How did you tell where you work that you have had a stroke?

New to the forum ,hope i’ve posted this in the right place !.

I’m 11 months in after my stroke , i’ll keep this as short as possible , 55 and survived what I can only describe as a nomal working day,bp went through the roof ,managed to get home via Uber after the first Uber arrived and thought I was drunk ,got home and the missus took one look at me and called an ambulance, Off to Mayday where a stroke was confirmed,2 strenous weeks later I was back at work.

Apologies for the digression but how did you tell them ,I haven’t now for 11 months,left it too late ,went 15 years without a day off sick,fine though Covid when needed as a keyworker , now back at work and keeo making excuses for my right sided limp (geninuely slipped on a rubber conveyor belt someone had put down as a walkway during the cold a few months back) ,my speech is starting to get worse now as well and not sure how much longer I can hide this for , any comms or similar situations ? Apologies for any typos as using an old Win7 laptop with a knackered keyboard. Many thanks.

2 Likes

I didn’t have that problem. i had a stroke while at a work conference in Florida causing panicky messages back to the UK ( Janet’s had a stroke, she’s in a coma, what shall we do?)

Are you worried about your job if you tell you employer? Are you a member of a union? If yes get the support of a union rep.

Janet

2 Likes

Hi @DP69 welcome to the community. I told my boss as soon as I knew. I was sat in the hospital ward when I told her. They knew i had been feeling poorly anyway.

Are you worried about what they’ll say or do if you tell them?

Telling them might be better for you as they might be able to make adjustments to help you. Employers are obliged to provide reasonable adjustments.

You may find that they are really supportive & will want to help you. If you think theyigjt want to let you go then have a chat with ACAS who will tell you what your rights as an employee are & what they are obliged to do for you.

Best wishes

Ann

1 Like

Hi @DP69

Welcome to the community, I’m sorry to hear about your stroke.

I would agree with what @Mrs5K has said in that they may be able to put things in place to help you if you tell them. But it might be a good idea to speak with ACAS to get some advice on this. You could also call our Stroke Support Helpline:0303 3033 100 who may be able to offer advice on how to go about informing your employers.

I’m sure some more members will be along to offer some more advice on this shortly. In the meantime, if there is anything you need whilst your using the Online Community, please don’t hesitate to tag me using the @ symbol and my username.

Anna

1 Like

Thank you all for your constructive and helpful replies , I will deal with work eventually but that is on a long list of things I need to deal with post-stroke ,many of which are becoming more obvious as time rolls on , I think I need to speak to someone and start from the beginning,do you suggest the numbers on the front page of this website or an alternative ,I rang one this morning only to go to an answerphone message which I declined (nervous about this all,already) ,thats enough from me twittering on,

1 Like

The Stroke Association helpline number is probably the best one to ring.

Helpline:0303 3033 100

I don’t know what time you rang but I have put their opening hours below.

Regular opening hours

Monday - Friday: 9.00am - 5.00pm

Saturday: 10.00am - 1.00pm

Sunday: Closed

It may be that the line was busy & you might need to try again.

Hi @DP69 and welcome to the community :slightly_smiling_face: Regression is a thing with strokes, particularly when fatigued. But you might want to speak with your GP about just to be sure you’ve not had any further smaller TIA’s or mild stroke incidents.

Going back to the subject of fatigue, don’t mistaken it from being tired or physically exhausted; it’s a whole different kettle of fish. Brain fatigue is basically when it’s running on information overload, overworked and finding it hard to maintain full functionality. Something has to give and that’s usually the stroke weakened part of the brain that has to make the sacrifice. It’s a bit like a mobile phone or an electric toothbrush that needs recharging.

But one of the disadvantages of that regression, is that it can accentuate things like a limp, you can be a little more clumsy or off balance in your walking gait, and can slur your words and stutter your speech, etc. The issue you may find with that, is that if people don’t know of your stroke history, they can assume a lot and come to wrong conclusions. For that reason I’d would want my work to know just so they don’t assume you are drunk on the job. But its also a safety precaution for your own good, should you ever have a medical emergency at work, them knowing about your stroke could be the difference between life and death. So telling them has got to be a no brainer.

Lorraine

1 Like

Hello @DP69 - Welcome to the community and well done for taking the first steps towards getting the help you seek.

Having read the responses already given, it seems the consensus is you should tell your employer. I totally concur.

I don’t think there is anything to gain from keeping quiet about it and there is probably a lot to lose. I am pretty sure you will have some rights regarding this as an employee and it might take a load of your mind so you can focus on the right things.

Wishing you all the best.

Namaste|
:pray:

1 Like

Thanks again for your comms ,I;m now about to ring the helpline direct ,hope they have time for a natter ,so many questions I could comfortably fill this box but need help and hope they can ease the burden I am puttting on myself. Thank you.

3 Likes

i passed out at the wheel of my courier van ,hit a tree , didnt have to worry about my job after my 25K van was written off

1 Like