Time for "Modified Duty"

It's ironic that, when I first heard I would need this surgery and would have to be out of work perhaps 1-2 months and could not drive for three whopping months, I naturally panicked. I could not imagine being away from my job for such a long time, and the pressure on me before I left to set up things for whoever would cover for me was very intensive and all encompassing.

Three weeks later, as I face having a return to "modified duty" probably as soon as next week, I find myself feeling very differently, which surprises me. Contrary to worrying about how I will pull this off, I feel calm in knowing that our "tech guy" will set things up so I can communicate with my co-workers via a mobile connection between my computer and the agency's network, plus I also know I have to work from home. Last week, my doctor noted that the only thing I could do in an unrestricted way was to "sit". Standing is limited to 5 minutes at a time for no more than one hour a day and, of course, driving is off limits until probably December.

It's so quiet here in my home during the day that, faced with a list of calls I have to make and documentation to do for those calls, I can't imagine getting too stressed. Also, since I am in no position to make home visits or see people in the office (because I cannot drive there and I doubt the agency will want to risk the liability of having someone pick me up, drop me off, and have to assist me with the pain-in-the-butt transfers associated with all the stairs to my home), I doubt there will be more work to do than I can handle here. It's just odd to imagine doing my job in what is normally a very busy, hectic environment here in my nice quiet home. I think I may be asked to do four hours a day and will need to see if I can really find that much to do that will take four hours, but it's a wait and see kind of thing. The tech guy has been instructed to call me to set up the computer connection and the rest will just have to be day to day.

For anyone reading this who dreads, as I did, the prospect of putting your life and work on hold for an extended period, I can tell you this: it has many plusses along with the minuses. You truly do get extended rest, whether this means you are napping or simply reading a book with your leg elevated. On the other hand, crutching your way around the house to the bathroom, kitchen and living room is exhausting - I really paid for it yesterday when I went out for a short drive with a friend. I was so incredibly spent just from using my walker and then my crutches to navigate my porch, then my walkway, then down five stairs on my butt (which actually was more doable than I envisioned). I was struggling to stay awake beyond about 8 p.m. and really fell into a deep sleep once I did go to bed. My body is learning the meaning of "everything within limitations" and, every so often, I have tested the limits and felt the results.

So, hmmmm, back to work. That will be interesting to try and do from home, but I figure if I can handle a traumatic fall that led to spraining my left arm and rupturing my right achilles tendon, undergo surgery for the rupture and then have the patience and determination to keep my right leg elevated (AT ALL TIMES) for two weeks....going back to work should be a piece of cake! Hopefully, it's german chocolate :-)