Please Help!

Hi. Please help! Today I am finding it really hard to stay positive about my arrhythmia/EPstudy/ablation coming up in a few weeks. As I had an EP study in January, & they couldn't induce my arrhythmia, I'm worried the same thing will happen again. I can't go on being so incapacitated by my symptoms. I am finding it so hard to do anything with the breathlessness & chest pain I get on exertion,plus palpitations & dizziness.

Also, I'm off sick from work again as my symptoms have returned & my EP says I can't work. I was off sick for months last year with this. Been back 6 months, now off again. My employer wants me to see the Occupational Health Consultant this coming Wednesday. Then I've got to see my employer the following week, with HR. I am SO worried they might try & dismiss me as I'm off sick again with this. My EP says they can't sack me as I have a heart condition. But can they? I've worked for a NHS Trust for 30 years.

Everything is getting on top of me today!! Does anyone else get days like this when everything looks so bleak? It's so hard to stay positive!

Janey

6 Comments

Hello Janey,

by pacergirl - 2010-06-19 07:06:33

First, please stop and take a deep breath. Getting all worked up over things you can't control is not going to help you.

Ok, so you have some important meetings with the people at work. You are afraid that they are going to let you go. How about making a list of the reasons they should keep you there? How about arming yourself with the information about you that makes you an asset to the company? A list that you can refer to when "they" talk to you. I would be using this time you have to get my stuff together. I would be preparing myself for what I fear the most. That way you are in some control of your circumstances.

I am a big fan of meeting problems head-on but also a fan of being prepared to stand up for myself.
I would even role play and asked myself out loud the difficult questions that they might ask me. (I've actually done this and it works) That way I feel strong in my answers. I feel confident and I am prepared. I also would pull out my past evaluations as proof that I am a good employee. I would have a letter from my Dr. saying I will be improving soon and stating that this medical issue will be resolved or made into a non-issue.

Remember to smile and to breathe..... give your brain the oxygen it needs to preform at it's best for you! I live in Kansas and any company can "sack" you without notice... so I used to be prepare to be sacked most of the time. Heck of a way to make a living.

I used to have days like you... now I work for myself and I get to do everything. Less money, but I am a lot happier!

Good luck,
PG

2 times might be the charm

by justme - 2010-06-19 08:06:51

I had an ep study in september where they could not induce the arrythmeia long enough to fix it. I was out of 'work' from July 09 until the beginning of this month. I had a 2nd ep study in January and it worked. It took a long time (11 hours) to fix everything but it worked.
I didn't want to do it the second time, I actually walked out of the ep's office without scheduling the second one because I couldn't handle the idea of it not working again.
I'm very thankful that I did it again. It took a while to feel "better", but now that I do, it's awesome. Right afterwards I was not so sure that it was all that great, I felt like I was constantly having a heart attack or something, but it was just my muscles reacting to all the stuff that they had done. I'm now off of meds, back driving, and functioning normally-ish. I'm getting back into working again too.
good luck.

I can relate

by Jules1983 - 2010-06-20 03:06:14

The way you described your feeling are exactly how I feel. I too will be going in for my second EP studay probably in August. The first one was in January of 2009 and they did not find the problem that still continues to haunt me. I am trying to stay positive that it will work this time and that I can hopefully go back to the active lifestyle that I used to lead. I too have worried about the security of my job. I am an excellent employee and I know that they value every minute that I am there. I understand your bad days. Some are better than others. I tell myself that every bit of information that they get from my appointments or my tests is one step closer to making me better. It reminds me that it is all worth it. Be strong!

I would go to the meetings 1st

by janetinak - 2010-06-20 03:06:38

& see what they have to say. May be a pleasant suprise. But just in case I'd google the American with Disability Act & the Family Medical Leave Program to be prepared with your rights. I had a bit of "crap" after my 1st PM/ablation about going to medical apt's on my own time (lunch) so I declared the disability act & that shut them right up. Your HR people should be helping you with this.

Good luck & let us know how it goes,

Janet

Same problem

by D.D. - 2010-06-20 05:06:59

I work for the Ministry of Justice and am still suffering the same ever since April this year.
I am getting to the point now of STUFF 'EM, if that's how they think.
Don't wind yourself up though.
Your employer will find it very hard to get rid if you I would think as your heart problem is covered under the DDA, whether they accept that or not. My employers don't.
The human rights commission can help you in this point or the Department of Works and Pensions can also offer advice. But as a previous writer states, your employer may not have dismissal in mind, they have to find other work for you first, and have to make adjustments for you. It is a long path before dismissal, and you could be more positive, that if they don't want you, you must be good enough for someone else to want you instead.
Don't worry, what's to be will be, at least you are still alive.

John

Janey

by LS - 2010-06-20 10:06:51

I too couldn't seem to get any answers & then lo & behold I had an "episode" while they were doing one of their many tests.
Stay strong. You'll be on the road to better health soon.
Liz

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