Just wondered how people cope with work? I don’t want to make a fuss, but they are already aware of me taking time to go for lots of tests and hospital appointments. I haven’t said what’s wrong and haven’t taken any sick days because I feel I can’t as I don’t have a diagnosis yet. ‘Fatigue’ would sound more like depression, but I’m really tired and struggling to think at work.
Hi, i’m lucky to have very supportive employers.
If I were you I would tell your manager/HR dept. They can arrange an occupational health assessment for you to make any ork place adjustments where needed, and if the Occ health assessor recommends you take time off work, reduce your hours or even tells your employers to expect you to take time off sick as andwhen needed, at least you have the Occ Health back up. Companies are obliged to offer work place assessments andfollow occ health recommendations.
If you don’t tell them they will assume you ok and not realise you are under more physical and emotional stress than other people.
I work full time and have managed not to have much time off over the past year but sometimes when symptoms are very bad or the fatigue takes over i haveto take time off, like i am at the moment. It simply wouldn’t be safe for me to be at work anyway as i keep falling over.
I’m not dx either but your employers need to know why and when you need time out to go for appointments. By the way, they are not allowed to insist you make time up or take holiday for hospital/consultant appointments/tests etc. If you provide your appointment letters they should honour the time.
I know not all employers are good with this kind of thing and some largly ignore their responsibities, but you have rights and they have a duty of care.
I hope your employers are “nice” and they give you the support you need, Good luck with your dx journey,
xxx
hi, i ran my own business up until a year ago, when my health forced me to stop working…and i dont have a diagnosis yet either. Just because a doctor hasnt told you for definite what is wrong with you, does not mean your not suffering. I would tell your employer, maybe not everything if you do not feel comfortable with that. maybe just tell them that you have felt unwell for a while and are undergoing tests to get to the root of the problem. that way your not mentioning ms (if you are wary of saying the words without a proper diagnosis) and your employer will understand what is going on with you.
Good luck, and i hope you get your diagnosis soon x
You do not need to be diagnosed but contact Access to Work who will do everything they can to help. From furniture; infrastructure to helper worker to taxis to and from if you get fatigue. See https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work
This will also advise your employers there is something wrong; at present unknown.
Good luck
G
I did go to HR. To begin with I was worried, with redundacies on the cards I thought that I would be the first that would go. Anyway, I was seen by OT and he said that as I had a chronic illness, any illness lasting over 12months I was now classified as disabled under the DDA and as such work would have to make reasonable adjustments to allow me to do my job. I was advised by HR to contact someone from Access to Work. They came in to my workplace, I was assessed and some recommendations were made. As a result some adjustments were made. I recently had to reapply for my job under a restructure, I am coping but each day is a struggle. I am not sure how it is going as recent falls at work have drawn some undue attention and as a result my boss approached HR - I was upset with her but understood her reasons. Anyway, it has been agreed that in future if I am too ill on non-teaching days I can work from home. I’m not sure how long you have been ill but whatever you have it sounds chronic. Perhaps, you could speak to your doctor for some advice. Hope you get some answers soon. Lou x
Thanks eah of you for replying. Bunny, that’s great you’ve had such a supportive employer. Also really helpful to know it’s not expected to ‘make up’ one from hospital appointments. Whilst nobody had told me to, I had felt like I ‘should’ and so have been topping up the hours. They do know I’ve had something wrong and been going for tests. I just didn’t want to say what, as fatigue was the main thing a year ago, which I was worried would be interpreted as depression or laziness. I can’t see what they could do to help really. There are days when I wish I could just go home to bed, but instead I kind of fake it and try and look busy when I can’t make my head do anything productive. Today was like that, couldn’t think straight. And problems is I suppose with boss not knowing he teases me and tells me I need to get my head in gear, only I can’t. And sometimes in conversation I can’t find my words and make sense so I give up mid-conversation. Calf playing up in new way today. Keeps cramping up when I’m just resting, doesn’t hurt but just feels like this tight warm band around top of calf. And a really weird new one tonight - my tongue has pins and needles?!? That’s a first! I mean if I told my boss that!? LOL! I do know what you all mean and you’re right that even if not diagnoses the symptoms are still there but… I’m scared of being really embarrassed if someone turns around and tells me it’s all in my head! I don’t want my boss to know that if it is and I have just been a major hypochondriac ! Because if it’s not MS then I’m just nuts?! Sorry if reply is long, it’s a relief to be able to talk somewherez Thanks all.
Its not in your head hun. I know why you feel like that, as many of us here do. The long journey to some kind of dx and self doubt we have when we don’t get anywhere just adds to the problems we already have.
What you are experiencing are “real”, whatever the cause, they symptoms are there and none of us here imagine what is happening to us, we “know” its happening.
Good luck with whatever appraoch you decide to take with work. Kepp us posted
xx
Thanks so much for the encouragement Bunny. Scan on Tuesday, hoping something comes from it if only a referral for an MRI… Xx
Hello,
I am very new on here, yesterday actually, I am not diagnosed and I am waiting for an appointment for an MRI, not sure how long that is going to be. I was finding it very difficult at work last year getting more and more exhausted and then dizzy, before I told my GP I confided in my manager and even asked about the possibility of going part time, I work in admin with educational pschologists so I only work during term time anyway. Poor manager nearly had an egg at the thought of me not being there. Within a couple of months they had to do without me as I got signed off in November and until I negotiated a mornings only contract I was off until March. Had to go and see Occupational Health Doctor so she could do report as to how work could help me in the work place. I found being totally honest and open about how I was the right thing for me. Although you have to do what you think is best for you. I work in a relatively small office and everyone has been very supportive, I am banned from climbing stairs or carrying heavy stuff, I still find brain fog and forgetting who people are embarrassing, I try and laugh it off and blame senility. For a long time I was convinced the floor was uneven and the carpet kept trying to grab my foot as I walked through the office, I now know differently, the looks on peoples faces when I nearly take a header into the photocopier is priceless. I think they are the ones that are going to go off with stress not me.
Reading everyone’s experiences on here is such a relief that I am not imagining what I am feeling, whatever my diagnosis turns out to be I know I am not alone. Good Luck Alice