As was the case back in 2022, I was referred to occupational health by my line manager for an initial consultation on my health issues (physical and mental) and how it is impacting me at work.
That call was on Wednesday. It was scheduled for an hour but we overran because a lot has happened over the past few months:
- three chest infections
- two sinus infections
- covid (third time over the past couple of years)
- scleritis (also third time)
- persistent cough
And that's just the physical side. I said on the call that I didn't want to seem greedy. 😆
The impact of this, combined with the stress of trying to catch up on a month's worth of work while still doing my normal job, was obviously enough to send my mood plummeting. I was proud to have stopped CBT and taking meds last year so this all felt like a kick in the teeth, like I had somehow failed by slipping back into depression.
Stupid, I know, but there's always that little voice in your head telling you how bad you are. It's hard to ignore it even though I know I should, even though I know it's just my own insecurities talking and it doesn't have to be true.
Anyway, the person I spoke to on Wednesday will write up their report and make their recommendations. One thing they insisted was for me to push for a long covid referral. The GP I saw last week about my latest infection was thinking along the same lines and I had a chest x-ray last Friday to check for any damage which may be causing the repeat issues.
My last chest x-ray in 2022 was clear but having had covid twice since then it's best to check again, especially as I have now been persistently ill for over 3 months. The results should be back on Monday so I'll see what the verdict is and go from there. I'm also scheduled to have more blood tests but will be able to get these done quicker if I go through my work medical scheme.
# Made a couple more minor tweaks to the site earlier, chief among them that the post sections now provide more meaningful (read full) links rather than just #s1, #s2. This means they'll work from the home page, search and RSS feed.
