Did you tell your Dr. when you wanted to return to work....

Did you all make a request for how long b4 you wanted to return to work and give your surgeon a return to work date and ask him to use that date or did they just write up your paperwork with the amount of time they felt was sufficient.

I plan on telling DVR just when I'm going back to work  but I have a lot of leave I can use.

Any time I've had surgeries or issues that have kept me out of work I've asked the doctor to write the note FOR me as to when I was going back to work.  I think only ONCE i had a doc tell me that he thought i was taking too much time off and I explained that I was but that I could and would he please write the date I asked for.  He did.

Maybe this is too personal Nessa, but do you plan on taking around 6 weeks.

I sent my paperwork in and Barb says that she is the only one that fills it out and that DVR never allows more than 4 weeks for Lap surgery. 

I asked if she would sign off for 6 weeks. She refused. 

She said if there are complications it would be extended but trust and believe I don't want complications.

I'm pissed i wanted to go back 9/7 after labor day holiday because my daughter will have had her baby at the end of August in New York and i wanted to be able to go up and see my new grandson.

Oh Well, she's not going to extend her sign off from 8/24 so.....................

But still, i just don't understand why they won't let me decide my return date.

well i was planning on around 4 weeks off because i'm going to go to florida for some of it but if I want to take longer I can take it as annual leave and that does not require a doctors note.

from what i hear 4 weeks is plenty for lap.  most folks I know go back after 2 weeks even.

brian (the husband) is looking at around 2 weeks off before he goes back and he drives for a living...


did you talk to her about WHY you want the extra 2 weeks?  I find them very approachable when we have something we want to do that's not quite within the guidelines the office sets up.

I know they have their rules and are VERY strict but sometimes maybe they could be flexible.

Yeah, i told her the reason but...............i guess that's not good enough.

well that sux. 

I so understand your POV.  do you have to have to return to work when the doc says?  can you add some leave to your SL?  

I'm lucky now, i can't return without a doctors note but I can stay out longer if i like....  


to play devils advocate, i can see their POV too.   after all they don't want to give the impression that this surgery requires so much time off that companies or insurance start not wanting to approve it.

yEAH, I'M SURE YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT THAT Nessa,

I've only been with the State a year and so most of my newly acquired time went into pre-op appt.s and once i go out on Leave Bank i stop accruing time until i return to work. so..

Hence, no amount of extra saved time to add on.

yeah it's hard when you only have a year in.  bTDT with the feds.

we do have advanced leave but  you pay it back...


for me even though i'll be out i'm still accruing leave... nearly one day a week for every week i'm out...

Hi Carol -

A lot will depend upon the type of work you do, whether you can easily access your food, water, the bathroom, etc., especially in the first couple of weeks.

I didn't feel comfortable returning to wor****il I was comfortably ensconced in solid foods.  But that's just me. 

DVR kind of let me dictate, so I guess as long as you don't ask for 6 months, he should be willing to accommodate a reasonable return to duty date.

Tia

How long did you take Tia,