Conferences are not designed for Sjogren's

[Joe S.]

Babs, If a government agency will not provide FMLA, in the USA you have a MAJOR lawsuit! Get the FMLA paper and file. You can also get support from ADA laws.

[Babs659]

With FMLA it's unpaid leave.  I have plenty of sick leave.  But my boss is not sympathetic.  I called Employee Assistance and they led me to FMLA website.

I see my rheumy on Nov 14th and will ask for some sort of note.  If I could just take a half hour nap or leave 2 hours early once in a while.  Anyone have experience with this sort of ADA issue?

[Doxie]

Babs, I understand your fatigue etc.  It's so hard to work all day when you feel so awful.  I am trying to last the rest of is school year, and en, I think that's it.  I'm lucky I'm not teaching a class all day anymore, but fixing computers and teaching teachers and kids about different software. 

My one saving grace this year is that I can pace myself, and vary what I'm doing during the day.  But sometimes I just have to close my office door and put my head down for a bit. But what I really need is a bed to lie down on for a while!

Like you, I have a lot of sick leave, but the pressure to be there is great.  I would LOVE to take some sick hours and go home early when I have just had it. As it is, I leave early quite a bit for doctor appointments.

Maybe we should ask for a perpetual doctor's not that excuses us from a few hours of work when we really need it!

[Babs659]

Maybe we should ask for a perpetual doctor's not that excuses us from a few hours of work when we really need it!
That would be perfect!

[Joe S.]

That is what I did!

[KellyG999]

Joe - how was the conference?

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

KellyG

[Joe S.]

My first presentation "My Other Vehicle is a UFO" started at 10 am on Saturday. We were in one open room with other presentations. The SCA group came in with amplified sound for their fighting demo and no one could hear any thing. I answered questions at the massage table.

The second presentation "Star Trek and Electro-Herbalism: Our medical future" I did twice on Sunday at 10, and 11 am. I answered additional questions at the massage table.

I did a number of massages and the people could not believe how good they felt after less than 15 minutes of body work. (Manual stretching of muscles and joints).

On the drive home, I had to let my wife drive. I tried 5 hour energy first. It lasted only 45 minutes. I had used too many spoons. Sleep was not an option for me as I did not have enough spoons to even sleep.

[KellyG999]

Bless your heart, Joe. You made it through! Now get some well deserved rest and build up your spoons.

[LisaMarie]

It's hard to commit to being a speaker at these things.  They assign you times and you have to be ready.  We all know that we can't control when we will use our spoons for the day. 

I know exactly what you mean when you say you didn't have enough spoons to even sleep!  Happens a lot.  Fatigue with insomnia. 

[KellyG999]

Babs659,

I don't know if this helps, but here is my FMLA experience. Even though FMLA is unpaid, I got 40 percent of my usual check through a short term disability company my employer uses. Then I could use my sick time to make up the difference. It would have been great if the insurance company had paid me on time and returned calls..

Good luck.

KellyG 

[Joe S.]

Sounds like a typical insurance company.

[Babs659]

Babs659,

I don't know if this helps, but here is my FMLA experience. Even though FMLA is unpaid, I got 40 percent of my usual check through a short term disability company my employer uses. Then I could use my sick time to make up the difference. It would have been great if the insurance company had paid me on time and returned calls..

Gee, Kelly.  I wonder if that would effect my pension amount??

[KellyG999]

Babs - it couldn't hurt to check it out. The 10 weeks of leave did me a WORLD of good.

[Doxie]

I know that in my school district, if I go on short term leave, it affects all of my sick leave, and anything else in the district. The months don't count towards my "pension" or defined contribution. If it extends into long term disability, I'm no longer an employee.

That would be awful since I'm so close to getting the retirement benefits in the district and state.  So I can't afford to use even the short term disability. I've been reading the fine print as I need to get my hip replacement revised. I have a lot of sick days, but I'm afraid the recovery could be harder than expected, and ruin retirement plans.

It's all the fine print and little "clauses", they add to these short term and long term disability contracts that can catch you by surprise.

[Babs659]

That's what I'm afraid of.