Rich Welcome!

I am sorry you are having a hard time at work, been there quite a few times.

Download the Colleague letter Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or print out a couple of copies and hand to HR and your superiors at work, I have had to do this at my job so that they know what is up with me and that when I say I need to go take a shot Now I mean NOW!

If necessary bring a note from your doctor explaining your affliction further. 

P.S.
I've had the eye jumping thing and eye twitches as well.  They eye jumping I've had when no imitrex has been taken so I'm thinking its the CH or possible blood pressure rise.

Hi Rich,
Wow, sorry you have the work challenge on top of the CH ordeals.

Have you tried the "chronic cocktail" of lithium combined with verapamil? I had tried each separately in small dosages and they did not work. But a month ago I went on a regimin of both together at higher dosages and after about 5 days started getting remarkable relief.

Hang in there!

Hi Rich,

About time you checked in

I took the letter and wrote my own based on the info there and some personal touches based on my own situation.  Letting others in on what was going on really helped.

Now when I get hit I excuse myself, deal with it (oxygen and an energy dring) and then get back to work.  You know this but ... the longer you wait the worse it gets.  There is no help for it.

After the first few hits it has really become background noise for the rest of the office.  It's no longer a big deal.

Good luck...

-Dennis-

RichS wrote on Nov 3^rd, 2010 at 5:31pm:

You are quite welcome Rich. 
Good Luck getting this sorted at work.  Try to be patient with them at work and be clear about what caused your irritability and actions.  Make doubly sure HR is aware of all of the circumstances pertaining to CH and actions taken by your superior!  Let us know how it goes. 

Best Wishes,
Ging...

I think sometimes the problem of getting a hit at work, or the mall, or in church, or wherever we don't want to get hit (not that we ever do) is compounded by not having planned for a hit. Whenever I'm out of the safety of my house, I have to plan my quick escape should a hit come. I have my abortives available, and I look for a way to park near the entrance, or away if I'm feeling like I don't want people staring, I have the abortives of choice in an ascending order-least to most intrusive and obvious-and then I can get on with whatever I need to do. It's like disaster preparedness, actually. Have a plan and hope you don't have to use it. Blessings. lance

Thnks for all the support, the rotter woke me at 4am, but had a 100mg tablet then once it calmed down a lie in and nothing since.

Didn't get much sorted at work, what I said got misconstrued and trying to explain how the pain clouds the thought process
I am covered by what is known in the UK as DDA, bit of protection, but not much

Made an appointment to see a counsellor, best to prempt what they will suggest (might even help) but seems I have to face a discipline case.
Hard to fully explain how one feels during an attack, but going to have a go

Determined not to go sick and let it beat me again although I must admit to checking out what my pension would be if I left now

Thanks again and will update just out of interest

I'm sorry Rich, getting canned in the middle of a cycle is really piling on. Keeping you in our prayers.

Joe

That sucks Rich sorry it went that way.  Hopefully with Doc's input things will be put right. 

I have been told I definitely have a Don't "F" with me look when I have a CH hit so the comment on how you looked isn't surprising. 

I hope you will be back to work soon with no left over fall out from this incident.  Make sure your doc follows up with written notice to your HR dept. at work.

Best Wishes & PF Vibes!

Thankfully I have a very understanding boss but this was not the case intially.  I first had to hold a meeting with them to explain what CH's were and the impact.  I then printed off information and gave it to them so they would have a better understanding of the problems that I face.  I keep my boss upto speed everyday during a cycle and I am given flexibility whilst at work so that if I get an attack I leave the office to get over it and return to the office if I feel ok.  I appreciate that not everyone may have an understanding boss but educating them in the ways of CH's was a big step and I feel they understand a lot better what I go through and actually appreciate the effort I make to be in work during a cycle.  During cycles I become very quiet and withdrawn at work and converse with my colleagues very little, I used to get stroppy with colleagues previously and decided for their and my own benefit to get through the day as best I could.  Maybe this approach may help, the one thing I have found through CH's is that I will try almost anything.  Good luck.

Don't give up hope!  Would it be possible to have someone go with you to represent you?  Especially with a diagnosis of depression I would think they would understand your thought processes are not totally where they need to be.  I don't know about in Britain, but in the US there are legalities that cover medical/disability issues.  I would suggest you look into that.  Perhaps legal counsel would be helpful, not in a confrontational way unless there is no other option, but so that you have an understanding of what your rights are/are not.

Jerry

Everyone has a few "bad moments" here and there. It shouldn't define your time there.If you crossed a boundary into threats, racism, sexual harassment or other such issue, you would have a fight on your hands. Otherwise, it sounds like you should have a strong case for not losing any pay and especially not losing your job.

Keep in mind what the recipient(s) of the infraction may be demanding, what their power base is, and how the company may view potential outcomes.

-Chris

Rich, I'm so sorry to hear about the complications with work.  This past summer during my episode my workplace treated me awfully, even though I had Family Medical Leave Act in place to protect my job.  I was depressed and, though I'm a pretty quiet guy, had a couple of angry outbursts at work.  Also, in retrospect, I think I shared way too much about my medical condition with people who didn't care.  They tried to use just about everything I said regarding my CH against me and provided no flexibility in work scheduling during my episode even though most of what I do is on the computer. No direct disciplinary action, but when the episode ended, I was subjected to a rather humiliating meeting with my boss, the human resources representative, and the chief operating officer of my office -- I was told that I was no longer considered reliable and that I made the COO "nervous."  This was after years of consistent "outstanding" performance reviews.  It took a few months, but I'm finally able to say goodbye to that awful work group -- I start a new job in a couple of weeks!  Hang in there, Rich.  The depression, anger, etc., are par for the CH course.  (Am I remembering correctly, group, that acting in an abnormally angry manner is actually one of the symptoms of CH?)  Jim