SHOCK Ive been offered retirement!!!

[signtalker]

Well as all of you have been following the ongoing saga of my work life, thought I would let you know, that on Monday I was offered Medical retirement from my job! .(im 35 for anybody who was thinking im wearing well for 60!)

The second option I was given, is to take long term sick leave untill this ongoing problem with my hand/shoulder/arm is all sorted.

Or they will try and take measures to help me continue in my job,but as this is an active role and im not able to be as active to follow the terms on my contract, they are offering me re deployment, in another job, but on lower pay!!.

Looks like I lose all round at this rate LOL!!!
The union, are now consulting with their legal team, ready for another meeting on Monday.

Whatever happened to just wanting to do your job each day, without the agro!.
Jules

 

[Claire L]

Jules,
That is quite a shock. How much pension would you get?? What is the state of play with your sick pay ie how long can you have off on full pay? Also how have you had your shoulder/arm/hand problem and what has it being diagnosed as? Sorry to ask such long questions but I don't recall reading your original thread as to how,when and where the injury occurred. The reason I ask is am still off work long term sick due to a shoulder injury sustained at work in August. Although I have been to hospital/Dr's/physio it is still no better so I have been referred to the pain clinic at my local hospital, but at this time I have been given no appointment date!! Hope all goes well for you.
Claire

 

[KayleeUK]

Jules

Not quite the news you were expecting. Any idea what you will do yet ?

 

[signtalker]

Claire, thanks for the questions LOL,I had a car accident two and a half years ago, to cut along story short,ive had painkillers,physio for over a year,traction,accupuncture(twice),x-rays, and an MRI scan of my neck,followed by an MRI scan on monday with addtional x-ray on my shoulder!,and 2 lots of anathestic and steriods injections into my shoulder,underarm and back,and being an interpreteur for the deaf,it doesnt help needing my arm and hands so much!!!.

Theres been no formal diagnosis yet as to what is wrong,but there was nerve damage at the start which is why i couldnt feel my fingers.They are querying osteroarthritis now also,hopefully now ive had the second MRI I should know at long last whats wrong!.
I think I have 100 or so days left of full pay, so really taking long term sick pay isnt an option!

Kaylee, ive decided im gonna hang on in there, lets face it,its gonna cost more for them to keep me at work than it is for me to go!!,the union are heavely involved as they have over stepped the mark with a couple of things,but after the grief Ive copped in the last 2 years from my line manger,im determined to put up a real good fight!

Will keep you posted.
Jules

 

[Claire L]

Jules,
It sounds like you have had a rough time. To let you know I have been given accupuncture and a TENS machine and up until now no result. I still have regular pain in my shoulder/back and tingling/numbness down my arm into my fingers. This was due to an assault whilst at work! Due to my role at work I need full use of my arms due to the physical nature of the work and driving at the moment just to get there would be too much strain, so its not as if I can have an office job. All I have had so far along the lines of investigation into the injury is an x-ray the night my injury occured and I am wondering if a scan would be any use, as a friend who is a nurse asked me what the result was and sounded surprised when I said I hadn't had one or been offered one.
Hang in there and keep us updated.
Claire

 

[susie2]

hi jules, sorry its come to this, the arrogance of firms shocks me sometimes, please stay strong and hang on in there, dont let them bully you into any thing that is not best for you. i hope that the latest tests can give you some answers, what did you think of the mri, i thought it was scary!! im such a coward, good luck with your results susie

 

[signtalker]

Clare, I have trouble driving to!!!,if I reach for the seatbelt I have to do it with the other hand,and if I open the car door its via my foot!.I drive approx 80 odd miles aday to and from work,and have found varying ways to combat the pain,and make life easier,BUT really its very difficult and most of the time I drive one handed with my right arm resting on my lap!.Accupuncture didnt help me, neither did a tens machine,but i have learnt how to juggle my painkillers,anti inflamataries and my tens machine to get some relief!.

Susie,I HATE the MRI scans,this time I was in the machine for 50 minutes!!!,im not a claustraphobic person,but did start to panic abit, which brought on an asthma attack,but luckily enough they got me out.Ive told DH that if they want anymore scans they can take a running jump!!.

Clare sounds like you will have a long journey to get sorted out!,im not sure if an MRI will be asked for in your case,but im sure if youre seeing a specilist they will request one for you.Be aware that the waiting list for MRI scans is awful!,even going private it took me 9 months!!.

Jules

 

[Claire L]

Jules,
Sounds like you have had a rough time over the past 2 and a half years. My initial 'diagnosis' was soft tissue and muscle damge which I would have thought should be getting alot better by now which it is not, so I am now wondering if there is more injuries than first thought. Admittedly an x-ray does not show such damage so maybe a scan would? I shall enquire when I next see my GP in two weeks time. The wait time for a scan sounds horredous, even with private consultation. I have noticed that as the weather gets wetter and colder my symptons are worse.
Keep us updated with your progress.
Claire

 

[IAN5150]

Sorry to hear about all this, But looking at it from an employers view after 2 and a half years you can still not do your job properly have they any other option?
Its quite common practice to retrain you for another position,I cant do my old job anymore due to Severe Osteo (Spelt wrong!!) Arthritis in my knees and am wanting to start retraining in the new year,But in some instances people are pensioned off and not even offered that,So I would definitly look at that
Whichever way it goes I hope it all ends up good for you.

 

[Mskanga]

Jules;
I'm sorry you are going through this. Although I don't have the problem to the extent that you do, I do have osteo arthritis on my shoulders / upper back , and for years I was working a job that involved heavy use of my arms. In one year alone , the level of my osteo arthritis "doubled" , not only I was having trouble driving, but getting undressed or just brush my hair. Plenty of times I cried from the excrutiating pain , and the anti-inflamatories that I needed, were not covered by my insurance ( because they were new ) until I had tried everything else , so there, I have to waste weeks trying everything so the insurance will pay for what I need, but at least now they pay for my Vioxx which is a hefty $300 a month bill if I didn't have insurance.
I finally came to the conclusion that it was better for me to change to another job , which my doctor had been talking about to me for months. I was able to do that because I'm not the main provider in my family, now I have an easier job, I still use my arms but I'm not in the agonizing pain anymore.
I know the agony I go through when I have one of my flare-ups, I cannot even imagine adding more to that.
I don't know your situation , but like Ian said before, there's only so long that an employer can wait , and I don't know how it is over there , but here in the US , they don't always accomodate you to another position unless the injury is work related.
Best of luck to you.