Return to Work??

[Faye]

I am curious to see how many valvers return to their pre-surgery job(s) and maintain full-time employment. I would love to hear your stories!

I ask because I am considering leaving my job ... mostly due to lack of energy and cognitive changes. Also, my life perspective has changed and I have a hard time finding the value in what I do on a daily basis. If I'm going to spend my energy on something, I want it to make a difference!

 

[ricks399]

If I could afford it, I wouldn't return to work because I don't really like what I do and I'm getting very used to not knowing what day it is and not really caring that I don't know! It's a cliche but true nonetheless - life is way too short to waste it on wishing your day (or week) was over! There's too much stuff to be done without work (even rehab).

 

[dick0236]

To Faye, you have waited the recommended one year before making any life changing decisions. If your life style and family responsibilities will allow it I'd say "go for it".

When I got my valve I had just graduated from college, had a wife, two kids and no job. The docs and our families urged me to get with a large company with a good medical plan and lots of security. I went to work, full time, with a Fortune 50 company six weeks after I left the hospital. The work load never bothered me but I spent 10 miserable years trying to fit a "square peg" into a "round hole". I then entered the profession that I eventually retired from. When I was in my early 50's I downsized myself to an "itty-bitty" agency working out of my home. Happily retired at age 61.

With hindsite, we do ourselves a huge disservice if we allow this type of surgery to run or ruin our lives. As the saying goes, "you only go around once".

 

[WayneGM]

From a health perspective, I was able to return to my regular job full-time. However, I must admit that OHS changed my outlook on life and I wasn't as much of a workaholic post-op and decided to have a more balanced work-life mix. I wasn't particularly happy doing what I was doing, but it paid well and I was "comfortable" doing it. I recently had to change jobs due to a restructuring and, to be honest, it was for the best as it got me out of my rut and I'm doing something I enjoy more now. If you've got the flexibilty to change to something you'd rather do, go for it.

 

[MNmom]

Interesting post- I had my surgery during the last week of school (I work for a school district) and now I am one week away from going back- talk about a nice long break! It is difficult to think about going back, simply because, despite OHS, this has been the best summer I have had in a long time- with no agenda except for recovering, relaxing, and spending time with my kids- SO it will be bitter sweet to go back to work next week.
Since I just turned 31- and finally finished 8 years of college/grad school, I pretty much have no choice but to return in the fall- the GOOD news is that I love my job- I have worked hard to be able to do what I have always wanted to do, and I can actually say I like going to work everyday. Plus my kids are also getting excited to start school again- 1st grader and one starting preschool. Its an exciting time, and I am just trying to enjoy each part along the way.
Best of luck in your decision. I used to have three factors in my job decision- distance from work, pay, and happiness with work (not in that order).

 

[ryen0]

I am curious to see how many valvers return to their pre-surgery job(s) and maintain full-time employment. I would love to hear your stories!

I ask because I am considering leaving my job ... mostly due to lack of energy and cognitive changes. Also, my life perspective has changed and I have a hard time finding the value in what I do on a daily basis. If I'm going to spend my energy on something, I want it to make a difference!

you hit the nail on the head with this post. i thought my job was pretty trivial before, so you can imagine how uninspired i am with it now. it is harder to concentrate and focus too after surgery. right now the only thing that gets me through is just seeing it as a means to take care of my family. i would like to go into something else, but then that involves going back to school, and there just isn't enough time or money. but i say if you can leave your job and do something you like to do, deff do it.

 

[netmiff]

Faye :

I am in an enviable position. DH and I are on a permanent disability, so we have enough (just) coming in to cover our basic needs each month. With their blessing, I had been running a small from-home business, that I love, and was doing craft/artisan shows. When cardio said not to lift anything more than 5 lbs, that kinda nixed the shows. So, I had surgery on Sept 6th last year, was home on the 13th working from home, and opened my first retail store on October 1st. I must admit, I do have the most awesome DH, we are now open 7 days/week, and split the store and the house between us, although we both often work from home on our days off, too!

We both LOVE what we do. We both also have chronic mental health problems, and will both be on meds for that for the rest of our lives, and without his glasses, DH is blind as a bat. My philosophy on life since I was old enought to have one is that if you have a roof over your head and 3 meals a day, the rest is gravy. We do not own a vehicle, our house is only 700 sq ft (and mostly owned by the bank!), eating out is usually done in a food court in a mall, we have had one short holiday in 8 years since we met, and although we are "as poor as church mice, we are happy as pigs in ****"

I should mention that DH is 45 and I am 53 now.

Anyway, enough rambling (I do that a lot!) and , if you can, do what you WANT to do with the rest of your life - it is too short to spend in an unsatisfying job. Maybe working part-time, volunteering part-time would work for you, or some kind of seasonal work, or working for a non-profit or something. There are many ways these things can be accomplished, and allow time to smell the roses along the way.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

I believe that life is too short to spend your days doing something that you don't like.

I had my surgery in 1998. At that time I was the Director of Managed Care for a large Houston hospital. I liked my job, but often wondered what was the point. In 2001, I began my teaching career. I did this because I wanted to make a difference and spend more time with my kids as they were growing up. The first few years were great and I really felt that I was accomplishing my goal of changing lives. However, things changed. Because of all the regulations on education, I began to wonder if I was actually making a difference, I had lots of stress, and I was working at least 12 hours a day, plus most weekends. Many of the kids and parents were very high maintenance. So, after 7 years, I returned to my previous career, although I now negotiate contracts for the payor. Much less stress and much more money! Things are good!

 

[debster913]

I like your thread and looks like you got some great responses!

I ended up on medical leave from my job as a high school English teacher in April 2006. I'd had sudden symptoms of valve failure, and my cardiologist did not want me going back to work with a failing valve--at least until I had surgery. I was off work until September and went back full-time teaching 10th and 12th grade English.

I have to admit, the first year back was tough. Like Lisa said above, teaching is stressful. I was working all the time, even on weekends. I even ended up "losing" a few sick days to a sinus infection and an angioplasty--scar tissue build-up in my right femoral artery from the surgery. I felt like I was fairly unsuccessful that year as a teacher because I'd missed so much work; and although my mind felt like it was ready to work so hard, my body wasn't, and I was exhausted. On top of all that, my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer that following April, so my mind was constantly on her and I'd often leave right after school to visit her in the hospital, which led me to falling behind on my grading. Grading is time-consuming, especially for English teachers.

This past school year was great, though. I finally felt like my life was getting back to normal after a bumpy road to full recovery post-valve repair and dealing with my mother's death last August. I may have questioned my career choice when I went back to work a few months after my surgery, but now I have no doubt that this is where I am meant to be.

Sometimes, I think, people just have to work through their body's natural recovery process and allow themselves to adjust to working. If I had, I probably wouldn't have had so many weird symptoms and lost time.

Good luck to you--I'm sure you'll find a job that fits you just fine!

Debi (debster913)