Silly Question

[Guest guest]

I know this may sound silly but--

I am home with my 2nd bout of cholangitis and just talked to my boss.

She suggested that I fill out some kind of medical leave form that

states that I may need to be off at intermittent times due to

Cholangitis attacks.

my question is----

What the heck is she talking about??? I have never heard of such a

thing.

just wondering,

Beth B Thornton, CO

[Guest guest]

She's talking about protecting your job by suggesting you apply for protection under the FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act). It has not been uncommon for working people to encounter something of a "catch-22" in which they end up either in a disciplinary status for excessive absenteeism or even losing their job (and perhaps losing the lifeline of their health insurance). You need time off in order to care for yourself, but taking off those days from work puts your job (and necessary healthcare insurance) in jeopardy.

Assuming your employer is large enough to be required to oblige by the law and assuming you have enough accrued hours to qualify, the FMLA allows you up to twelve weeks of time off without consequence (meaning, they cannot replace you, they cannot discipline you for excessive absenteeism, they cannot discontinue your medical insurance). This time off may or may not be paid, depending upon your personal accruals, your company policies, and/or your own state law.

It's a wonderful law of which we're very proud. It's compassionate and allows you to take the time off either a little at a time, or all at once. And once you have this paperwork completed, all you need to do is notify your employer that you need time off under FMLA and you're good to go. They can't demand new medical certification each time you take time off. Once your paperwork qualifies you for FMLA (your physician needs only to document that you have either a serious or chronic health condition), it should be a great weight off your shoulders. You have protection; you have peace of mind.

I urge you to take care of it - especially if your company has a strict attendance policy. And a growing number of American companies are entirely ruthless toward people like us. They consider us a liability, a nuisance. Our illness, in their opinion, makes us unreliable and costly employees. Be grateful if you have an employer with a heart. FMLA is in place to protect those whose employers put financial considerations over concerns for their most important resource - their human resource (you and your coworkers).

Debbie in Seattle

[Guest guest]

what i do is take a very warm warm bath. my theory is

that it will relax the ducts, just as cold makes

things contract. It has helped me to feel less

discomfort during an attack.

But I do have a disclaimer - the warm warm bath can

exerbate the itching...however, as much as I itch, I

don't when I am running a fever or in the throws of a

cholangitis attack....hmmm pain or itch.....and sicko

me will take pain over itch anyday because pain med

can alleviate pain and NOTHING seems to alleviate all

the itching.

Cindy Baudoux-Northrup