supportive at all. However I feel it msy be a silver lining!! If you been employed there a while and so will be paid or can afford to be off longer do stay home and rest as long as you possibly can.
Your heart is a VERY important muscle that has experienced a significant trauma, like any muscle itneeds REST to recover, complete rest initially then a very steady gentle build up to activity.
Do talk to your GP and get an OT referral but PLEASE don't race back the very real danger is one step forward and 10 back!!! Take care.
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