slipkid
Well-known member
I've been back to work almost 2 months now. I have a horrible, physically taxing, and very stressful job, where I am on my feet mostly the entire time.
Prior to going back to work, post surgery any leg/ankle/etc swelling had completely gone away. In fact I had posted that curiously I noticed post surgery that I would be peeing a river like every 2-3 hours which I never used to do (am mentioning this because this has stopped in recent weeks and think all this is linked - I no longer have to urinate that much, and don't much at all anymore).
When I went back to work it was with the understanding that I would be going back to my old schedule of 12 hour days (7 am to 7pm), on a rotating schedule, which although difficult to explain without you looking at a calendar since without that it is incomprehensible to most people, was 2 days on, 2 days off, 3 days on, 2 days on, 3 days off (work Tues/Wed, off Thurs/Fri, work Sat/Sun/Mon, off Tues/Wed, work Thurs/Fri, off Sat/Sun/Mon, then cycle repeats). That schedule gives me a 2 week period with 3 days off and 4 days off. I did not know if I could even do the 12 hour days, or that schedule but wanted to try.
However after going back to work - my first week was to ease me back into things and was five 8 hour days - then they tried to make me work seven 12 hour days in a row since a coworker was taking 2 days off and we are required to cover people on the opposite shift who take days off....actually I am not even going to bother to get into that long story, other than to say my 2nd week was three 12's, one 8, then we went on a schedule of 8 hour shifts SIX days a week with only Sundays off. This was supposed to be only for 2-3 weeks, but it has just continued on and on and on, despite my protesting that it is to much for me. My shift is 3pm-11pm and I am very much struggling with this. I only get one decent meal a week (Sunday night dinner). I am not getting enough rest. My weight has dropped from 146-148 to 133-136 in the past month. My INR has become unstable (too low then too high) and seems to require weekly adjustment up/down. And to add to all this they are trying to make me work on the "back end" - 7pm to 7am shifts, despite my telling them I do not feel physically able to adjust my sleep/life schedule in such a stressful way.
And to finally get to the point, my ankles/calves have started swelling after about 3-4 weeks of six day work weeks - such that I have to cut slits in the sides of my socks and even then my socks are pinching me and my feet feel horrible. I have tried discussing this with my doctor in email, saying I need a note saying I cannot physically keep doing this schedule, and need limits set, but that is yet another long story that I am trying to cope with.
Has anyone here had problems with ankle/calf swelling post surgery (I never even had this PRE-surgery), and if so what did you do, what did your doctor do, are there special socks, things I need to do??? My doctor did not answer my questions regarding my ankles and although I have tried to get an appt to see him last & this week, he has been either "on vacation" (last week) and now "booked up" for this week.
Prior to going back to work, post surgery any leg/ankle/etc swelling had completely gone away. In fact I had posted that curiously I noticed post surgery that I would be peeing a river like every 2-3 hours which I never used to do (am mentioning this because this has stopped in recent weeks and think all this is linked - I no longer have to urinate that much, and don't much at all anymore).
When I went back to work it was with the understanding that I would be going back to my old schedule of 12 hour days (7 am to 7pm), on a rotating schedule, which although difficult to explain without you looking at a calendar since without that it is incomprehensible to most people, was 2 days on, 2 days off, 3 days on, 2 days on, 3 days off (work Tues/Wed, off Thurs/Fri, work Sat/Sun/Mon, off Tues/Wed, work Thurs/Fri, off Sat/Sun/Mon, then cycle repeats). That schedule gives me a 2 week period with 3 days off and 4 days off. I did not know if I could even do the 12 hour days, or that schedule but wanted to try.
However after going back to work - my first week was to ease me back into things and was five 8 hour days - then they tried to make me work seven 12 hour days in a row since a coworker was taking 2 days off and we are required to cover people on the opposite shift who take days off....actually I am not even going to bother to get into that long story, other than to say my 2nd week was three 12's, one 8, then we went on a schedule of 8 hour shifts SIX days a week with only Sundays off. This was supposed to be only for 2-3 weeks, but it has just continued on and on and on, despite my protesting that it is to much for me. My shift is 3pm-11pm and I am very much struggling with this. I only get one decent meal a week (Sunday night dinner). I am not getting enough rest. My weight has dropped from 146-148 to 133-136 in the past month. My INR has become unstable (too low then too high) and seems to require weekly adjustment up/down. And to add to all this they are trying to make me work on the "back end" - 7pm to 7am shifts, despite my telling them I do not feel physically able to adjust my sleep/life schedule in such a stressful way.
And to finally get to the point, my ankles/calves have started swelling after about 3-4 weeks of six day work weeks - such that I have to cut slits in the sides of my socks and even then my socks are pinching me and my feet feel horrible. I have tried discussing this with my doctor in email, saying I need a note saying I cannot physically keep doing this schedule, and need limits set, but that is yet another long story that I am trying to cope with.
Has anyone here had problems with ankle/calf swelling post surgery (I never even had this PRE-surgery), and if so what did you do, what did your doctor do, are there special socks, things I need to do??? My doctor did not answer my questions regarding my ankles and although I have tried to get an appt to see him last & this week, he has been either "on vacation" (last week) and now "booked up" for this week.