How long off work

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1

Hi everyone,

I found this forum and have read so much that has made my recovery a little easier and made me feel less alone.

I am now 4 weeks post keyhole surgery for an ectopic where I had a tube removed. I have been signed off work for another 2 weeks (so 6 in total) but I feel so emotional and still tiring quite quickly. This is our second loss in 4 months. The first was an early miscarriage followed by the ectopic. Is 6 weeks off work already excessive or would a further sick line be acceptable? I genuinely feel like I need it from an emotional perspective but worry about what others may think. Has anyone been off this long? My stitches have still not dissolved either but the physical pain has definitely calmed down. Still waiting for my period too much I think is making me feel worse and it’s like my hormones are all over the place. I cry at the silliest of things just now. Anyone relate?

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I’m so sorry for your losses, my heart goes out to you

I’m currently recovering from my second ectopic in 18 months. I also had surgical management two weeks ago. My hormones are all over the place and the thought of going back to work is just awful so I really empathise.

Last time, I went back at 4.5 weeks but on a phased return so shorter hours. I found that really useful for the first two weeks returning as it balanced my need to move forward with my need to rest and heal.

I can’t stress this enough though, if you need more time off, just take more time off. Everyone is different, physically and emotionally. There is no universal ‘acceptable’ time off. You’ve been through so much and you need to take whatever time you need to heal :heart:

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Thanks so much for responding, I’m sorry you’re going through this too. I can’t imagine how it much be to experience this twice. Did you need surgery first time round as well?

Thanks for the support, phased return might be an idea. I hadn’t actually thought of that. Sometimes being at home with too much time to think doesn’t help either, I end up worrying about all the ‘what ifs’ and that isn’t good for anyone.

I hope your recovery goes well and you receive all the support you may need too. This is a lonely road that none of us would ever wish to be on, I hope you get to where you want to be soon.

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Dear ectopic recovery,

I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy loss,

Surgery is an immense ordeal for the body to go through. In general, after about six weeks you should be able to return to most jobs from a physical point of view. However, if your role involves manual handling, we suggest that it would be sensible to have a phased approach, gently building up to the usual extent of activity. I would suggest avoiding a rapid return to strenuous activities as it is important to build up strength after recovery.

A few options may be available depending on your role: might there be an opportunity to work reduced hours, increasing them slowly over a few weeks? Perhaps there are certain tasks that you could take on which may entail a change from your usual role or a series of reduced tasks initially? I am not sure whether this is appropriate in your circumstances, but is there anything that you could action from home (which may be different from your usual role but still be of use)?

Many women experience pain after surgery and this can be the case weeks or months after the trauma. Pain is the body’s sign to rest and it is important to be guided by this and taking it easier if you experience discomfort.

In addition as you have mentioned, experiencing ectopic pregnancy is a very frightening experience and many women need to take time to help them deal with the psychological/emotional impact of the loss of their baby, being diagnosed with a life-threatening condition and undergoing major surgery. Please speak to your GP about having further time off work if required. It sounds as though you may need longer off work from a psychological point of view.

Sending much love,

Karen x

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