Not telling colleagues about surgery

[MissDiet]

Hi All,

I have very nosey colleagues at work (well I am too lol), and I'd like to keep my surgery strictly on a need to know basis.

How have you all kept it from people you didnt want to know?

The reason I ask is I'm going to be going off work for 8 working days. I dont want any arkward questions from colleagues and friends.

The reason I've chosen to keep this to myself is that its my journey and I'd like to just keep it to family and boss (and HR...).

Any advice? What did you say to people who asked where you were?

Thanks,
Sam
x

 

[drylaw]

im only on a need to know basis at the moment but that might change when i get a date only my boss and head of dept know as i have had to attend quite a few appoitment from the dietician and these are held when i am at work ,,,,,
when things got a bit difficult at work with others talking behind my back at how i wasnt doing certain things and how i was always away to appointments she had a meeting with them with my permision to say i was attending medical appointments and if there was anything that they should know they would be informed it stopped all the back stabbing ( mind u i think a couple of them think i have somethin serious wrong cos a few kept saying i hope ur feeling better soon ) mind u i have had a few ailments over the past year with leg and knee so not really telling any fibs there cos there has been days when i have felt and looked gastly

 

[xxsarahxx]

8 days is a short time to recover hun...i'm still off , it's been 5 weeks now. Don't get rushing back and making yourself ill. you need to rest rest rest and let your body heal x

 

[MrsSAFC]

i said i had an hernia op as also did not want work to know. no questions asked at all x

 

[MissDiet]

Thanks Pauline and Sarah.

Well I hope to be back after 8 or so says. I can always work from home though if need be, I work in sales so as long as I have my laptop and blackberry im sorted lol.

Theres no secrets in my work place, even when people try,it ends up getting around. So im not taking the risk of telling anyone (apart from the obvious).

I'll probably have to confess in a few months when the weights dropping off me and I'm only eating 4 tea spoons for lunch lol

xx

 

[MissDiet]

hernia op, good idea!!

 

[Big an Bouncy]

People arnt stupid and will get on to it so I have always been open about surgery,Im not ashamed I got it through nhs or that it was my last resort.If people said anything I would have an answer ready.

 

[stefanie]

I am terrible at keeping anything to myself, so I think the whole of Kingston council know!!! I had to have 8 weeks off in the end so it would have been really hard to keep the fact I had a major op from work. Also as I had not let work know I would never have found out a colleague in a different department has also had a bypass and we have since been a great support to each other.

 

[suzz69uk]

haha stephanie, Yup i am the same most people know about my op, not many supportive at work but it's done now. x

 

[stefanie]

I must be lucky, everyone has been supportive , well to my face anyway!!!

 

[Ready For Change]

I sang it from the rooftops and got 100% support from family, friends, collegues and managers. I think my honesty cost me though as HR refused to give me company sick pay as it was 'Cosmetic Surgery' even though it was done for medical reasons on the NHS. Each to their own chick, if it will make life easier to keep it quiet for a little while then I say do it. In reflection i wish I'd kept quiet too as your sick note just says abdominal surgery xx

 

[BEXS99]

I have told few in my office but not my main boss yet, suppose will have to, am hoping for just 2 weeks off if all being well x

 

[MrsSmith]

Only my husband knows; having band next Saturday and have taken 6 days off work as holiday; would have found it very difficult to have had enough time off to recover from a bypass though.
Really don't want anyone else to know as don't need to be the subject of gossip and people saying I must have more money than sense (when actually I have very little of either)! x

 

[Neeta]

I couldn't really keep it quite as I work at the hospital that I am having the surgery done at and I also work for the surgeons. The one who is doing the operation shares an office with the surgeon I work for. Saying that though, I have only just told the surgeon I work for and he said that he didn't know anything about it. Most of my work colleagues have been supportive apart from one who said that I was taking the P*%s as she doesn't think that I have a lot of weight to loose, but there are the medical conditions that go along with it too, so, you may just have to go with your instincts. Good luck. xx

 

[jeany]

The only reason I am not telling some of my work colleagues is I work in local government in commissioning and a while back there was a heated debate around the subject of NHS funding. I have got funding via my PCT and don't feel strong enough to defend this. Daft I know but they just see it as self inflicted.

 

[Ali_B]

I've been honest, in some cases it hasn't gone down well.
I've work for the company for a long time and i believe i'm the first to request leave of this type. Hopefuly it will be easier for the next person to ask.


I also didn't want people to gossip, losing weight quickly, stopping smoking and having a period off work. I can imagine the rumours.

 

[capiegirl]

I've told pretty much anyone and everyone, most people have been supportive, I've had a few sarcastic remarks, but only from people that don't really know me or know anything about my medical history. Strangely enough the health care worker that carried out my admission to hospital had the most to say about it and more or less told me I was wasting NHS money as I wasn't fat enough to warrant that kind of funding! I felt so embarrassed and was ashamed to tell the other ladies in my ward what I was in for to begin with, they were all very nice about it though. I think you may be underestimating your recovery time though, I'm 6 wks post op and have been back in hosp twice with complications. Good luck, I think I'm one of a small minority!!

 

[gillys]

No one other than my boss knows and that's how I plan to keep it for as long as possible. I work with some very judgemental people and don't want the chew it will cause

 

[MissDiet]

Thanks for all your feedback.

I will probably speak to HR tomorrow and see what they say about it all. My boss just told me they will allow me to have it off sick, then as soon as I can hold a phone call to him to class it as back to work (but work from home).

 

[Mio]

I've been using the hernia op excuse as well, because I am actually having one - as well as getting a band fitted *lol* So I'm not lying, I'm just not telling the whole truth!

My manager and her manager both know, as we work very closely, and of course HR, but no-one else does. I'm hoping with the band my weight loss will be slow and steady so I don't have to explain how a hernia op helped me lose 3 stone overnight