In need of advice

[Guest guest]

I'm in a bit of a conundrum, and need some advice from people who've

been there. It's a bit of a story, so I apologize in advance.

I've had VVS for about a year now, and have since developed vaginismus

and a problem with my pelvic floor (PFD, possibly, haven't had my

phys. therapy consult yet). When I received my from the U of M about

seeing a specialist and detailing my symptoms, I marked that I felt

better standing than sitting (at the time, this was true). After that

survey was sent off, though, I got a job working in a college diner,

which didn't allow people to sit through the 8 hour shifts, and was

really stressful. After that job, I went to work at Meijer, which

also didn't allow people to sit or rest for their 8 hr shift, combined

with the need to lift heavy objects (if you have a case of pop, please

just tell us, don't take it out of the cart! it hurts), and that job

was also stressful, b/c grocery shoppers are mean. As a result, the

pelvic aches and cramping that I used to have maybe twice a month max

were coming daily. As a result, when I returned to school, I quit my

job at the diner in favor of a cashier job in a campus mini-mart,

which had chairs. Well, we got those chairs taken away a week or two

ago, for reasons my boss refuses to specify/admit (all she said was

" not enough gets done at night " and " we're not having them in the new

store " -this mart's closing and they're opening a new one down the

hall). Since then, I've been in pretty constant agony while working.

Last Monday, it set off a flare that lasted for three straight days!

And i'm only working a three-hour shift three times a week! So i

confronted my boss and told her vaguely that i have a pelvic floor

problem and that i need a chair, or at least the option of one, to get

me off my feet (i have scoliosis b/c my legs are a dif. length, so

standing, even on a pad, puts pressure on my hip joints, which makes

my pelvic muscles contract, etc etc). She basically told me that

there was nothing she could do for me, except allow me to take a

'sitting break' away from the register, which defeats the entire point

of me working there. That, and once the cramping and aching starts,

it's too late to fix it by sitting.

I'm really upset, and I have no idea what to do. I'm afraid that if I

call my specialist (who has been less than helpful to say the least),

she won't write me a note or whatever b/c i said in the survey that

standing didn't bother me as much (I tried to amend my statement when

i went in september, but she didn't acknowledge my pelvic pain then).

My primary gyno has only the doctor's notes at the U of M to go by,

since she hasn't seen me in so long, and the dr.s here on campus

generally don't know what vulvodynia is. How can I make my boss

understand??? I don't want to quit this job, I really like it b/c

it's so low-key, except for the standing issue. Any advice would be

great...and I apologize for the length of the message, I just hurt

crazy-bad today and wanted to make myself totally clear.

Beth