Re: At my wits end! I need help....

January 9, 2007

Lyndsay,

I know what you are going through, along with RA I have Hashimoto's disease

(thyroid) I have been where you are. I found that I had to change my diet and

rest as much as I can when I can. I know this does not help you do you have

many Advil or something to take to help with the pain? Did you drive to work?

You may want your husband to pick you up and I find when I am having a hard day

or week. I have my husband drop me off, driving can take alot of energy when

you are hurting.

You may want to call you doc to see if he can help you get by until the

appointment. Hang in there take deep breaths I wish I had something that could

help you get through the day but I do not. Just wanted to let you know someone

is listening.

Hugs

Marsha

" Mrs. Castro " <chocolatewookie@...> wrote:

I am currently at work (desk job in transportation). I can hardly

keep my eyes open, the entire right side of my body is wracked in

pain and I am using my left arm/hand for everything, which is making

it hurt very badly and I'm afraid that soon it too will stop working.

It is only the 9th of the month, of the year for that matter! I can't

take time off (I was out 2 days last week) because I need every bit

of it for my many Dr's appointments. The fatigue is bone gnawing, I

didn't know I could be this exhausted and still be conscious. My

vision is bluring but I can't tell if it's the pain or the

exhaustion. I am going to find out from my Rheumatologist next week

if there's any way she can request my company to give me temporary

disability, just for a little while until I start my meds and start

feeling better. My other option is to quit and have no income or

health insurance. I dread that more than anything because then it

will be totally up to my husband to support us, and I have the better

job.

Any words of support would be so greatly appreciated. Anything that

you think might help me make it to 5 o'clock. Nothing I am doing is

helping. It feels like a truckload of bricks has been placed in my

lap and I can't do anything about it....

Lyndsay, desperate in Houston, TX

Thank you guys.

January 9, 2007

Short-term disability leave sounds very appropriate. I would pursue

it if I were you.

Sierra

>

> I am currently at work (desk job in transportation). I can hardly

> keep my eyes open, the entire right side of my body is wracked in

> pain and I am using my left arm/hand for everything, which is

making

> it hurt very badly and I'm afraid that soon it too will stop

working.

> It is only the 9th of the month, of the year for that matter! I

can't

> take time off (I was out 2 days last week) because I need every bit

> of it for my many Dr's appointments. The fatigue is bone gnawing, I

> didn't know I could be this exhausted and still be conscious. My

> vision is bluring but I can't tell if it's the pain or the

> exhaustion. I am going to find out from my Rheumatologist next week

> if there's any way she can request my company to give me temporary

> disability, just for a little while until I start my meds and start

> feeling better. My other option is to quit and have no income or

> health insurance. I dread that more than anything because then it

> will be totally up to my husband to support us, and I have the

better

> job.

> Any words of support would be so greatly appreciated. Anything that

> you think might help me make it to 5 o'clock. Nothing I am doing is

> helping. It feels like a truckload of bricks has been placed in my

> lap and I can't do anything about it....

>

> Lyndsay, desperate in Houston, TX

>

> Thank you guys.

>

January 10, 2007

Lyndsay,

If you need more time off, you may be able to get it under a federal

law called the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). It requires your

employer to give you 12 weeks a year of leave while protecting your

job and your benefits. The leave can be taken intermittently if

your condition warrants it, and it can be taken in small increments,

like an hour or even a quarter-hour, if your employer allows other

types of leave to be taken in less than full-day increments. The

only catch is that you must work for a company with at least 50

employees and that you must have worked at least 1250 hours in the

previous year. You can find all the details at

http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/.

The leave is unpaid, but it's better than being fired. You must

invoke your right to this leave, using the words " FMLA. " I would do

it in writing -- write a letter telling your employer that you need

to take intermittent FMLA leave because of your RA, and ask for the

medical forms. You're supposed to give as much notice as possible,

at least 30 days, unless your condition makes that impossible. With

RA, as you know, it's impossible to know when you will need the

leave, so I wouldn't worry about that part. Have your doctor fill

out the forms, writing that you may need up to 12 weeks of leave,

intermittently and unpredictably, because of the pain and fatigue

from your RA.

Employers usually don't know all the details, so you should review

the law and be ready to point to the provisions that make you

eligible. (I worked for the federal government and my supervisor

told me in no uncertain terms that I could not take intermittent

leave or take any leave without 30 days notice -- and he's a lawyer!

I printed out the statute and highlighted it for him. I got my

intermittent leave as I needed it.)

Employers hate FMLA, and they hate intermittent, unpredictable FMLA

leave even more. But they have no choice. Once you invoke this

leave, if you are fired for ANY reason, it will look very

suspicious. I'm sure that you don't want to alienate your employer,

so I would play as nice as possible while protecting your rights.

Tell them that you will give them as much notice as possible when you

can -- i.e. when you know that you have a doctor's appointment. But

explain that there will be times when you cannot move without pain or

see straight, and that at those times you will have to take the day

off or leave with no advance notice.

You may also find that taking a defined period of leave -- a couple

of weeks or a month, if you can -- will make you feel a lot better

for a while afterward. Sometimes we just get so exhausted that it

takes more than a night, or a weekend, to get caught up on our rest.

I would also find out if you have any kind of short-term disability

insurance. If you do, you can combine that with the FMLA leave to

have some or all of the leave time paid.