Presently, I’m off work with a chest infection. I think. I may have found this out today, but after ringing the doctors for an whole hour from 830am this morning, I finally get through to be told that there are no appointments left today, and my best chance would be to go to the surgery at 8am to ensure I get an appointment. Up until now I would never have bothered with the doctors with this kind of infection. Uni was easy with a bad cough/cold/sore head/lungs that get out of breath merely talking. However, cover teaching aint so simple! It’s not entirely up to me when I have to talk, and although not impossible to do without speaking, handling groups of 30 teenagers that you don’t see regularly would be more than challenging. Especially if I’m coughing all over them and they cover their noses and mouths when I’m helping them with their work. This did actually happen last Monday, and although they were doing it mostly in jest, I took it as a cue to go home poorly.
Although it’s not as bad as it was cough wise, it’s still a little dodgy in the whole breething department. I could have maybe gone back to work last Weds/Thursday and ‘managed’. But last time I did that I got ill again and had more time off. Which I don’t personally have a problem with, I went back to help my colleagues because I knew it was busy. What I didn’t know is that Wakefield council have the most ridiculous sickness policy. If you have more than 3 seperate absences in a year, then you get to a “Stage One” on this sickness level thing. Because of my goodwill last time I was sick, I managed to rack up 3 absences in the space of 2 weeks. From just one illness I got to a “Stage One”. I was meant to have some sort of meeting with someone from the council, but after months they have decided not to bother. So, this time I am not going back until I am rid of all symptoms restrictive to me doing my job.
So, I need a sick note. I’ve never had a sick note before so don’t really know what to expect or say. Do I exaggerate how ill I feel at the mo in case the doctor tells me to bugger off back to work? Or do I tell the doc the truth, that although I don’t feel as bad as I did, and could manage at work at a push, I run the risk of not recovering and ultimately getting ill again? I’m sure he’ll understand my reasoning what with the silly policy. So fingers crossed I can get a note till the end of the week to get rid of the crap currently residing on my lungs. Well, fingers crossed I get an appointment first. That’ll be an achievement.
