Signed Off Sick

It hit me at the thought of food! Mild nausea, mild painwas told - always the best way.
across my rib cage - bearable discomfort, nothingAround 2 hours later, my wife and I were relaxing on
massive. "Cor," I thought, "what have I eaten?" I feltthe sofa watching some TV, suddenly I stood up. I had
sick, like I had a bad case of heartburn - I've sufferedfelt a tingling numbness, kind of like pins and needles,
heartburn on and off for the whole of my adult life, sothat had worked its way up my left arm down my left
it was nothing new. I tried to drink, but that increasedside, down my left leg and into my left foot. I walked
my nausea. I tried to eat, but that didn't help andaround for about 15 minutes thinking, as with pins and
increased the pain! So I lit a cigarette (oops!) and hopedneedles, the feeling would return. It didn't. Once more
it would feel better soon.we consulted NHS Direct - "Call 999", it instructed us,
I work as a Van Sales Representative, selling goods to"you are having a stroke". Once more I called them -
shops. I drive a van between 50 and 180 miles a day,and they called the ambulance for me, they were
and deliver between 200 and 500 kilos of goods eachworried. This is when the lesson was learned - if you
day. On this particular day I had just 8 deliveries andeven think you need an ambulance call it, that is why
only one of those was a large delivery, about 250 kilos.they exist! The paramedics were very attentive, they
That day turned out to be a day that would changewired me up they heard me out, and they decided
the balance in my life considerably.I'm not Zeus orthey were taking me into hospital. My wife made a call
Atlas, just a mortal man of 41. Since I started lookingand my mother in law arrived to look after the children
after myself at the age of 29, I have consideredjust in the nick of time, allowing my wife to follow the
myself fit (I work out between 2 and 4 times a week)ambulance. On arrival I was taken straight to casualty
and I have always tried to eat healthily - my only viceand wired up, x-rayed, blood was taken, a lot of
is cigarettes and that's a fairly recent thing.waiting ensued. I was admitted over night into the
This large delivery was therefore not a worry to meacute medical ward, where once again I was wired - I
by any means - I had spent the last 18 months of mydid have a very hairy chest when I went in, with all of
life at this job and had therefore done it many timesthe sticky pads, that didn't last long!!! Ouch!!
without problem. As I did this delivery on the day inI have a morbid fear of dying alone, and I hated the
question, I gradually felt more nauseous, the painthought of being left there alone in a ward with 6
increased, I was sweating, I was breathless, and I feltstrangers. I was scared. For the first time that week I
drained of my normal exuberant energy. Heartburnwas truly scared. I began to weep and I explained as
can have all of these symptoms and therefore I justbest I could between sobs, but I must have got my
figured I had a really bad case.message through because my wife stayed with me all
My next delivery was about an hour's drive away. I satnight. Neither of us slept, I was hooked up to monitors
for 5 minutes until my breath came back and I felt awhose alarms were constantly sounding, it was difficult
little better. I continued on my journey, mumbling toto sleep. The next morning the doctors returned with
myself something about work appreciating mygood news - all of my tests were normal. I was not to
sacrifice, given how bad I was feeling. I was by nowreturn to my normal job, however, until I had taken the
feeling like I needed to be physically sick - somethingultimate test - the treadmill test, this tests for blockages
heartburn has never made me feel in my 25 years ofand other problems in your heart such as angina etc.
suffering. I now began to worry! Maybe I had pickedThe appointment would be made via my doctor.
up a virus, or got something like salmonella from myI called my employer the same day and explained my
burger last night!!!! I got to my final drop, although Godsituation to them. "Well Dale", he began after listening to
knows how,then went to the public toilet. I wasn't sick,my tale, "this is a real pain for us..." I stopped listening
but boy I felt rough.properly, because all I was getting was a list of the
I got back into my van, I was done, time to drive backproblems I was causing him. All I had asked for was
to the office. I still had the really bad nausea, I still hadlighter duties maybe administrative work until I had
awful pain around my midriff, I still had the cold sweats,taken this test and was proven fit. He could not fit me
and I still had the feeling of being drained of all myin and he "wasn't about to create a job for me". This
energy. I knew I shouldn't be driving, I needed to be atmeant that essentially I was unfit for work, as he and
home with my wife and kids. I needed to be lyinghis insurers would not be happy with me driving, even
down, resting, recovering, probably with a bucket!! I gotthough my doctors were!!! This is when I was signed
about half way back and could feel my eyes drooping,off sick.
this was a bad sign so I stopped and rested my headThat was 6 weeks ago!! I still get spasms of pain and
on my steering wheel for 15 minutes, just to recoverbreathlessness and weakness, but nowhere near
sufficiently to drive safely back to the office.what I had experienced - I've learnt to just rest for
I got back safely, cashed up, feeling rougher by the30-45 minutes when this happens and I feel better, it
minute. "I think I'm going to be sick", I told the colleagueusually comes on after bouts of exercise like climbing
with whom I share an office. His reply was none toostairs or walking the dog or when I'm going through a
polite to say the least and contained a few expletives,particularly stressful time. I've been to the doctors since
as is his nature. I took his advice though, and gotand had more blood tests, more xrays, more ECG's - I
myself out of the office and into the toilets. Whathave to go back and see them about my cholesterol
followed was horrible - I was physically and violentlycheck, which is worrying as my doctor said that would
sick, and it wouldn't stop coming, the scariest thingonly happen if there was a problem. I have now had
however, was the pain I felt whilst I was vomiting. Thethe treadmill test - a test that took about 20 minutes
pain was like somebody had inserted their hands intoand entailed walking up a steeper and steeper hill whilst
my ribcage and pulled with all of their strength - it wasconnected to an ECG, boy it made me sweat. I am
a horribly, blindingly, intense crushing pain that made mecurrently waiting on the results, which they cannot give
feel like my chest was going to implode right there andyou until your test has been analysed by a consultant!!
then. I stood up, I wiped my mouth, I washed my hands,The NHS is not an overly efficient organisation - the
I rinsed my mouth, I went back to work. I felt awful, butdoctor at the hospital said he had organised the
I still had a van to load - and I wanted to get home, so Itreadmill test and my GP had to do it for them. This is
could shake off the bug and be back at work. I thinknot my first bad experience of the NHS, but that's a
that's how employers make you feel these days - youwhole other article! I am currently stressed as we
say you're sick then you feel like you're lying - so muchhave no money coming in to support the family (as I
so that you stop considering your own health and howam only on statutory sick pay) and I am worried about
you feel in preference for the health of the corporationpaying the rent and the bills and putting food on the
because you have a family to support and you need atable. I have no definite diagnosis, and until I do I cannot
healthy job in order to maintain a financially healthy life.return to my everyday job. My wife is looking for
To continue, around 15 minutes after the vomiting, Iemployment to try and maintain our standard of living, I
began to feel VERY cold, colder than I had ever felt inam doing my best in my current situation to bring
my entire life, as cold, I imagined at the time, as amoney in - I am doing TV extras work, writing articles
corpse - literally they were my thoughts "I feel as coldto market and sell and looking for alternative
as a dead man". My hands went white and I could notemployment that will not involve vigorous activity or
feel either my hands or my feet. By the time I left Istress (difficult in this day and age).
was a pale, grey, freezing cold, physical wreck! Lots ofI guess I wrote this article with 2 reasons in mind. First
people noticed and asked if I was OK. I even thoughtwas to show that it didn't matter whether you were
my boss was being sensitive: "Haven't you got anyfat or thin (I have a friend who is around 30 stone,
windows in that van?" he asked. I looked at him in myinactive and eats rubbish all of the time he's exactly
sorry state, "No its not that," I started, "I've just beenthe same age as me and all of his friends are worried
really sick and I have.... ". "Only", he began, "you seemabout him dropping down from a heart attack and it
to have some dirt on your chin and we can havewas actually me his polar opposite that suffered),
some windows fitted to prevent that!!" He was justhealthy or unhealthy, old or young this can happen to
making fun of my newly established goaty!! Hilarious,anyone at all and everyone should make sure they get
he was merely showing off, because his secretaryfree checks from their doctor on things like cholesterol,
was standing with him.BMI, blood pressure just general health checks - there's
Well I left straight after that incident. I got into my carno excuse, ALL doctors do it and its free so there is
and the heater went up full, as it was early February itnothing to stop you.
was cold outside too. I called my wife to warn her ofThe second thing I wanted to show was that you
my situation, we had been in contact all day so sheshould never be afraid to ask for help - doctor's,
had an idea of what I had been experiencing. I gotambulances, the government - did you know that if
home and got into the bath - I was very mardy andyou are signed off sick and you only receive SSP you
wanted a long and very hot soak in the bath. About ancan claim Income Support to make up the money so
hour and a half later I emerged, I was warming up, myyou can survive, and if you are signed off sick for
nausea was much better and my pain had subsidedlonger than 28 weeks (when SSP stops) that
somewhat. I collapsed on our sofa and said "Darling, if Ibecomes Employment & Support Allowance - so the
still feel like this in the morning then I'm not going tohelp is there and you must never be afraid to ask, the
work!"worst they can say is "Sorry" or "No", but as the old
We went to bed early and I just hoped beyond hopesaying goes "if you don't ask you don't get!"
that I could sleep this bug off. When I woke up, I feltI hope you have found this article helpful, and I would
worse than I did before we went to sleep!!! I called inlike to summarise below:
sick, I was told there was nobody available to coverMY SYMPTOMS
my deliveries and as I only worked Monday to1. Nausea - starting mild
Thursday I would have to go into work on Friday and2. Pain around midriff - chest and back - a tight
do my deliveries then. I looked at my wife and beganrestrictive pain, which, to begin with, feels similar to
to get dressed for work. "What are you doing?" sheheart burn
asked. "I'm going in, its a waste of time I'm making3. Vomiting
more work for myself!" I called work to tell them I was4. Really intense tight restrictive pain that is unbearable
coming in and was told it was fine, they had found5. Extreme coldness - whitening of hands and feet,
someone to stand in. I breathed a big sigh of relief, I feltwith numbness there (unable to grasp things like a zip
awful. My wife said "Lets look it up on NHS Direct andor push a button)
see if you need to see the doctor, you don't lookPOSSIBLE CAUSES
good." So we put my symptoms in from the day1. Stress / Anxiety - some people have similar
before and today - up came my result "CALL 999 yousymptoms when they have a panic attack
are having a heart attack". We tried an American site2. Heart Attack - mild or otherwise
for a second opinion of sorts "Dial 911 you are3. Pulled muscle
experiencing a cardiac arrest". We called NHS Direct -4. Trapped nerve
an ambulance is serious. They advised that it5. Possible severe allergic reaction - anaphylactic
appeared I had suffered a mild heart attack on theshock
previous day and I should see my doctor urgently. So IHELP YOU CAN GET IF SIGNED OFF SICK
booked in to see them - I called at 930am and typically,1. Ask your employer for light duties - they have an
with the doctors surgeries of today, "urgent" meantobligation to provide this if they can
2pm in the afternoon.2. Statutory Sick Pay - this is a mere £70 per week
The doctor was a pleasant man - he asked lots of3. Income Support - this is paid on top of SSP (I ended
questions, examined me thoroughly, and did an ECGup with £3.12 per week)
on site. I was always under the impression that ECG's4. Employment & Support Allowance - this is paid after
were long complicated things, but it took literally 528 weeks when SSP and Income Support stop
minutes. The doctor concluded the same as NHS5. Self help - find an alternative employment - one that
Direct, and arranged for me to have a chest xray thewill take away the cause of your problems and allow
next day at a local hospital. He told me to rest for theyou to bring in the same amount of money without the
rest of the week and resume my normal job on thestresses and exertion of your current job, change your
Monday, and if I ever experienced those symptomslife style to suit your problems, be it exercise, eating,
again I should call an ambulance immediately. Thedrinking, smoking (I am now in the process of quitting)
ambulance should have been called at the time of theFACTS ABOUT HEART ATTACKS
vomiting. I have now, however, learnt that valuable1. 49% of heart attacks in the world are caused by
lesson - that is what the ambulance service are therehigh blood pressure - this could be spotted early and
for, better to be told there is nothing wrong than to dietreated, by visiting your doctor for a regular health
because you were too embarrassed to say anything.screening
What is it Spike Milligan has written on his grave2. 3000 people per day in the USA have a heart
stone? "I TOLD YOU I WAS ILL!!!" If only I'd toldattack, 3% of the population have heart disease of
someone, then I may be in a better position today.some kind
With the prospect of returning to work in a few days I3. 52 people die every hour in the USA from a heart
was enjoying the relative relaxation that you can get inattack - even more reason to have regular routine
a house with 3 children all under 8!! I went for my x-rayhealth screenings
- again a 5 minute procedure. I smiled, I returned home, I4. 96% of victims survive if they survive the attack (1
relaxed some more. The doctor had said no vigorousin 25 will die within the first year of the attack)
activity, but light walking etc was fine.My wife and I5. Females are 20% more likely to die within the first
walked our dog in the afternoon - pets are a greatyear after a heart attack, than men
addition to any family, petting them has a calmingGo and get yourself checked out by your doctor
effect on the heart, especially cats and dogs (I'm notbefore any of this happens to you - its important,
too sure that petting my snake is all that calming!!!) Onespecially if you have just turned 40. Don't just do it for
the evening we were getting the children ready foryou - do it for your family too, they really don't want to
bed, they were lively and I could feel my stress levelsbe without you, nor can they afford to be. And don't
building and then the sharp pain began in my chest.be afraid to ask for help!!!
"Just go and lie down", my wife urged, and I did as I