Hi Chrissy,
I am not sure what sort of labor laws you have in Canada, and your healthcare system is completely different than ours here in the US, so please do not let what I am about to say scare you, because I live in the US, and even though we have federal labor laws, some laws vary from state to state, but I will get to my story. I was a fraud investigator with a major credit card processor, and my job required no heavy lifting, I was a desk jockey. It was a very stressful job, that did require allot of focusing on whatever task I had at hand. When I first was dxed I was off of work on Short term disability that at the time paid 100% of my salary. Mined you I have side effects such as nausea, bone and muscle pain, and have noticed a slight memory problem, but I will try and make this as short as possible. Keep in mind I was promoted twice within a year, and was about to get another promotion before being dxed, and I rarely missed work.
I tried to go back to work the first week of July in 04, because when I was switched to long term disability I was only making half of my salary and it was a major blow for me financially, but it turned out to nearly be a disaster. It was mainly due to the side effects, and the fact I could no longer maintain the focus I use to have. I nearly cost the company around $60,000 due to making a very dumb mistake due to my lack of concentration, but luckily for me I caught it in time and no one at my office even knew about it.
Anyway, I went back off of work and have been on disability ever since through a private insurance carrier, and am presently trying to get Social Security disability. In all honesty I can not hold a job with the side effects I have and their degree of severity. The point of my email is this. I was told by my doctors because of the side effects not to even try to go back to work for these reasons..Most companies will find away around any labor laws and get rid of me, the reasons...The amount I would cost them in health insurance cost. Between, the cost of my Gleevec and other medical cost, I would estimate the cost is over $70,000 a year. Granted, this is not what it costs my former employer, but I am sure it has an impact on the insurance rates they are charged.
The second is I cannot predict when I will have down time. Because of my side effects I do have days that I cannot function even in an office environment, and they only allow so many Paid Time Off days, not to mention having to call in sick so often.
Sure we would all like to think labor laws, and not to mention morality would protect those of us with such diseases, but they don't when it comes to the corporate world. I myself have witnessed in the past people being shown the door for just basically no reason except for personal issues with the wrong person.
Since Canada has universal healthcare I am not sure if they have the same cost issues as companies in the US have with insurance rates, so that maybe a non-issue. Also I doubt they are allowed to even ask about medical conditions when it comes to hiring a person for a job. So do not beat yourself up over not telling them when you were interviewed, odds are you will not face the same possible problems someone in the US might face. You were right in telling them simply for the fact they would need to know when it comes to you having to take off of work for medical appointments. Sorry if this email is to much of a downer, but it is something I thought I should bring up. As was mentioned just do your job the best you can and you should not have any problems, but keep in mind you may not have the luxury of playing "hooky" like other people might..hehe.
Anyway take care and hang in there,
Terry
On 8/18/06, Allyson Morris <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
It is great that you told them....
I am a school teacher and my administration knows all about my CML. It has been terrific in the respect of leaving early to give blood, missing a day or two for BMA, etc. I was diagnosed during the summer and began Gleeve during the school year, so it was imperative I told them due to side effects.
I am sure as long as you can do your job well, they truly are and will be supportive.
Allyson
From: "Chrissy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: "CMLHope" <[email protected]>
Subject: [CMLHope] Working Woes...
Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 15:29:08 -0700
>
>Hello, I am a CMLer in Canada. I just started a new job, and after my
>first week, decided to tell my bosses about my leukemia (I have a
>specialist appt at the end of the month and I wanted to tell them about
>it). Needless to say, they were surprised!
>
>As many of you on Gleevec know, because we don't always show evidence
>of our cancer treatment (ie. no hair loss), people assume we are
>healthy, 'normal' (whatever normal is!) people. Thus, there is usually
>a little shock and confusion when I tell people. What I find I have a
>hard time explaining is that I am doing okay, and that taking Gleevec
>is kind of like a diabetic taking his insulin.
>
>Anyway, I feel that I am doing well enough that it shouldn't interfere
>with my work (it's admin/reception work--no heavy lifting or
>anything!), but for some WEIRD reason, I have a major guilty complex
>right now. I feel like I should have told them during my initial
>interview. It just didn't come up. I am thankful that I am feeling
>well enough to go to work, and at first I didn't feel like I would
>necessarily have to tell anyone about my medical history. Now I am
>afraid they are going to think I was hiding this from them. I wasn't
>intentionally hiding anything, I just don't want to be treated
>differently from anyone else, so I didn't say anything, thinking I
>didn't have to. However, CML is a part of my life I can't ignore, and
>I realized today that it's easier for me if I need to go do bloodwork
>or go to my doctors to just be able to say WHY then to skirt it...does
>that make sense? I think the worst part is not knowing if they are
>being honest or not...maybe they were just pretending to be supportive
>when really they are thinking, 'we should never have hired this girl!'
>I'm feeling bad wondering about that. This has something to do with my
>'heart-on-my-sleeve' personality, I'm afraid, I feel that I was
>dishonest by not telling them sooner. CAN ANYONE OUT THERE RELATE TO
>THIS EXPERIENCE? If not, I apologize. I'm just feeling a little out
>of sorts at the moment.
>
>
>
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