Cancer and work

Hi Twirly A month is nowhere near enough to recover from bowel cancer surgery especially with a hysterectomy too. You cannot be descriminated against for having cancer by law and there’s lots of information in the article below

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/work-and-cancer

It might be useful to ring the support desk too (number under my name) as I think they have employment specialists that you can talk to?

One thing I will say is that your stoma reversal might not happen for a good while yet? It is not a high priority operation and you may not be able to have it until next year when the annual ‘winter pressure’ clears the hospitals. Having said that it is a quick operation and the surgeons can often fit it in between the bigger ones?

Read the info, have a chat with the support desk and make some notes about how you feel? My work kept asking when I was hoping to get back but it was more so they could manage the workload and ended up getting a temp in for a few months?

Take care

Karen x

The NHS states 5 - 8 weeks recovery for an abdominal hysterectomy, a bit sooner if it was by laparoscopy. 

I have two stomas and they healed within three weeks, but the internal wounds took about 12 weeks I reckon.

Perhaps keep a diary and log all calls and messages in a straightforward manner, without bias.

Occ. Health should understand these matters; it's not just about PPE!

A 'reversal' needs to be carefully considered and is unlikely to be offered for quite some time. I was offered it a year after but declined because the ileostomy works very well. If it ain't broke don't fix it!

Dulac

Thank you so much. 

This is brilliant, thank you.