Sick leave

youngmama

I'm curious, how much sick leave did you take before returning to work (if you returned)?

oliviafinnegan

And in a related vein, if you are unemployed and do not have a company health plan in addition to OHIP or another provincial health insurance, is there any sort of coverage for short term sick leave from the government?

marjie

I began my medical LOA right before my surgery which was August 18, 2010.  Finished chemo in February 2011, finished rads in April, and I returned to work September 3 starting half days and working up to full time hours by October 2011.  I am still on Herceptin until January 2012.

I was really eager to get back to work, but it has been really tiring and quite challenging - ofcourse I'm catching every cold and bug going around which makes it difficult as well. 

youngmama

Thanks for sharing Marjie!

Curlylocks

I took 11 months off work, short and long term disability from start of surgery, through 6 months of chemo, radiation.  I was totally exhausted and needed the time to recovery. 

 You think you have the energy to go back and quickly find out that your body is still in recovery mode.  I started back to work after that time on a graduated return to work over 4 months, not working full time.  I work in a very busy HR department so it was necessary and helped me cope once I went back full time.  It took a long time to get back into the swing of things, chemo brain was so bad!

Michele

barbe1958

I only took the 7 sick days I had saved up and the holidays between Christmas and New Years for my double mast. DUMB!!! I did have to get back to work to make money as I am the bread winner in the house, but I didn't take good enough care of myself. Now I have just finished STD (EI from the government) and received my first monthly payment from Great West Life. Now I'm only getting 50% of what I used to make, so my DH has been forced to work. He's 61 with an essential tremour which means his hands shake like an old man so he is very hard to place. He got a job working on the golf course as a Marshall in the summer, and he times the hockey games at the resort we live in (Nottawasga Inn - the town houses) so he doesn't have to drive. He just got a job at Future Shop for the season.

I am going through biopsies again to see if the growths in my neck are cancer. I didn't take enough time to heal my soul and I finally "gave up" this past June when Konakat passed. I don't recommend that anyone go back as fast as they can! Take all the time you can afford. Build your inner resources up to optimal levels. Don't try to be a hero (which in retrospect is what I did). I was lucky enough to not get chemo or rads, but it's a major surgery and psychologically I should have taken STD and gone down south!