I’m having my first lap within the next couple of months. I don’t think my employer is going to be understanding, so I’m going to need a sick note to prove that I need time off to recover. Can I get this from the hospital when I go in for my lap? Or will I need to make a special trip to my GP afterwards for a sick note? I have my pre-op appointment next week but no date for the surgery yet. Is the sick note something that I can arrange at my pre-op or will I just get laughed at?!
Thanks girls x
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AmyMillie
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following this as I'm in a similar situation; still awaiting my lap date. I believe the GP can sign you off afterwards.
I was told at my pre-op that if I needed a sick note they would sort it out on the day of the op. The nurse said it's because they don't know what they'll find and if they find anything that it is possible to remove there and then/there are complications, the recovery time might be longer (say 2 weeks instead of 1, for example) buuuut they might find nothing, so they can't be sure how long a person will need.
Your hospital might be different, so there's no harm in bringing it up at your pre-op! They won't laugh at you, I asked some questions that I'm sure sounded ridiculous and the nurse was lovely about everything Good luck with your lap x
For my lap they signed me off with a sick note for 14 days. I had to ask for it before I left the hospital; they then put it in my aftercare pack to take home. Work was fine with me taking a photo of it and emailing it to my manager, they passed it onto HR and I took the original when I was back in work.
You can ask about a sick note at the pre-op; they'll just confirm that it'll be after the op. The consultant that sees you after your lap (when recovering) will issue you with a sick note as then they'll have an idea of how long you'll need off dependent on what went on. You should have a check up with your consultant at the end of the signed off period, during that time if you're still not well they can extend it but rarely do as you can self certify for up to 5 days. I wouldn't wait for a sick note when seeing your GP as that can take a while and if work needs one they may not be happy with the wait, plus you don't want to worry about that when at home getting better.
Have you spoken to your employer? Manager? HR? or the Health person (usually the one that does your workstation assessment when you need it adjusting). I talked to my manager and they asked for details so I sent them the info on the endometriosis uk website "Endometriosis in the Workplace leaflet" at endometriosis-uk.org/public.... It gives them an idea of what it is, how it affects you and what they can do to help / what they should be doing to help. It is important to note that stress can make it worse, I didn't realise that: work had me on a formal written warning of not being off sick for 6 months, well that resulted in my symptoms getting a lot worse and needing a lap for removal of endo before planned.
I had a lap on the 23rd March, on the day of the surgery the nurse asked if I needed a sick note and I said yes. But by the time I was out of surgery and back on the day unit it was 8:30pm and the new nurses had no idea, at that point I just wanted to get home anyway. It was on a Friday so on the Monday morning I called my GP and spoke to a dr over the phone, the only annoying thing was that the hospital gave me the GP's copy of the discharge summary and asked me to drop it in so my mum did it otherwise not sure how i would have got it there and they sometimes need to look at it before they do the sick note. Most GP's are fine to do it over the phone, I was signed off for 2 weeks but my recovery is slow so I spoke to another GP today who's issued another week.
usually i could get a sick note of either no problem unless they forget, yeah its difficult at work i still dont get it I was sick noted to high heavens for everything but can still sack me in their policy regardless it seems. I wont go on, but i feel they are on a mission to sack me anyway possible even underhand bullying now . Had enough. I managed 18 years of it but a new manager just made my life hell , thinking of moving home and working less , Im 44, im so unhappy , stressed etc , but u should be fine. I was off about a year this time im kinda caught in the middle not disabled but cant work full time but if they stopped hassling me it would help but i think they're dead set. Im worn out with being picked at there but financially im in the crap . Just me my pain and a cat lol xxxx
Thanks I just don't trust them ) employer ) that is , probably with good reason but they are constantly putting blame all back on me. It's really hard to see wood from the trees there , never been happy there from day1 . Hard to say : do. But think I have to leave as I just can't cope anymore xx
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Good luck with your lap x
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