Well, tomorrow, I return to work (aka the 8th Region of Hell - as per Dante's description of this region's inhabitants - aka Stalag Kennedy, after my boss). I had a 120mg depomedrone injection IM on Monday of last week, which I'm afraid has made no discernible difference to my pain. Unfortunately, as my boss insisted that I met with both her and the Occupational Health doctor *before* I had the injection, everyone ran by the presumption in the consultant's letter, which was that I would notice a 'rapid improvement'.
Therefore, I am returning to basically normal duties, with the blessed relief of a 'phased return to work', mainly through my own efforts of spreading my 18 days annual leave across the last 7 weeks of the year. My boss has already told me that she's changing my duties (largely to take away the fun stuff), but that I am not able to return to work unless I can do clinical work - apparently, as my job role is a 50:50 split of clinic and management, the department would rather pay me to stay at home than pay me to do more management and less clinic! And they're making the 5 ladies who do the most work redundant, which sent me into a blue mist just thinking about it. The lunatics may finally have taken over the asylum!
Still, I'm remaining philosophical, even with all the insanity. I have ordered a couple of CDs of ocean sounds and (bizarrely) womb sounds, which may be relaxing at work, and I'm hoping that I'm strong enough - physically and mentally - to cope with my return to work.
One final word of wisdom for anyone else who feels as crabby about the world as I do: Follow your dream; it's going where you want to be.
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SootyB
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18 Replies
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Brilliantly descriptive blog Sooty -your workplace goes well with your name - maybe it's saying you've escaped once and can do it again with only a trace of soot to tell the tale?
I think all workplaces are much the same regions of hell just now. My mother-in-law phoned today to say that her hubby (my FL) is meant to be moved from the big far away hospital to the small on in her town. He is currently on the acute ward. She said that despite there being plenty of beds in the local hospital there are no nurses so he's stuck in the acute ward miles away for now. She goes in twice a day and ends up hoisting him in and out of bed herself quite often and she is 83 with a serious heart condition. I despair really - but I'm lucky and do mostly follow my dream in that I'm self employed, earning pittance to do what I love so I can't complain. I think it's the cutting out of the fun bits in your job that would bother me most but if you can blob around in a womb of your imaginings or float about in a lovely warm sea in your mind then that might make things more palatable hopefully. Good luck. TTx
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Tilda dear, You sure do have a talented way with words!!
Aww sooty, it sounds like the lunatics have indeed taken over. I sometimes wonder why the decision makers make so much money when they waste so much doing many pointless and ruinous things....
Pet xx
• in reply to
Because, if they aren't nasty enough to the subordinates, they will loose their jobs!!! Pathetic, isn't it?
What a big shame that the depo didn't work. I love them, & find it's like going on holiday for 6 weeks as my aches just fade away for the duration. But sadly am strictly rationed, so it's a rare event. Maybe it'll be delayed reaction for you and tomorrow you'll wake up all pain free....
Perhaps you could consign said boss to the 9th region of hell, so at least somewhere else and less of an irritant. Px
...or even the 10th level, so you can't trip over her in the hall! What a pitiful human being she must be. Yet, who knows, away from work, maybe she's alot of fun and very kindly
Your boss sounds like a right cow, what is wrong with these people in authority why do they have to behave so bad. I had a couple of 120mg depo but they never worked for me either, yet the oral steroids worked nearly overnight.
Good luck going back to work, hope it goes better than you think and devil woman gives you back some of your more fun work and leaves you alone.
Thanks, all - you've managed to bring a smile to my face! I've just painted the small nail on my left hand with glitter. I'm not allowed nail polish at work, but this is my 'Friday night nail'. It reminds me that, no matter how crap work is, Friday night is never more than 5 days away from a work day!
Got another appointment with the doc in the morning, so maybe he'll have some pearls of wisdom!
In the meantime, repeat after me (to banish the boss): go back to your bridge, troll, you have no powers here ...
Just tell her to go to hell.She doesn't want what you have to cope with,she wouldn't cope as well as you do. These little hitlers think their god and can treat people how they like. You take no notice of her and do what you can when you can do it.
I believe nasty miserable must be very miserable and unhappy in their home lfe and that's why they try and spread misery to others. I sometimes imagine myself inside an imaginery clear box when people are being negative and this box keeps their vile vibes away from me. Your ocean sounds should help. I sometimes listen to a cd of a thunderstorm when I need to "get away" from things. It starts and with birdsong and the wind in the trees and ends with birdsong. It is so lovely and takes me to the countryside every time. Good luck with the troll. Remember she is jealous of your happiness xxxx
I have not posted on this site before as I have only just discovered it. I am 73 and worked all my life until 6 mths before retirement when RA did for me.. I have had several different bosses in that time and have been one. I find when I get a ferocious boss they are often that way because they can't handle it. I suspect you know more about the job than they do and they sense that. I read a quote somewhere which went along the lines of "People are like the cream of the milk, they rise to the level of their INcompetance and then go sour" .
You hit the nail on the head, many bosses have lost track of the actual duties people perform daily, especially when new procedures come along, the subordinates learn them, the bosses, not so much.
They just tell you where to go and when you should have gotten there!
As a tribute to the wonderful people who are leaders, not all "bosses" are nasty. Most are understanding and want to adjust to the needs of others and still get the work accomplished Loret x
Have they been able to identify which type of athritis/or what is causing you so much as yet?
Good luck with your return to work. Remember don't over do it and don't allow them to stress you out.
Take care Sci
Yes Sooty i was wondering same thing as Sci - did you get your diagnosis in the end? How did it go with the doc today?
And hello Siskin welcome to this forum!
TTx
Hi good luck with your return to work.. am I correct in thinking that you work in clinic for a hospital consultant?. or am I barking up the wrong tree xx
Leave the Bullying and Harrassment policy near your desk..................worked for me!!! But then I left and moved to this job where my boss is lovely and supportive and at the moment keeping the door open for me 1 year later from getting RA, good luck.
Oh SootyB, your work boss mirrors the kind of boss & company that I worked for. My boss took away all my 'babies' (fun stuff) & let go all of the older workers that knew so much & worked hard, too. Oh woman, you have got to get out of that stress. I seriously believe that my arthritis worsened and that I developed IBS because of the stress. My she-boss finally trumped up something & chucked me out the door. Unfortunately, I lost my case against them with the city/League of Human Dignity.
I hope the sounds work & keep stress at bay. You have a good attitude, so good luck to you & keep dreaming.
Thanks for the support - I'm working on finding a forum for my minor creative talents, although I'm having a battle working out where to start. In the meantime, I'm trying not to let her wind me up too much, despite the fact that she's trying to up our clinical time from 60% to 80%, which is the bit my hands struggle with the most! Another trip to Occy Health for me!
In answer to Tilda and Sci, no firm diagnosis as yet; just the rather blanket one of 'early inflammatory arthritis'. They haven't really had much to go on, so I suspect it'll be a while yet before they figure it out.
Summer - I do work in a clinic (or rather, a number of them), but not for a consultant. I'm a 'team lead' (believe me, the inverted commas are definitely necessary!) podiatrist in community clinics. My boss is so wrapped up in bureaucracy and red tape that she can't see the state she's helping her bosses put us in. And I'm afraid she doesn't have the balls to fight it!
Keep smiling, everyone - sorry I haven't replied for a while; my first 2 weeks back have kept me busy ... and achy!
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Thanks, all - you've managed to bring a smile to my face! I've just painted the small nail on my left hand with glitter. I'm not allowed nail polish at work, but this is my 'Friday night nail'. It reminds me that, no matter how crap work is, Friday night is never more than 5 days away from a work day! 
What the hell???
Positive meeting with boss
Work meetings
Had my occupational health/HR interview - you couldn't make it up
