Back to Work, Day One After 6 Months Off

I've been keeping my blog fairly up to date on the drama with my health situation, my work, and the long-term disability denial.  For those of you that have been following that drama...Today was my first day back at work after 6 months. SIX months.

My day went fairly easy...and I'm pretty sure they'll go easy on me for the remainder of this week as well.  My doctor sent me back to work on restricted hours - no more than 6 hours/day.  This is good, since 99% of the company is on mandatory 60+ hour work weeks, which is what I was working before I went on leave.  Part of me felt kind of like a sissy for going back on restricted hours, but after today, I'm SO glad. There's no way in hell I could handle 8, 10, or 12 hour days right now.

I spent the first part of the morning in a short meeting with my team leader and manager discussing the new role I was going to be taking.  Then spent the next 2 hours cleaning out my email, resetting my passwords, and all of that fun stuff.

The last 2 1/2 hours of the day were spent sitting with someone to train for the position I'll be working in now.  It went fairly well...I am just NOT the same person I used to be.  Prior to all of this, when at work, I was focused and meticulous, and things rarely slipped by me.  Now, since dealing with these health issues, part of the symptoms are that I'm left feeling foggy headed, disconnected, my memory isn't that great and I'm tired quite often.  This really really effected me while I was trying to train.

One of my favorite positions at this company was when I was on the Training Team.  I loved that job.  Today, I told the guy that's training me that I've become my worst nightmare...an unfocused trainee...I swear, I can't help it.  My head just can't keep up with me.

By the time I left, after only 6 hours of my first day, I felt craptastic.  My head was pounding, my eyeballs felt like they might explode from my head, the nerves at the base of my neck were going haywire, and I could hardly focus on the computer screen.  I'm hoping this gets easier as I go, but who knows.

Another thing that sucks is that prior to going on leave, I had great work arrangements.  I live over an hour (rush hour) from the main office.  I live 25 minutes from our secondary office.  I was working from the main office 1 day/week, from the closer office 2 days/week, and from home 2 days/week.  Working from the main office 5 days/week just isn't going to work for me and my family.  My night vision isn't so great anymore since all of this so Meadow and I are staying with my mother-in-law (30 minutes from work) during the week because the drive would be super stressful and kind of dangerous between the short amount of daylight and my decreased peripheral vision.  We can't do this forever though.  My mother-in-law has a husband and a life and doesn't need us here 24/7 either.  Plus, we'll miss Daddy/DH and it's weird being in limbo.

I do have plans to speak with one of the VP's, my previous manager, about a couple positions open on her side of the company.  These would allow me more flexibility in *where* I work from...such as the other office or possibly from home, which would be fabulous.

I'd also like to note how much I missed baby girl today.  It was nice not to deal with temper tantrums and food boycotts today, but I missed her like crazy.  She was such a big girl about going back to daycare though.  They said she did awesome.  :)  That's my girl!

♪♫♪ Currently listening to ♪♫♪

Bright Side of the Road by Van Morrison

Sorry folks, couldn't find a YouTube video that wasn't a cover.