Back at Work

5 weeks. That’s how long I have been away from the office. When people are gone that long, they normally call it a sabbatical. Folks typically use that time away to travel, finish the great American novel or build orphanages in Nicaragua. Or they dry out in drug rehab, though hopefully not in Nicaragua. They might wake up in a bathtub missing a kidney. Sadly, I accomplished none of those admirable tasks, though I still have both of my kidneys.

Anyway, all good and not-so-good things must end, and I returned to the J-O-B on Tuesday. A co-worker was kind enough to chauffeur me to the office. While it’s demoralizing to rely on others for transportation, I enjoyed having company during the 45-minute commute. Before my surgery, I loaded up my iPod with various sports-related podcasts to help pass the time. Or I made fun of other drivers on the road. I think conversation with others is more stimulating.

My first day back was pretty uneventful. I’m still on crutches, and probably will be for another month. Most of the essentials were packed in a backpack, the same one I’ve taken on every road trip since law school. Lots of sentimental value in this JanSport. Anyway, I brought my lunch (I didn’t think I’d be able to eat out), a few work papers and an icepack and towel. I planned on icing the knee twice during the day, and again on the ride home.

I arrived at work a little before 8am, about 15-30 minutes before the office fills up. I spent part of that initial quiet period getting re-acclimated to my office. Ok, that lasted about 30 seconds. Nothing’s changed. Papers were still scattered across my desk. Several boxes of documents still littered the floor. And pictures of my kids still occupied the edge of my desk and the wallspace above my computer. Home away from home.

I brought my office laptop home after the surgery, and I’ve been using it since then to work part-time. The office IT person kindly installed a temporary desktop in my office so I didn’t have to lug my laptop back-and-forth while on crutches. Much appreciated.

Like most returns after a long absence, I spent a good chunk of my day catching up with concerned colleagues, who alternated between checking on the status of my knee and teasing me about my gimpiness. Nice to be surrounded again by those who care. Eventually, the pleasantries ended and it was time to actually work. (Major pause.) Or just surf the internet and pretend to work. Just kidding.

My life at home the past 5 weeks hasn’t been that different than a regular day at the office. Neither is very taxing. At the office, I spend most of my day plugging away on the computer, occasionally flipping through documents. While home, I spent about 5 hours in the CPM during work hours, simultaneously plugging away on the laptop or reviewing work documents. Tomatoes, toe-mah-toes, right?

For some reason, just being at the office wiped me out. Maybe it was the extra crutching to the printer, or my inability to find a comfortable way to prop my leg atop some boxes. Maybe all those GS-14s sucked the energy out of me. I’m not sure. But I started clock-watching at 4pm. I haven’t done that since my days at Sizzler. I miss the Sizzler sundae bar and boxes of wine.

I almost fell asleep several times during the drive home, despite having a frigid ice pack 3 inches from my groin. That’s when I realized I wouldn’t be “up” for nookie that night (hohoho). I felt somewhat guilty after I arrived home. I scarfed down dinner and spent only a few moments with the kids before heading to the bedroom while Christina readied them for bed. I would’ve liked to spend more time with the kids, but I was cashed out. Plus, I needed to cram in as much time in the CPM as I could. That’s the downside of returning to the office. From start to finish, work consumes about 13 hours of the day, making it impossible to spend the requisite 6-8 hours in the CPM. I didn’t settle into the CPM until almost 8pm, leaving me, realistically, about 2-3 hours of CPM time. Of course, I was able to enjoy The Biggest Loser while getting something of a workout.

Hopefully I’ll re-adjust to office life quickly. A 2-day conference and federal holiday over the next two weeks will allow me to ease back into things. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to work from home a few days/week while going to PT so I don’t overdo things. The transition from full-time patient to full-time worker who still needs to rehab diligently should be interesting.