Managing work

[Katie888]

Hey ladies. I'm new to this group but at a loss and feeling really alone. I had a lap and a lot of my endo burnt off in January this year. I didn't receive a post op or anything but was just told if the symptoms come back, go to your gp and ask to be re referred to gyno. I did that months ago and I'm still waiting for a referral, on Thursday the pain was so crippling I had to go to a&e and was given a mass of painkillers and advised to take a week off work. I'm now bed ridden and in agony still, waiting for my referral which has been pushed to urgent. My boss has advised I go on sick leave indefinitely because how am I going to just magically feel better after a week off? On the other hand while I appreciate that and my job is very stressful which has aggerivated symptoms, I have no idea if this pain will ever go away. I've heard about different injections for treatment but feel I have no support. Will this pain ease, how do others manage work life when they feel this way? Thank you so mch in advance xx

[Jojo1989]

I work 4 days a week and work in an organisation where you'd expect a bit of compassion where you have a lone parent who is also a carer to her disabled mother and has suffered with endometriosis for over 5 years. After my lap last year I was admitted 2 weeks later with suspected appendicitis but turns out they'd just aggravated my scarring. Problem we have is that even with all the evidence I think a lot of medics and employers still don't take endometriosis pain seriously. I ended up taking dihydrocodeine and Naproxen to help with the pain and for a while I was unable to concentrate but got used to them. I have had prostrap injections that basically stop you producing the lining that's causing the pain. There are side effects but if the pain is that bad the side effects are minimal in comparison and not everyone gets them. As for your boss trying to push you off indefinitely that's not good. Check your employers absence and sickness policy and see what your rights are and what you are entitled to. You can even still stay employed if they don't pay you SSP and claim ESA until you feel well enough to return. You have to manage it and its trial and error but you will get there. If you need any more info let me know sending love youre not on your own kid Jo Jo xxxx

[curlyjo]

First, you will learn to manage this. And second, your employer has no right to react in this way.

I had a terrible shock when one day in November last year I started being in permanent pain so bad I had to go to the doctors and be signed off for a fortnight. I spent that time experimenting with painkillers until one worked! By the time I went back to work I was taking opiates. I'm in a stressful job (I'm a school teacher, say no more), but I have been fine. It has been a struggle sometimes because of the tiredness I have experienced but I have spoken to my boss (the Headteacher) and she has been very supportive. There are at least three teachers in the school with endo issues and one had a lot of time off last year to have a hysterectomy. Heads have a duty of care towards their staff in education and I'm guessing in your work place your boss has an obligation to this too. He has no right to tell you that you should leave. You will get treatment for this, you will learn to manage it and you will get back to work. It's as simple as that. Have you got a union rep in your work place? Could you talk to them about this? Don't stand for this nonsense. I do think that you need to get the right GP too though so you get the right treatment. If you are ending up in A and E then there's something wrong. You really should go and see your GP and have something ready to take. If your pain is cyclic and only happens around your period you must get on top of the pain before it starts and start taking the painkillers in time. It is much harder to do this once it starts. I had to try a number of different painkillers before I found one that worked. Over the counter meds just don't hit severe endo pain and you must tell your doctor this. Also, has your GP spoken to you about stopping your periods with oestrogen or progesterone? A lot of ladies on this site have done this and this also gets rid of a lot of the pain. Good luck with this and let us know how you get on.