A conversation that could have happened at any professional services firm
I called up my director yesterday morning, and explained to him that I'd had a pretty bad mishap. That I'd seriously hurt my ankle playing basketball, to the point where I was rushed to the hospital with my ankle at quadruple the normal size, diagnosed with a dislocated ankle and multiple serious ligament tears, given intravenal painkillers, told that the pain and swelling was too severe for them to complete the diagnosis; that instead I'd had my leg placed in an immobilizing cast and was told to remain in bed for a minimum of three days with my leg on ice and cartoonishly elevated while eating painkilling medication probably designed for horses; and that after the three days they'd reevaluate to make the decision whether I needed surgery.
He was quite taken aback, and wished me a rapid recovery.
Twenty minutes later he calls me back: "So, just to be clear, does that mean you can or can't work?"
------------------------------------------------
Update: Apparently I can add a dislocated ankle and cartilage damage to the list... but the surgery decision is put off for another several weeks, as it's still too messy to tell.
He was quite taken aback, and wished me a rapid recovery.
Twenty minutes later he calls me back: "So, just to be clear, does that mean you can or can't work?"
------------------------------------------------
Update: Apparently I can add a dislocated ankle and cartilage damage to the list... but the surgery decision is put off for another several weeks, as it's still too messy to tell.