Organizing your return to work
It is important that you feel comfortable when returning to work after time off. Together with your manager or human resources (HR) representative, you may need to agree on changes to your daily work or your schedule as your bowel gets accustomed to your transanal irrigation (TAI) routine. In this discussion, you may agree on:
- Reduced hours
- Lighter activities
- Different duties
When agreeing on a plan, thought should also be given to how long this should be for, as well as employee compensation, including the possibility of sick pay.
Managing your irrigations around work
With TAI, it is important that you maintain a good routine. It can be helpful to irrigate at a similar time each day and it's important to stick to your prescribed frequency, since this will help you achieve optimal results.
Take a moment to consider where your TAI routine fits into your work life best. For many Peristeen(R) Plus Transanal Irrigation System users, it takes approximately 30 minutes to empty the bowel, plus some preparation and clean up time to complete the process. Make sure to factor this into your plans if you irrigate in the mornings before heading to work.
It is often a good idea to perform an irrigation 20-30 minutes after having a meal. Coupled with the time it takes to complete an irrigation, you may find that evenings fit better into your schedule if working from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. TAI can help you remain continent for up to 2 days, you so you can irrigate in the evening before work and still feel confident in your bowel the following day at the office.
Practice your return to work with a ‘trial run’
Before returning to work, you may want to complete a trial run to get that peace of mind. Get up at the time you expect to be starting your day and complete your journey to and from your work. Complete your irrigation when you intend to do it and assess how you feel afterwards. This will help you to get a sense of how your TAI routine affected your day and whether it was placed at the right time.
Talking about TAI at work
Your colleagues will be thrilled to have you back. This may mean they ask questions about your absence, or if they know about your problems, ask about your treatment. It is always entirely up to you if you wish to share this information with the people you interact with.
Hint – you may want to focus on how TAI may have improved your quality of life and helped you with your confidence in coming back to work, rather than the technicalities of transanal irrigation. Never feel you have to explain details about your bowel issues or your treatment. When and what you share is entirely up to you!
It may be a good idea, however, to have one colleague who knows a little more about your situation, just in case the unexpected happens. You will then have a supportive safety net who can discretely help if needed, and this may provide an extra layer of security when first returning to work.
Enjoying the social side of work as well!
Working life is not all work and no fun. TAI can enable people living with bowel dysfunction to feel confident when engaging in social activities. Once you are accustomed to working life again and are used to fitting your TAI routine into your day, be sure not to neglect the social side of your job.
If there are activities after work, or an upcoming social event, reflect on whether this is something you feel comfortable doing. If you would have previously jumped at the chance to join the social, try to once again give it a go. With the control that TAI can provide, you can afford to socialise after work without being worried about your bowel.
You can always do a quick sense check to decide if you will be comfortable in a given social situation. Think about who else will be there, where events will be held, and what facilities are nearby. If going out for drinks or eating out, also consider your meal and whether anything is likely to upset your stomach or bowel later.
Reflecting on these points will help you feel in control and best prepared for socialising with your colleagues. And don’t worry, whilst this may feel like a huge challenge at first, with time, you will be back to socialising like before and any additional considerations will become second nature.
