I fell at work last week attempting to help a client. I sprained both my ankles. My husband drove me to urgent care where they gave me crutches, an X-ray, and 5 days off work through L&I.
Today I had my follow up appointment. My right ankle has been healing well but my left ankle is the same. Pain all day and night, can’t walk, trouble sleeping. Nauseating pain when the slightest pressure is put on. There is also pain going through my left leg. Turns out I may have hairline fractures that weren’t caught at urgent care and I have to come back in a week for more X-rays and possibly start PT. This all sucks but is understandable. But during the appointment it seemed like the doctor never really believed me and called my boss and long story short I’m going back to work Wednesday.
But here’s the thing. I work in a high physical risk setting. The clients I work with are almost all violent and much bigger than I am. The newest client sent two coworkers to urgent care tonight. I’m going back with crutches and I can already tell that I’m going to go back just to get more hurt. I don’t know what to do. I only have 2 sick days so it’s not like I can take much more time off. I just kinda resigned myself to the possibility of a more serious injury. Meanwhile I’m going for an upper management job this week there so I feel I have to do this. In this position I could prevent this situation happening for other employees. I’m halfway to committing harder or walking out. I feel unhinged. I left for 6 months to do case management and came back because I genuinely loved this job. Now I feel like my boss and my doctor absolutely do not care if I get seriously hurt.
Just wanted to vent some as I am lying in bed in agony but reached my max dose of ibuprofen I’m supposed to have and I have to be at work in 36 hours despite not being able to walk and only being able to stand unassisted for 30 seconds. I’m open to advice or opinions.
TLDR: sprained both my ankles, possibly broke one last week at work. Have to go back to work Wednesday and work with violent clients where I will get more hurt. Work sucks and the medical system sucks. (USA if there was any doubt)