UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

i am now able to wear my lenses for long enough to go back to work soon, I get my new right lens this week so as long as its as comfy as the one I have now I am still on track for coming off sick. Now i need some advice about returning to work.
Nobody from work has contacted me while I have been off and I have been advised by my gp to change my working hours so I am not doing 8.30-5.30 any more, she feels that would be too much as I have only had the lenses for 3 weeks and have a lot of allergies. So my hours need changed.
I have no idea what kind of support I will need, my job is mainly based on lone working and one of my clients is extremely volatile and aggressive. I would need reliable back up of some sort anyway! I dont feel confident working alone with him anymore, if he kicked off and I got something in my eye it would not be safe to remove a lens anyway.
Ideas please! Any advice is needed. Does anyone else have a job where they are in the community and peoples homes lone working? How do you manage?
Thanks x

donna

Ask for a work place assessment. Also, if you are returning to work with a visual handicap, ask for an assessment under the DDA of any adaptations you may need at your work station.

It is hard to offer any particular advice without knowing what you do or what your job entails. but I found it pretty easy after surgery to merge back into a 60 to 70 hour week.

Andrew

Donna,

I think the first port of call is to sit down with your supervisor adn occupational health person. For me, this meant we had a return to work plan, but I had been off for nearly 4 months. In my case this meant starting at one day a week and building up by an extra day until I was back full time. Each week we reassed the situation to see if we were on track. Occupational health said on track or just behind was OK, but if we were ahead of plan then back off.

We discussed all aspects of workand how to deal with the situations we were uncertain about. For you this might mean doing less visits and initiall to those that are easier to manage. It is a case both you and your employers need to be confident in your abilities. Then you will deal with unknown situations better because of your confidence and by the same token your employers are more likely to hep with any other changes you may need (from my own expereince that is).

You know where we are if you need any halp and hopefully your emplyers do too if they want advice on how to help you.

Thanks for the replies!
My GP has said she wont sign me back on unless we have covered everything properly and done all the risk assesments that are needed. So I will make an appointment for early next week to try and sort this out.
I think they are of the opinion that now I have my lenses thats everything ok then

Donna,

With any luck, now you have lenses you will be like most people with KC in whcih case everything will be pretty much OK.

Just noticed you are in Cumbria, I was in Gateshead this morning which as far as I am concerned with the driving I do, is not far from you.

I should of pm'd and arranged to meet for a cuppa

Yes we could have met up at a halfway point and had a cuppa Its not far from me and is not a bad drive over.