Well, thank you all for all of your advice. Yesterday after only a few hours sleep and getting up @ 4:AM, I went to work @ 8:00. My face was all swollen (looked like the elephant man) but tried my best to what needed to be done. I work for a Dermatologist and we don't start seeing patients until 11:00. Like I said, I got everything ready for the day but hurt so badly that I couldn't stop tearing up. I called my Rheumy and asked if he would let me order 2 vials of medrol (mega steroid) 81 ml that I can order off of my bosses account with the local hospital at cost, plus they will bill me for it next month. I hadn't heard anything back by 10:00, so I went to my office manager and told her I couldn't stay. She got PISSED! The first thing she had said to me that morning was that I looked bad and must not be feeling well. In 2006 I asked her @ the end of the year how many days I had called in and it was 1 1/2 days. So needless to say, I don't just take off for the hell of it. I am definitely not a slacker. So when I told her I couldn't stay she just stared at me, hoping that I would say okay...I will do what ever you want but I stood my ground and just stared right back at her. Like I said she was pissed "Go ahead and do what ever you want" Like I would much rather be in such physical pain that I can't even think straight than work!
Anyway, my Rheumy called me in some lortab and the two shots. Man oh man, that medicine felt like glue going into my arm. It hasn't really kicked in yet. Hence it's 2:45 am and here I am writing this. I feel like a little kid that has had their booster shots....i can't lift my arms! lol.
The worst thing to me is that I have been working there for 4 years and the first thing I told them was that I have RA. I don't think my track record has been that damn bad. The doc I work for would have understood but that office manager is such a hater. She is the type of person that isn't happy unless she has something to bitch about. She was just pissed that she might have to do something beside sit on her fat ass! We are short handed @ work right now. 2 full time, 1 new one in training and two part-time people. One is going to college, but I didn't just decide to have a flair the day our college girl was at school! It just made me feel so much worse. I really like my boss and the girls I work with but this office manager is about to drive me off! I need this job with my husband not having much luck finding a job, not to mention all the bills I have racked up.
Talking to her won't help, she doesn't give a crap about anything unless it involves her. And talking to my doc isn't going to help either. He doesn't know what's going on and as long as someone is there to put patients in the exam room he's doesn't care. Don't get me wrong.. he's a good guy. He let me get my Remicade Iv's @ work, so I wouldn't have to pay 0.00 every 2 months. And he got the nurses started on checking out what patient assistance programs I would qualify for before my Rheumy did after the Remicade stopped working. I just don't know what to do. He's not going to ask her to step down as office manager (she also does the billing) because there isn't anyone else to do it.
Thanks for listening to me freak out again. You all help keep me sane! Or as sane as I can be...lol
Love,
Elda
Elda- Sorry you are feeling so ill , this definetly isnt helped by the office manager who is being totally unfair. As you say it isnt as if you take off all the time. The doctor you work for does sound as if he is really nice, i know you said all he cares about is having his patients put into the exam room but maybe you should try and have a word with him about it. Maybe you should point out that you havent just taken off lots of days but this was one time that couldnt be helped. You are right to stand your ground. There is a lady who works at my doctors surgery who has RA , her hands were really swollen and she was feeling really ill. She couldnt take bloods, my doctor told her to go home and rest up, the rest of the woman who work there got really mad a bout her going home and made no secret of this fact, they really gave her a hard time and eventually she had a word with the doctor as it was making her life a misery and she felt guilty. The doctor called a meeting and explained to all the women about RA and how it affects her and also she does try to work through her pain and discomfort. They are all a lot more sympathetic to her now and try to help her more when she is having a hard time.
I gave up my job because of my RA , i hate not working as it was my independence but the fatigue took it all out of me and i was getting sick all the time, it was because i never took time off to rest myself when i was flaring bad.
I hope you get this sorted and I hope you feel better real soon.
take care
Lisa
thank you for you advice. Only the people that have this horrible disease really understand all the pain and stress it causes. I think you are right and I will talk with my boss. Thank you for giving me the courage to do so!Definitely stand your ground. The only person you need to answer to would be the doc right? I mean, the office manager can't fire you. Besides, if she did then SHE'D have to do work!!! I'd handle it by telliing her only what she needed to know, "I have to leave - I'm not feeling well" and leave. I wouldn't explain and try to get her approval because you're giving her power that she probably doesn't have. The sooner she know's she can't mess w/you, the better. Take care, chin up and stay strong. I hope your pain goes away.I had a boss that every time I asked if if I could take a day off he would give me so much crap and start asking personal questions. I decided never to ask him again and I started to tell him. ( not ask him) " I wont be in tomorrow" or next thursday or whatever and he never bothered to give me any more grief. So, Take your power back.Hugs,
Steph
you guys rock! I don't know what I would do without all of your help. You are my family and I love you all. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I am so sorry to hear about the amount of pain you are in. And also how you are treated at work. I know how that goes and it only makes matters worse.
But look out for you. Hugs to you.
Yep, Elda, Honey had it right. Often times we ask permission for things that we don't really want to ask permission for. Fact is...in the condition you are in you WILL NOT be an effective or happy employee. Does she want that to happen to people that just walk into the doctor's office?? The doc has been very kind to you, and I don't know many docs that would do that these days, so the "office manager" knows the situation, b/c you have been in the treatment room with an IV of meds going into you. You do need to tell her "I am leaving in thirty minutes, b/c I am taking care of me!"
Take care of yourself. I have been in pain like yours for the last year, and it is not any fun at all. There are days I do not want to put my feet on the ground, but I have to, b/c I am a mom and I do have to work some. The days I feel the best is when I am able to tell people how I REALLY feel and what I REALLY need to do. We give up so much for this disease...we need to be in charge of something, and that is our own honesty of where we are at any given time.
Take care and rest up!!! Soak in a bathtub of Epsom salts, and then go lay down! Love ya shel
I would go for the Epsom salt bath salts and then the much needed rest.