How will I avoid heavy lifting for so long?!

by Jenz24 6th March 2011, 6:50 pm

Hi everyone

Right here's my problem. I currently work in operating theatres and have booked two weeks annual leave for my BA.

Problem is, my whole job involves picking up heavy instrument trays, pushing heavy equipment around, sliding patients and pushing beds back to wards etc! I'm really worrying now because I havent told anyone at work as I was hoping to just go back and get on with it, but how long should i really be avoiding this kind of strain for?

What should I do?! HELP!

Thanks, Jen x

by carol_s 6th March 2011, 7:05 pm

Have a chat with your surgeon hun - asap and explain your situation to him. Mine told me not to do weights or anything in the gym for 3 months and I should imagine that some of the weights will be similar to what you are lifting and moving around.
Can you have a word with somebody in admin and get then to swap you over to light duties or something.
Sorry I couldn't be more helpful
xx

by Malibu 6th March 2011, 8:17 pm

I'm having the same worry! I do alot of running around carrying things. My manager knows that I'm having the operation and is very understanding about the whole thing so I'm sure she will help me out, but I worry about when she isn't there and I'll have to make up excuses to the other people I work with. I definitely don't want any of them to know why I can't be lifting things.
I think I'll blame it on a back injury or something, but I can't keep that up for too long!
I'll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it!
Hopefully people at work will be understanding and help you out.

Better still if you come up with a really good lie for why you can't be lifting - do share! haha

by Jenz24 6th March 2011, 8:40 pm

Haha i know, i suppose because i work in theatres and lots of our patients are having life saving surgery i feel like theyll think im kinda selfish for having cosmetic surgery?! Then again i may be kiddin mysel thinking i can hide it from them, is it not gonna be obvious?

I had the same idea, tell everyone i've pulled my back. But i work with so many different people i will have to keep saying it over and over and im a rubbish liar! lol. When's your BA date?

Thanks for the advice Carol, i will ask the surgeon. However there isn't really such thing as light duties in my job! hehe.

x

by flowergirl 7th March 2011, 10:05 pm

Hi hun,
I quite often have to go into theatres too as a runner. I told my surgeon and he was fine about it, he said I'll be ok after a week.
I told my co-ordinator, she was fab and is really excited about it. The other HCAs know about it so they can support me if I need it. I didn't tell everyone though cos you know how nurses can gossip ;-)
I don't really do much lifting in my job as my patients are pregnant ladies and can mostly care for themselves unless they've had a section / epidural and even then they're pretty mobile but I can imagine how hard it'll be having to get obese people across a pat slide. I reckon after 2 weeks though you'll be fine, that's usually standard for a physically labouring job.
As for the instrument trays, tell the consultants to clean up their own mess for once! Hysterical

by carol_s 7th March 2011, 10:10 pm

As for the instrument trays, tell the consultants to clean up their own mess for once!

I like it!!
xx

by hattie260 7th March 2011, 10:23 pm

are you having unders or overs hun? I think this rule applies especially if you have unders as there is a lot of tugging and pullling at your muscles and you have a foreign object shoved under them. If you are having overs I think your surgeon will say you will be ok as long as your don't put any prolonged strain on them.

I would speak to your surgeon, you may find it is ok as long as you are careful but check with him. If not I would say you have strained your back and try to get out of as much as possible for a further couple of weeks... and hope a consultant back specialist doesn't offer to take a look!

xx

by angbabyxx 7th March 2011, 11:28 pm

Can you not call in sick hun for a couple of days? you need some time to heal, at least initially....good luck anyway and let us know how you get on.....x

by jellytot1 8th March 2011, 12:08 pm

You could just say that you have "pulled a muscle in your chest through lifting or coughing too much - it won't be too much of a lie as that is what the pain feels like anyway.

by Carrie 8th March 2011, 2:21 pm

I told some people I'd had a hernia op to explain why I couldn't do normal activities. I'm glad because although you feel better day by day, there are times when you know that you've over done it and your body tells you so. I had unders and right up to 6 weeks I could feel my muscles 'resisting' getting the pushchair up kerbs and and putting the car in 5th gear. For me the lifting became easier sooner than the pushing, so you might find the trolleys and beds a struggle, but we're all different. If you can, it's best to have plans in place to give your body the time it needs to recover xx

by **RoxyChick** 8th March 2011, 2:45 pm

If there's someone you can tell then it would be to your advantage as they can cover for you, however just saying you're having an op that means you wont be able to do heavy lifting should suffice.

I went back to work after two weeks and I had over, the real worry for me was the journey on the tube, but after two weeks I felt ok to do it.

Hope you can figure something out soon.

by Malibu 8th March 2011, 8:55 pm

Jenz, I'm booking a date this Thursday, hoping to get squeezed in for the op before the end of the month.

I recently did actually pull my back and when I mentioned this at work people were willing to help me and let me get cabs instead of running about around London on foot - a large part of my job unfortunately.
I think it's easy to sit and worry about all the things involved with work that will be an issue, but at the end of the day, if you can't do it - you can't do it! People will have to help out for whatever reason you give. I bet it won't be half as bad to deal with as we think at this stage.

by Jenz24 8th March 2011, 9:06 pm

Thanks everyone for your advice! Yeah i'm having unders so i'm slightly more worried. I know what you mean about tellin someone but theres about 70 staff at my work and i rotate round 7 theatres so i will always be working with different people everyday and constantly be lying!

I know what you mean about telling them i've had an operation but seeing as we work in theatres everyone gets a bit nosy and prob will wonder why i havent mentioned it! I think i may jus tell the big boss and see if she can get me on some kind of light duties by saying i've injured myself!? fingers crossed!! x

by hattie260 8th March 2011, 11:32 pm

I think that's a good idea hun, your boss should respect that you wish to keep it confidential xx

by elleblondie 8th March 2011, 11:49 pm

This is a good topic. It is going to be tricky working around the lifting issue, isn't it. I love the hernia idea - why didn't I think of that!

My family owns a Benjamin Moore Paint Store and I manage the store as well as interior decorate. I'm a bit nervous because I just noticed I will be alone in the store next Tuesday for 2 hours. My family knows that I can't lift things and we are working together to get around that but it's going to be a bit tricky if I am alone. I think I will try to get a friend to come and be my handy assistant for these hours but do you think if I had to lift a can of paint (aprox 1 stone) I will be okay? When mixing I have to flip the can half way through shaking & then tighten the top of the shaker.... Can I mess up my boobs from doing this? My doctor said I should be fine but I want to know from people who have been through this.
Thanks!

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How will I avoid heavy lifting for so long?!

How will I avoid heavy lifting for so long?!

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