Categories: uncategorized
Date: 27 March 2006 19:15:27
Every so often a minor health complaint becomes a challenge and tries to control my life.
This latest attack was caused by me having an infection which prevented my inhalers from having any effect. Usually when colds abound or I feel out of sorts I double the steroid dosage as my doctor has advised and use ventolin (blue inhaler) when needed. When I'm fit and healthy and on the normal steroid dosage I can spend days without having to use ventolin as I'm managing the asthma rather than it managing me.
It's likely that I picked up the chest infection at work as because of poor ventilation bugs are going round and round our office. then again I could have caught it from my landlady's guests who have both had flu/coughs/colds. It is also possible that I caught it from someone on the bus or tube. I can't live my life in a plastic sanitised bubble just in case a few germs get to me. I have a life!
So why did my boss make me feel like a criminal this morning when I called to informed her that I'd been in hospital at the weekend?
My colleagues all know I'm asthmatic and that I keep a ventolin inhaler in my desk drawer in case of emergencies, together with a card giving details of what to do and who to contact if it's severe. I have had attacks but they've passed and my manager had even commented about seeing me use my inhaler. So why is she being such a cow about me being off sick?
I informed my employers when I joined the company that I was asthmatic. I also have other health complaints which were ALL notified to personnel when I started and no fuss was made then so why now? My body is NOT perfect and yes I do have to have doctor's appointments for blood tests and checks but the reasons are genuine.
And it wasn't as if I wanted to be admitted. I went to the local NHS walk-in centre late Saturday to get checked over as I'd noticed that my ventolin inhaler was having little or no effect. I was expecting to be given a nebuliser and/or oral steroids and sent on my way. However when I didn't respond to 3 nebulisers in a row they took over and kept me in. I didn't want to be admitted but in doing so they prevented me from getting worse. Given the effects of both asthma and the drugs I'm grateful they over-ruled, but it wasn't the most wonderful Saturday night I've had in recent years. I ended up having 3 more nebulisers, the steroids and antibiotics.
Luckily I got discharged on Sunday morning. I felt grubby, hungry and emotionally exhausted. i wonderful guy from church picked me up and took me to a supermarket where I stocked up on ready meals, fruit, magazines and "comfort food". Bless him - it means that I didn't have to go out today and was able to rest, sleep, eat and keep warm.
The annoying thing is that I'm wasting 2 days annual leave being ill - and if my doctor signs me off it'll be a black mark against my name as it'll follow on from holiday which is frowned upon.
I don't want to rush back to work before my body is ready, then again I don't want to lose my job or be disciplined for my sick record. Oh well - we'll cross that bridge if and when I need to.