Sick day?

[epidural man]

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Who among you have the balls to call in sick (when actually sick)?

I will admit - I do not. If I call in sick, it is painful for a lot of people - so I make the wrong decision and go into work sick and miserable...like I did today. I am dreading tomorrow.

After today I have decided to change my conversation with my kids about what they should do in the future. My new statement - "Make sure you pick a job that if you call in sick, hardly anyone will care."

 

[hyperalgesia]

Who among you have the balls to call in sick (when actually sick)?

I will admit - I do not. If I call in sick, it is painful for a lot of people - so I make the wrong decision and go into work sick and miserable...like I did today. I am dreading tomorrow.

After today I have decided to change my conversation with my kids about what they should do in the future. My new statement - "Make sure you pick a job that if you call in sick, hardly anyone will care."

I would absolutely call in sick. Before COVID I was like you but the whole culture is different now. Even if you test negative you are (or at least appear to be) a liability to patients. I just made it a rule for myself.

Also, people will survive without you lol

 

[Agast]

I’m assuming you tested covid negative. If you truly feel miserable get checked for influenza A. I think you’re obligated to stay home if you have the flu.

 

[SSdoc33]

Only time i called in sick in 15 years was with covid last year.

Im in your boat. I cant make myself do it

 

[lobelsteve]

2x in last 15 years. But I came in thinking I could work. I got put in a wheelchair and taken to IV for fluids.
Once my temp was 103.5 and I had delirium. Should not have driven. They put me in a wheel chair at the door and treated me.

 

[Doctodd]

i loved having covid......was lobstering and fishing in the keys for a week. The freediving helped my lungs.

 

[SSdoc33]

i loved having covid......was lobstering and fishing in the keys for a week. The freediving helped my lungs.

but you said you couldnt taste the lobster

 

[Doctodd]

ha.....i dont think i ever said that.

 

[SSdoc33]

ha.....i dont think i ever said that.

from 2020

"Lol my brother is 19 so maybe. My son threw up twice and had diarrhea once and that was it. The ah-ha moment was when we couldn’t smell anything. I would have felt liberated 3 months ago maybe. But now only a little."


i guess you just couldnt smell the lobster.

 

[lobelsteve]

I will head down to Todd and taste the lobster and report back.

 

[Laryngospasm]

I Call in sick when needed. Maybe once a year.

 

[drrosenrosen]

First time I've called in sick in a very long time was when I had COVID in August. Fortunately it was a mild case, but I stayed out until I had been fever free for 24 hours, did telemed appointments, and wore a mask for a week after I came back. I was only gone two days

 

[specepic]

Sick days are for lightweights. 😉 Missed a few days when I had surgery.

 

[kstarm]

Just had two sick days for the flu. Probably can now fill one hand with the number of sick days I have taken. I use to power through everything and thought about trying with this but with how contagious this thing was I didn't want to risk infecting my patients/co-workers etc, and everytime I stood up the room swam which would have made it more challenging to do procedures. I think it is pretty easy to martyr oneself. I think the more important calculation is how likely am I to pass this on to my patients and colleagues? Would I want my doctor treating me if they had something contagious? And like OP what sort of message are you sending to your kids/colleagues? Everyone else's needs are more important than mine, or I am heroically sacrificing myself for the greater good?

 

[Ferrismonk]

Called in one day when I tore my biceps tendon and my right arm wasn't working. Couldn't do procedures. Worked the next day.

Other than that, I called in once when my wife was super sick and I needed to take care of her and the kids.

Besides those two, I haven't called in at all since I started medical school.

 

[Doctodd]

from 2020

"Lol my brother is 19 so maybe. My son threw up twice and had diarrhea once and that was it. The ah-ha moment was when we couldn’t smell anything. I would have felt liberated 3 months ago maybe. But now only a little."


i guess you just couldnt smell the lobster.

I remember now. We couldn’t smell the cucumber baby wipes

 

[jsaul]

I cancelled clinic twice in 15 years. Once was this year when i had 104 fever

 

[runfastnow]

Wow. People here are tough. Gold stars all around.

 

[Orin]

Procedure or OR days are too limited for me and the grand plan doesn't generally staff to allow for redundancy. It's not like OR anesthesia where there's an anesthesiologist that can be pulled or ratios shifted to make it work.

Some days it's just this mindset of abandoning patients or my responsibilities.
Most days I think I'd rather do telehealth visits from a hospital bed than deal with the stress of hearing about rescheduling issues.

Saying yes to yourself just seems like saying no to so many other people.

With that said, I ask my trainees and staff to take all the sick days and time off they want/need because it's a pathologic mindset that's horribly unhealthy and unsafe for all involved.

 

[Gauss]

I will head down to Todd and taste the lobster and report back.

 

[hyperalgesia]

Procedure or OR days are too limited for me and the grand plan doesn't generally staff to allow for redundancy. It's not like OR anesthesia where there's an anesthesiologist that can be pulled or ratios shifted to make it work.

Some days it's just this mindset of abandoning patients or my responsibilities.
Most days I think I'd rather do telehealth visits from a hospital bed than deal with the stress of hearing about rescheduling issues.

Saying yes to yourself just seems like saying no to so many other people.

With that said, I ask my trainees and staff to take all the sick days and time off they want/need because it's a pathologic mindset that's horribly unhealthy and unsafe for all involved.

Exactly. It's waaaaay easier for all involved (especially the doc) to just go in. Guys on this thread are acting like they're heroes for powering through the sniffles to save the day lol. This is about logistical nightmares and lost productivity vs risk of transmission to pts and staff.

I think it really comes down to specifics - like how sick are you, did you self test, did you have a recent exposure, are your pts vulnerable, etc, etc.

But I really doubt anyone on this thread is calling in sick bc they want to get some rest. We all know the work/stress isn't worth it.

 

[jsaul]

I'm not saying I'm a hero for coming in sick, I'm just guy who doesn't want to deal with the hassles of rescheduling a full day and the guilt of having some patients waste their time off from work who now have to reschedule

 

[epidural man]

I'm not saying I'm a hero for coming in sick, I'm just guy who doesn't want to deal with the hassles of rescheduling a full day and the guilt of having some patients waste their time off from work who now have to reschedule

IN my clinic setting, If I don't do my workload -someone in the office has to pick it up. They may cancel some, but only after trying to pawn the patients on others.

 

[sloh]

Called in one day when I tore my biceps tendon and my right arm wasn't working. Couldn't do procedures. Worked the next day.

Other than that, I called in once when my wife was super sick and I needed to take care of her and the kids.

Besides those two, I haven't called in at all since I started medical school.

How’d you tear your bicep?

 

[Ferrismonk]

How’d you tear your bicep?

I was assisting a guy loading a recliner into the back of my van when the box seam split, the box twisted, and fell to the ground. Pulled my right arm halfway down as well. It was only a partial tear thank God, but it wasn't right for about 6 months. That day and the next I couldn't even really use my arm at all. After lots of ice, NSAIDs, sling/bracing, and rest I was able to go to work after a day of taking it easy. I had to keep the procedure table lower than usual and be careful with prepping/draping. Thankfully no SCS/Kypho was scheduled in the immediate time after.