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fired while on 30mg of pred a day

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Posted 1/3/2008 6:16 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all,

Well my crohn's had flared and I'm on 30mg of pred a day and starting Imuran. I have missed some work due to being sick and doctor appointments. Yesterday I was fired for missing work. At the same time my boss was out for 2 weeks with a broken leg he got walking across the parking lot. Anyway, I did not take the firing well. The pred has been keeping me up and I've had very little sleep for the past week. I have also been shakey from it. Well that kicked into overdrive yesterday and the drive home was very hard. I was shaking, crying and then having bad thoughts of driving into a concrete pylon. I made it home and luckily I have a great room mate and she was able to talk and listen to me for awhile.

I almost went to check in to a mental health place but decided to call my regular doctor to see if she could prescribe something to calm me down. She did and I was able to get some sleep last night. Today I am still very shakey but I have already updated my resume and will start looking again soon. I am very angry about being fired for being sick but I doubt there is anything I can do about it. And I don't know what will happen with my doctors and meds since my insurance stops at the end of the month and COBRA is too expensive. Hopefully I can find another job soon.

I know this was a little long but thanks for reading. Sometimes it helps to just write it down.
Posted 1/3/2008 6:20 PM (GMT 0)
uhm..you can't be fired for missing work due to health reasons...you're protected under the ADA. time to contact a lawyer

i'm sorry to hear that this has happened to you, but it's absolutely unjust and you have the right to do something about it.
Posted 1/3/2008 6:46 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry cbk but u can be fired. I don't know what ada is but n jersey its called FMLA (family medical leave act) but once that runs out (12 weeks a year in most cases,but sometimes 36 weeks) u can b termed, that's the dilema I have right now so I totally understand what ur going thru bluemeanies.
I'm currently scheduled for an ileostomy and I've used up all of my Fmla time. My boss can decide to keep me on, but I'm no longer protected by the law so she doesn't have to. I doubt that she will b/c my job is production based and its al about the numbers.
N e way, I'm not sure if u ever reported your illness to your job, but if you didn't mayb there is a way u can get ur doc to write u a letter and supply to hr. They may have to re instate you for fear of a law suit b/c u do have a documented illness. Look n2 it.

ALSO I posted a board n the ostomy forum entitled "ostomies and insurance" I got some pretty decent replies in there if u wana take a look.

I know .what ur goiung thru with the prednisone,
As that was my worst med ever and the financial worry. As if we don't have enough to worry about! :o(
This place is great tho, there's always someone here to listen. Sorry so long, hope it was helpful
Posted 1/3/2008 7:32 PM (GMT 0)

That just isn't fair!  I am sorry to hear about that happening to you!  I hope you will be ok with your job as well, praying4healing!

Best of luck and let us know what happens!

Posted 1/3/2008 7:35 PM (GMT 0)

praying4healing said...
Sorry cbk but u can be fired. I don't know what ada is but n jersey its called FMLA (family medical leave act) but once that runs out (12 weeks a year in most cases,but sometimes 36 weeks) u can b termed, that's the dilema I have right now so I totally understand what ur going thru bluemeanies.



If you get 12 weeks a year would you be eligible for another 12 weeks now because it's a new year? Or do you have to go a full 12 months without taking any leave first?
Posted 1/3/2008 9:19 PM (GMT 0)
COBRA is expensive but not having insurance is even more expensive. And having a lapse of insurance might make you ineligible once you get another job, depending on the insurance plan. I had a 4 month lapse of insurance, got Crohn's during that time (lucky me) and by the time I got insured and saw a doctor, my plan wouldn't cover any costs at all for 1 year because of the lapse. Luckily I wasn't hospitalized during that year, because if I had been it would have been disasterous. Two colonoscopies and plenty of office visits came to over $20,000. Please don't go without insurance if you don't have to.
Posted 1/3/2008 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
I am so sorry!!! That is just awful! Bosses are real careful about covering themselves too. I have been in HR for a while and my last boss began trying to build a case against me to fire me. I found the file he made. He had exaggerated so much and was very careful to make it look like anything but discrimination. It could not hurt you to consult some government agencies about this though. Maybe any expert in your state can help you more? good luck! and take care of yourself. if you need resume help let me know. I am in recruiting now. :) Karen
Posted 1/3/2008 9:38 PM (GMT 0)
So sorry,just sending hugs and good wishes :-)
Posted 1/3/2008 10:04 PM (GMT 0)
That is awful! I'm so sorry. If your illness was prohibiting you from working, maybe you could have applied for short-term disability? It might be too late now. BUT... I hope you get to feeling better and find a new and BETTER job. ((((HUGS))))

Stef
Posted 1/3/2008 11:50 PM (GMT 0)
I'm so sorry =(
Posted 1/4/2008 12:03 AM (GMT 0)
That isnt true cbk. I lost my animal hostpial job since I was going to have rstrictions for 3 weeks then I was going to be back to full duty. They told me I was a liability and they had no job for me.

I then started a job on Sept 27 07 I was hired as a receptionist at a family care practice at a hospital...the hospital I had my last surgery in. Well I didnt miss 1 day then I went to my surgeon after work on Nov 1 the fistula had gotten wors he told me I had to be admitted and have a picc line placed and go on TPN. Well I was in the hospital for 1 week...the same hospital I worked in no less and I called the office on thursday to say I was allowed to return to work the following Monday....they let me go saying I missed to much work. They said you were temp to hire and you are not reliable ...I worked OT many days there and they literally cross out the time over 40hrs. You are suppoed to get your last check 48 hours after they let you go.

Well a cpl weeks later I ended up with picc line sepsis so that week while in the hospital I called since at that point I should have gotten a check. the pay was every 2 weeks so it was to be mailed to me. I called the woman had no record of any check made out to me for that time period. I called the person in charge of payroll...she never got my timecard. I was told after I had to call back since they never contacted me to tell me my time card was lost.

Needless to say I rememberd my hours informed the payroll got a check in the next payperiod so 1 month later now and she screwed up the hours it took 2 more weeks to get the hours she missed on the check. I contacted the department of labor and reported them about the overtime as well as them breaking the 48 hour law. My surgeon actually did surgery on the hospitals VP and he wrote a letter to him and called him and the VP is actually related to the hospitals president...no luck with getting a job. I am currently working on my file for disability my regular lawyer is looking into a good disability lawyer for me. I told him about what happened in both jobs he said is that legal...I said well they did it. I can kind of understand the 2nd job since I had only been there a month and a half but it was the hospital I was a patient in it wasnt like I said I was sick and I was home. But the animal hosptial I went to work the day I was brought by ambulance to the hospital back in Feb with the perforated ileum. I had been there 2 years at that point grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I feel your pain. I am still in a flare...visutally my scope looked well but 1 of the biopsies came back as still flaring. My PCP wants me on permanent disability and never work again
Posted 1/4/2008 12:24 AM (GMT 0)
I'm not sure if things are the same, cause its been awhile. But when my husband changed jobs awhile back we were without insurance for some period of time. Back then we had to sign up for COBRA but we didn't have to pay for it right away (or not until we used it, I can't remember). Since I have CD and our kids were younger then, we were afraid to go without any insurance, but the COBRA was very expensive. We were able to not use it, and not pay for it, but we had it if we needed it. At least you can look into it. Like I said it was a few years back, but as posted above, if you go without any coverage you could be denied coverage later.
Posted 1/4/2008 12:43 AM (GMT 0)
Christ I hate jobs and sickness, I feel you on this, my family and friends barely understand this disease, what chance does a employer have, I have a team of lawyers behind me cause Im a uninon member, my job tried to fire me to but the union stepped in, I have been at home for three years now on 60% pay, my debt is out of control, I lost my home and moved in with friends, with my WIFE!

Thank god for friends, get a lawyer! I dont care how, you fight! The legal way. Dont you dare let someone or something else in life take the fight from you, sometimes I wonder if I didnt have the legal fight constantly swirling around me if I would concentrate even more on being sick ( aint that messed up).

God posts like your set my blood boiling ( which may be good for my inflamation, who knows) Christ I should have been a lawyer.

Please fight this as hard as your health will allow. Please psot any followups.

Post Edited (Blue Velvyt) : 1/3/2008 5:46:29 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/4/2008 12:44 AM (GMT 0)
I feel you pain.
I was let go in 1997, 2 months after surgery and in the two months they harassed me by saying I needed retraining before going back in the field to work and I was to show up every day at the shop...we were able to work from home all this this was a big lie and a game they wanted to play as I was a good employee before the 56,000 dollar surgery.
I filed a compliant with ADA Americans with Disability's Act and they found no evidence in wrong doing and it was a matter of training to the. I had seen the writing on the wall with this company do to other folks being let go after a major surgery two guys had hart problems and one guy had double knee surgery...the guy with bad knees was after I had been let go and I told a friend at the company when I found out that the guy was getting his knees done that he would be let go after he is back from recovery and he was.
My friend started to see the pattern and he was never ill but said it was just plan wrong.
I wish we had better laws with people with illnesses like ours.
Posted 1/4/2008 12:53 AM (GMT 0)

Hey Blue, I am so sorry.  (((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))

Kitt

Posted 1/4/2008 4:20 AM (GMT 0)
Radius,
I found out thru my job that its 12 months from when u first start using it. I my case my flare started last may so I have to wait until may of 08 to be eligible again.

This whole system sucks. Those of you that are able to get lawyers are fortunate, but for a girl like me fresh outta college and not able to begin her career due to her illness, affording a lawyer is a long stretch.

I don't know what I'll do with this upcoming surgery, outside of praying really hard.I just know I'm getting it done this month that way if they term me this month I still have coverage until the 31st. I just hate being in limbo with my job and not knowing.

Not to mention the stress of this condition is enough in itself let alone trying to make phone calls to agencies and filling out paperwork just to be denied, defending your position and so forth and so on. All of u r n my prayers.
Posted 1/4/2008 4:33 AM (GMT 0)
Get your human resourse manual if there is one, and find free legal aid if you cant afford a lawyer. So sorry you are going thru this. One big problem, with fighting to get re-instated with a job though is that its really hard to work in a job when you feel they don't want you there...a new job may be better for your mental health. Try to find a way to pay for the COBRA...you really do not want to have Crohn's disease with no insurance!!!!
Posted 1/4/2008 4:34 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Blue- I hope you find a way to fight but if you don't here is the info Zanne was referring to. In most states you have 90 days to decide if you want to sign up for Cobra or not. As long as you don't sign the form rejecting the Cobra you can gap it for that 90 days. So this way you don't pay up front but say you find out you need surgery on day 40 you will pay Cobra as if you had accepted on day 1 and will be covered retroactively. But this is only true for those 90 days. So the best bet is to gap with the Cobra as a back up (as long as you have it as a backup it shouldn't count as not having insurance= pre-existing condition etc) and find another job w/ benefits w/in that 90 day window. That way you have coverage should you need it and you only pay (albeit for all 3 months) if you do. But, if you start to approach that 90 day mark you need to give in and sign up (and you will have to pay all 90 days worth) that way you will continue your coverage and not have a pre-existing condition. If I were you I would be setting the Cobra money aside each month (just in case you find out you needed it) but only sign up if you end up having an expensive procedure or if you don't find new benefits before the 90 days.
Posted 1/4/2008 4:34 AM (GMT 0)
I am so sorry to hear that I know what a blow that can be to us,and even more so when you have an illiness that you have no control over.people that you are not in your shoes and has not had to deal with family or there selfs for that matter.I heard this saying one time and it is so true PEOPLE CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW!!!!!!.Good luck and I will keep you in prayer's and thoughts.
Posted 1/4/2008 4:48 AM (GMT 0)
YOU'RE IN MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. MARY
Posted 1/4/2008 12:41 PM (GMT 0)

Blue....I am not going into the legal and insurance aspects......I just want to let you know I'm here to listen.  Please keep talking as I'm worried about you.  The meds from your doc is nice to help you relax, but I want to make sure you have someone to talk with too.  If you can talk to someone at a clinic via phone or have a really good friend, please call them regularly until you are able to get out of your "dark place".  If not, please keep posting here.  I want to hear from you often!

Take care and I will be thinking of you.

Posted 1/4/2008 2:01 PM (GMT 0)
Really sorry to hear you are going through all this. I lost my job in March due to being sick and missing too much work. I was eligible for unemployment so I got about 6-7 weeks of it and then stopped because I was too sick to work at that point and was getting ready for resection surgery. Well in Nov I started getting all this stuff in the mail and then phone calls about how the place I used to work was filing an appeal against the unemployment I got back in March and April. Anyways, after hours on the phone with hearings and what not -- I have to PAY BACK the money I got for the 6-7 weeks. Although the place I worked had no attendance policy for office people, no one had ever "warned" me that I was missing too much work, having dr notes for EVERY time I was late or left early or wasnt there and my immediate supervisor and HR woman KNOWING before hiring me that I had crohn's.....NONE of it mattered! BLAH is what I say. For now I am staying home and not planning on going back to work unless I find something great, but I understand that most don't have this option. My husband has a good job where we don't pay for insurance and they cover all my medical bills including Remicade so I can't complain. I wish you all the luck in finding a new job and figuring out the insurance situation! Take care!
Posted 1/4/2008 2:53 PM (GMT 0)
That really sucks is there no understanding in this world anymore, it really makes me wonder. Hold on and be strong there is a job out there that is for you. If i had a company i would totally understand anyone that has a disease that works for me and i would work around it. If there is anyone that reads this that has a company have some humanity. Take care blue don't let it get you down..
Posted 1/4/2008 6:52 PM (GMT 0)
It does really suck!!!! But hopefully this awful experiance will put you on a road leading to a great job where there are understanding and caring people...higher pay and great benefits...so turn this into a positive for yourself...us CDers are tough to crack because we are already so used to dealing with so much "crap" in our lives...LOL!

:)
Posted 1/4/2008 8:18 PM (GMT 0)
I know how you feel. I was fired in November for missing too much work. It was company policy to accept only so many Doctor's excuses. My son had been ill with a rash for 2 weeks along with me being sick, so I got fired. I might have been able to stop it if I had gone to my GI for every cold I had preivious to being fired, but I don't think he would have written excuses for every cold. Although I have a light case of Crohn's, my ammune must be shot, because I get sick and run way down really easy. Back in June I was hurt on the job, so I think that may have something to do with it, but that is only my opinion.
I hope you can get help from a community care program for your health care until you get a new job. I know I was lucky to have my husband's insurance to fall back on once mine ended. It seems as though you don't have that luxery, so I hope comunity care can help. My friend has it. Her place of employment folded shortly after she got hurt, so she has no income, no insurance, and no way to get a job at this point in her injury. She was lucky enough to move in with her mom, but she has health issues as well so she is working at Mc Donalds. You can imagine that doesn't pay much either. Community care is really helping them. Hopefully you can get some help too.
I started college online to become a counselor for teenagers. Maybe you can find something that will help you get back on track. I go to Axia college of University of Phoenix online. They have aranged it so I can pay for everything including my books with my financial aid. I don't have to pay it back until I am finished with my schooling.
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