I've never been out from work on short term disability before, so I'm in totally new territory. I work for a large corporation and the STD is handled through corporate. If I'd had any knowledge of how disability works, I wouldn't have had to tell my immediate supervisor what my reason for disability was.

I am quite confident he has not said anything to my co-workers (he better not...is that kind of workplace confidentiality a law or an just an ethic?) One of my co-workers has become a friend of mine. I have spoken with her and said they have been told nothing about where I was, not even that I was out on medical leave, so that left everyone speculating. Some even wondered if I had died!!!!!

I'm anxious about returning to work. (Not sure when that will be as I began therapy this week and my therapist said she has the same authority to write me out of work as my p-doc - I didn't know that!!!) Anxious about the regular type things of getting back into the routine, being fatigued, forgetting parts of my job, etc. But I'm really anxious about how I will be received back by my boss and co-workers. I mean, they're a great group...and maybe these thoughts are coming from my own illness. Now that I'm feeling better, I almost feel "embarrassed" for being out from work for so long. But the rational part of me realizes this is just like any other physical illness and if, say, I would have continued walking around on a broken leg until it was set and mended, things would just get worse. I know if I had returned to work any earlier, I would very likely have ended up walking out if I got stressed and that would be worse.

So...I would be most appreciative of hearing anyone's experience with this. Can anyone identify?