Monday, January 25, 2010

Family Medical Leave Act

Thank God for it.  And thank God for God, because I'm sure he inspired me to apply last month for intermittent FMLA.  I'd had to go home a couple of times with vertigo attacks, which cost me points.  Now.  We don't get sick leave.  If we are sick and miss work, we have to go to a dr. and get a note and bring that to avoid points.
o, you miss work, you are out the $80 for that day; AND you have to pay a dr. $50 (+ or -) so you aren't docked "points" which can lead to firing.  You re allowed 11 points before they fire you.  It's really unfair. 

You could throw up on your computer, pass out and have to be carried out in a stretcher, be life-flighted to a major city and still be docked points if you don't have a doctor's note.

Anyway, I was inspired to file for the FMLA deal.  I filed under three illnesses--the vertigo, diverticulitis, AND chronic fatigue/epstein barr/fibromyalgia.  My dr. seemed to be embarrassed for me on the third thing, the epstein barr.  I said, "Doc, I know for many people (including that insult to humanity, Dean Edell)this is equivalent to saying I was abducted by aliens, but there is clinical documentation for this and we both know it.").

It was approved!  All of it.  And, Murphy's Law being what it is, I got sick immediately.  I missed a week of work.  I couldn't think straight, I had terrible vertigo and pain, I was so weak in my hands I kept dropping things.  I'm wondering now if I have MS, which I've long known I was at risk for, because another of my symptoms is my feet have gone to sleep. 


That is all beside the point.  I didn't have to go to a dr. for permission to be sick!  (Although I did, of course, and have an appt with a neurologist next month--I hate neurologists, urologists, and orthopedic surgeons---oh and psychiatrists, too.  they think their butts are made out of gold and I haven't met a one that was a decent human being.  But necessity will force me to go to this woman for whom a smile is unprofessional.  I actually wrote her a letter years ago about this, but I've heard she didn't take it to heart and is still cold as hell).    No points for me!  No questions asked. 

And that is from God, because this can't be coincidental.  Family. Medical. Leave. Act.  Remember those words.  It's the law. 

1 comment:

cathycan said...

Well, I am glad you LISTENED! That is a quality I still struggle to learn. I hope they can help you without finding any bad stuff. I'll be thinkin' of you!