Flare ups and work

[beaddot]

I am in the middle of a flare up right now and it is starting to affect my concentration at work. How do I deal with work when all I can think about is the back and leg pain and is it time to go home so I can crawl in bed? I have decided to talk to my boss before he has a talk with me about it.

 

[qweenlindy]

Hi...I think the sooner you tell your boss, the better. If necessary, bring in anything from your dr. that indicates your diagnosis. If you're lucky he will be compassionate. You may need/want to check with HR to see what you need to do in terms of working with a chronic condition (paperwork from dr on file, etc). Good luck!

 

[beaddot]

Thank you! I will talk to him first thing this morning

 

[Trellum]

Be careful, your boss might not like it! Chose your words well, hopefully your boss will understand. I know how hard it is having to work and also having to deal with the pain, I had to in the past and boy it wasn't easy. Still now, when I get a headache or pain somewhere else I just want to crawl into the bed, I rarely do it tho, because I know I have to finish my tasks first, by the time I'm done I no longer feel as sleepy as I should feel (I'm done until it's very late at night!).

Best of luck with everything, please keep us posted!

 

[gingerbankston]

Oh, I'm in the same predicament! My boss keeps asking me why I have trouble walking. I don't use a cane at work. I don't know what to do. i can't keep on like this...

 

[beaddot]

I talked to my boss yesterday. He was very understanding and caring. Starting Monday I will train another girl in the office to cover my desk in case I just can't make it in to work. He has always been understanding but I was afraid he would think I was taking advantage. As far as concentration he just told me to slow down and look at things twice. I have always been quick with answers getting my stuff done quick and he has noticed a couple of my mistakes. He now knows. I have a very lucky boss

gingerbankston, good luck with your boss. Be honest and up front with him. If he is a compassionate boss he will understand. And don't be afraid to bring a cane to work if it helps you. Maybe get something from your dr to show him.

 

[qweenlindy]

I'm glad things worked out so well for you! What a relief!

 

[terbaer]

I'm fortunate to have a very understanding boss, but also, we are covered under FMLA. It's against the law to discriminate. One wouldn't want to necessarily pull that card, but if you tell your boss and he/she is understanding and willing to accommodate the disability, wonderful! That's what they should do. If not, keep careful documentation because you may be being discriminated against and have grounds for a lawsuit. I'm not suggesting you take that approach. One would hope your manager is compassionate, unfortunately, not all are. As a manager myself, I have always been compassionate and recognized the good employees I have and tried to work with them on their disability. Good luck to you! Just know you are protected!