When I come back from being off work we have to fill out a form with tick boxes. None of these boxes fits what I have or feel. Chest complain…No Migraine…No etc etc there is no box for fatigue or numbness and pain. What do you do/say when you’re going through a bad patch, especially if you are undiagnosed?? I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia years ago buthavent told my boss that as when I mentioned it to a friend they laughed and said ‘oh yuppy flu’ so I am reluctant to mention it. I am also scared that they will find a way of getting rid of me and I do not know what my rights are.
If they are so impersonal as to just give you a form to fill in, yet it doesn’t apply to your issues, there’s your answer! None of the above, and thank you.
Isn’t there a box for “other”, or to fill in your own description? Surely, they can’t think all illnesses anyone could ever have fall into just half-a-dozen categories, or however many there are?
If there’s no scope to elaborate or explain, I suggest you contact the form issuer, or whoever it’s supposed to be going to, and ask what to do if the available options don’t cover your case.
As an aside, you do not have to be diagnosed to complete a sick form. In your place (if it were possible!) I’d either just write the symptoms, and leave interpretation up to them, or write something like: “Suspected neurological issue”. If you don’t know what it is, you can’t be wrong if you just stick to the facts. No need to mention MS, unless you want to - although I did mention it as a suspect as soon as my neuro told me. I didn’t think he would have introduced the subject, if it wasn’t relevant. They’re not in the business of deliberately scaring patients! So I thought, by that point, work should understand it was “a serious thing”, and that MS was at least suspected, even if I couldn’t confirm it.
Tina
Until I was diagnosed, my GP used to write “neurological symptoms”. Xx
Me too, GP used to just put ‘neurological symptoms under investigation’.