Work want me signed off

[ElizabethF]

Hey everybody can someone offer me some advice....

I am 28 weeks pregnant with my second - this pregnancy hasn't been that great (Spd, general back pain, tiredness the usual). 4 weeks ago I passed out whilst queueing in Subway, I then passed it at home and then I had severe heartburn one night and blacked out consecutively a few times when lying on the bathroom floor and blacked out at work today. Basically my boss has told me he doesn't think I should be at work and thinks I should be signed off. My work is an hour drive each way and he said what happens if I black out when driving or get pain that makes me want to pass out and there is no where to pull over. I said it will be fine!! I start annual leave at 35 weeks for 3 weeks and maternity from 38 weeks so if I was signed off it would be 7 weeks!! I have been told not to go to work tomorrow and I am not allowed back unless I have a letter to say I am fit to drive and be at work. I get full sick pay etc.

Anyway I rang the doctors and it's a stupid new system where you can't get appointments now only triage phonecalls from a doctor to see if you need an appointment. A doctor rang me this evening and said 'so what do you want to do?' I said well I don't know I want advice and to see if I'm okay to be at work or why it keeps happening? She said well it's unlikely to happen whilst driving if it hasn't already.. So if you want I can do a private letter and leave it at reception for you to collect (£60!) to say you can drive and go to work but stay off if any pain or dizZy'. I told her I would need to speak to work as I am not paying that and she said 'okay well let us know thanks bye'.

What do you guys suggest? I'm not allowed back tomorrow so I will be ringing the doctors back anyway!! reckon I'll be okay at work etc? Not sure what to do but I'm not paying £60 for a letter when a fit for duty one is actually free! Likewise feel guilty being signed off (if they do sign me off as work want).

 

[Sparklegirl]

Are these episodes regular- as in do they come after doing/eating/drinking something? If not, I would imagine that it could happen when you are driving or not. Obviously I am not a doctor so have to defer to what she has told you but I would be concerned about it if I was in that position.

Do you have another way of getting into work without having to dive yourself? What do you do for work- is it something safe enough for you to carry on doing should you pass out again? If I'm right, you could be off on sick for 7 weeks with full pay and then go on maternity, dont be guilty- its taking care of yourself and the baby. A bit of time to rest before baby arrives for you to sleep!

The triage thing is in all surgeries now I believe, but £60 for a letter is steep, the surgery I work in charge £25! I hope a doc will give you a diagnosis and do something to help

 

[ffeefifofum]

Sounds like you're having a tough time... perhaps as a compromise you could suggest to your work that you self-certify for a week in order to give your body a bit of a rest, and then see how you're feeling / whether you've passed out etc. in that time?

You could try and get a proper face-to-face appointment with your GP in that time to be checked over, and get advice (hopefully from a different one to the one you spoke to!).

Honestly, it sounds as though they've got your best interests at heart (or at the very least are concerned about you falling ill at work which I suppose might be more likely ), is there a particular reason you don't want to go off early if you get full sick pay in the mean time?

Whatever you decide I hope you don't pass out again, sounds scary

 

[ElizabethF]

Thank you!!! It happened once when I was standard too long and my back started hurting. Another time was heartburn pain that caused it and also Ibs and at work it was just sitting I started to feel ringing in my ears and my head felt it was going to explode then I started getting shakes and blacked out.

I will speak to my doctor tomorrow. I think the reason I didn't want to be signed off sick is guilt more than anything!!

 

[MrsB2105]

As guilty as it may make you feel, you need to look after yourself and your baby, your boss is right, I would get a sick note from the doctor, if not do you have any annual leave you could use up? X

 

[Rhelen91]

You could be having episodes of Vasovagal Syncope. It's where your blood pressure drops and due to the lack of oxygen reaching the brain you become increasingly dizzy and sometimes can pass out, it can alao cause temporary vision and hearing loss, and increased temperature. I've been suffering from it and been having episodes whilst doing grocery shopping, whilst at work, and even just standing up from the sofa at home. There isnt really any treatment or cure, but my consultant recommended that I try to keep my temperature down at all times, stay hydrated, and have a snack at least every 2 hours (preferably aomething sugary)