Work and decompensated liver

[Livewell69]

Hello I was just wondering has anybody on here or their partners returned to work whilst there liver was decompensated. My partner has had a good week and says he has feeling well enough to go back to work, it is a little worrying as his liver is still decompensated and I wonder if the doctors will allow him to turn to work when he is still this way. His ascites is not too bad although he is still jaundiced and his HE seems to be good. I know everyone is different but just wondering if anybody has managed to work whilst being still decompensated

[Hidden]

I'm really not sure how best to advice you on this. I suppose it would depend on what type of work your husband does.

HE episodes can come on with little or no warning. Those people who have had to care for someone with HE will tell you just how horrible the person can be. If a stressful situation was to occur then a verbal outburst could well happen. This could lead to a disciplinary situation. Besides, most companys adopt a back to work interview process. There could be a situation about breaching health and safety rules if a person was to return to work while being unfit.

I think he would best seek advice from his GP. Better safe than sorry.

[Livewell69 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Richard

Yes we have had meetings with occupational health on behalf of his company they are more cautious I and have advised that they think certainly not in the next 2 to 3 months however my partner has suggested to his workplace he would like to go back 4 to 6 weeks. Personally I am not sure it must be hard as he is feeling better he can no longer drive and I guess my worry is if he gets public transport etc what happens if he does have an episode or even feels weak or faint. This is such a difficult time and one day to the next can vary so much. The occ health doctors are more worried about the ascites.

[Hidden in reply to Livewell69]

Hi

This must be terribly hard for both of you. Could his consultant advise him not to go back? He would probably listen to him and work could actually say he couldn't come back until he was fit enough. Like you say, what if an episode happened on public transport or in work. What is his his job? Love and hugs Lynne xxxx

[Hidden]

Hi

I felt I was ready to go back to work, but the HE was always there and my ability and quality of work was impaired, plus every now and then I would just collapse.

I really understand and agree with all the comments made so far, I did carry on for a bit but look back now post transplant and realise I should have not

David

[Hidden]

It really depends on what type of work that he does. I did work but was a self employed consultant and therefore worked mostly from home or a laptop in hospital. I only had to go to the office occasionally, about once a week and that depended on how I was feeling. I was end stage decompensated and worked right up to my transplant.

If your Husband is employed he will be covered by the Equalities Act of 2010, a decompensated liver counts as an impairment and therefore he is covered by the act. This means that the employer has to make necessary adjustments to suit his health condition.

Good luck

[Supportinghubby]

My husband went back to work 6 weeks after a decompensated episode but he didn't have HE & his ascites had reduced a lot by then. He'd discussed with his work & they were happy for him to take it easy & go home if it got too much for him. He didn't see occupational health but could have done & still has the option. If occupational health are advising not to go back yet it sounds like he should take their advice, unless they could let him have some kind of phased return maybe?

[Kristian]

I was still in work right up to transplant and my liver was decompensated. However, fortunately I didn't have HE. It really does depend on circumstances. If Occupational Health are recommending otherwise then I would follow their advice. I was quite fortunate with my employer. I had good terms and conditions regarding sick leave and also had various reasonable adjustments in place, both formal and informal. It was quite tough though. I doubt I would've been doing it for much longer.