Tuesday 15 January 2008

I think Ive lost it..

As a result of this 'orrible chest infection i now do be getting over, Ive now lost all but a very small bit of my voice.

On Friday I was croaky, managed at work on the phones till about 3pm then asked to come off and do post (processing application forms) grudgingly, my team leader agreed.

On Monday I went into work, voice still croaky but I decided to try my best to answer calls and carry on, because I like my job and I didnt feel ill - also having stayed at work during the dental abcess pain and the chest infection itself I didnt want to go off sick now.

I answered calls till about lunch time, and my voice was getting worse, so i had a chat to team leader and said i wasnt feeling ill, but my voice was straining, and I really couldnt take more calls. I said I didnt want to go home and could I do some of our applicaitons please? (there is plenty of work in them for more than a week solid!)

My very nice team leader (and I do mean that, genuinely) said she was very sorry but having talked to the boss, they had to tell me to go home as I could not do my job :-(

I went home, close to tears because I felt as though I was letting them, and me down.

Saw GP this morning (the supermarket shelf GP) who spent proably less than 2 mins with me.. checked breathing, asked colour of sputum, checked glands in neck, asked If I had been abroad recently then asked if I would like a sick note!

Result: 7 days signed off sick.. told to rest voice, drink honey and lemon (will do blackcurrant instead, hot - yum) and eat pastilles (shan't cause they not veggie and I dont like them)

Will scan sick note and email it to my team leader.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Anna
Know the problem - my voice is fairly crucial in my job too; thankfully haven't lost it at a crucial time yet (though certainly been croaking once or twice).
A little concerned that you have the British Disease of staying at your desk too long. UK industry tends to expect workers to keep coming into work despite minor ailments. Result: more productivity is actually lost, as infections spread around workplaces, more people are working at 'less than their best', and more end up with time off. It's not you that needs to feel guilty, but your employer who needs to encourage sick people to stay at home.

Anonymous said...

ps Get well soon!

Mrshappyanna said...

Hi Mike, yes you have a very valid point there.

Sadly the Office has British Disease, and if I take too much time off (particularly as Im still in my probationary 6 months) I get a warning letter and told off.

The "too much sick time" is 3 separate occasions in 3 months.

jaklumen said...

What is a pastille?

I did a little research-- if they are what I think they are, we would call them "cough drops" or "lozenges" here.

Explain how they are not "veggie"?

Mrshappyanna said...

Many pastils or cough drops of the soft kind are stuck together with gelatine. The hard sort of cough drops that are sugar based - like a hard boiled sweet are probably fine.

However.. being a difficult and fussy person I don't like either so mabye thats a more valid reason for not taking them!

I dont like them because they make the back of your throat go numb, and Im not in pain. They also taste weird!

jaklumen said...

gelatin(e) = boiled horse hooves, etc. = yum

Muahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahaha!