Scans, tests, etc./Discrimination

dearpupik

I hope other people have input to provide;
two years after removal of cancerous thyroid and RAI 123 pill, my antithyroglobulin antigen level was very high so,
I Spent one and a half years taking scans, PET< CAT, biopsy, etc etc, nothing was ever 'conclusive' until last January lymph nod removed for reocurrance of thyroid cancer.
Now antigen is low.
Yippee
but physician wants me to have RAI 123 scan
AGAIN

NOW, here is ADDITIONAL conundrum
After four years of this, plus having bradycardia and pacemaker implanted, my superintendent is chastising me for 'excessive use of sickday' I have used up all my sick days due to above.(even tho I tried to have tests done during summer, it took SO long to do all of these............
My INCREMENT is being WITHHELD (as punishment?)

Has anyone else experienced this?
So many many tests,
and, being discriminated against for having cancer too???!!

palmyrafan

Punishment
I spoke with my husband who works for a major well-known company. He has about 120 people who report to him and he is responsible for their reviews and handing out increments and bonuses. I explained the situation to him and he said this: "if your increment is based on your work performance and you are underperforming or not meeting expectations on your annual review, it is normal for companies to withhold raises or increments." He also stated that "unless you can prove that someone else has used up all their sick days and are receiving their increments or raises, then most times you don't have a leg to stand on, especially in today's job market".

He agreed that this wasn't right, especially for cancer patients, but it is a policy that many companies have. Now that said, there could be ways to get you the tests you need and still not miss any time from work. According to my husband he offered these ideas: If you have personal days, use those. If you get an hour lunch each day but you don't take this, "bank" those hour long lunches and then take those to use for exams. Schedule your exams for late in the day or early evening if you can (when I was in the hospital in January and February of this year, I had an MRI at 10:30 at night because that was the only time they could get me in). Try early in the morning as well (My husband and I get our blood drawn at 6:30 a.m. at LabCorp whenever we have bloodwork that needs to be done). Also, see if your company has a program where other worker's donate their sick time or vacation time for people like you who need it.

It's not fair, but it is the way society works.

I hope you can find a solution that will help you out and still allow you to keep your job and your dignity.

Best of luck to you!

Teresa

dearpupik

palmyrafan said:

Punishment
I spoke with my husband who works for a major well-known company. He has about 120 people who report to him and he is responsible for their reviews and handing out increments and bonuses. I explained the situation to him and he said this: "if your increment is based on your work performance and you are underperforming or not meeting expectations on your annual review, it is normal for companies to withhold raises or increments." He also stated that "unless you can prove that someone else has used up all their sick days and are receiving their increments or raises, then most times you don't have a leg to stand on, especially in today's job market".

He agreed that this wasn't right, especially for cancer patients, but it is a policy that many companies have. Now that said, there could be ways to get you the tests you need and still not miss any time from work. According to my husband he offered these ideas: If you have personal days, use those. If you get an hour lunch each day but you don't take this, "bank" those hour long lunches and then take those to use for exams. Schedule your exams for late in the day or early evening if you can (when I was in the hospital in January and February of this year, I had an MRI at 10:30 at night because that was the only time they could get me in). Try early in the morning as well (My husband and I get our blood drawn at 6:30 a.m. at LabCorp whenever we have bloodwork that needs to be done). Also, see if your company has a program where other worker's donate their sick time or vacation time for people like you who need it.

It's not fair, but it is the way society works.

I hope you can find a solution that will help you out and still allow you to keep your job and your dignity.

Best of luck to you!

Teresa

increment
Teresa,
you're a doll, I appreciate the input
I got an excellent review OF my work performance, this was simply based on the fact that I have used up 'sick days' and yes, I TRIED to schedule these tests for 'off times' but the hospitals, doctors, etc, do not always cooperate in all these years.. I do have the union rep supporting me, but.... I am not encouraged to think it will be successful...., again, (and your spouse's input in interesting) I was advised that
"This demonstrates an unacceptable use of time."
I AGREE, DON'T YOU, THAT THIS THYROID CANCER STUFF IS AN UNACCEPTABLE USE OF OUR TIME!!
ps many people have offered their sick time, but it is no longer possible to do this!
love and thanks,
Phyllis

nasher

dearpupik said:

increment
Teresa,
you're a doll, I appreciate the input
I got an excellent review OF my work performance, this was simply based on the fact that I have used up 'sick days' and yes, I TRIED to schedule these tests for 'off times' but the hospitals, doctors, etc, do not always cooperate in all these years.. I do have the union rep supporting me, but.... I am not encouraged to think it will be successful...., again, (and your spouse's input in interesting) I was advised that
"This demonstrates an unacceptable use of time."
I AGREE, DON'T YOU, THAT THIS THYROID CANCER STUFF IS AN UNACCEPTABLE USE OF OUR TIME!!
ps many people have offered their sick time, but it is no longer possible to do this!
love and thanks,
Phyllis

well my increment isnt
well my increment isnt something I have to worry about due to the fact I work in the Military but if I was not as close as I was when diagnosed with thyroid cancer I would have been medicaly retired.

as far as sick days and appontments well they stoped worring about those for me I am out of sick days I have burned up some of my vacation but at least being Military going to military hospitals it is counted as work for me to see the doctor. ofcorse being military i am technicaly working 24/7 so.

I am supprised they no longer allow other people to offer there sick time I know at the shipyards they can offer sick and or vacation time to others (civilians)

there will always be discrimination due to being sick of one thing or another.

for most of the people I work with in the shipyard they were able to shift there work to swings or mid shift but with alot of jobs that is just not posible.

I am assumeing that you are a teacher since you mentioned trying to get your tests done in the summer.

I definatly understand about the doctors not giveing you good times i normaly have i can eithor be seen by the doctor need "soon" on there time or in 2 or 3 months if i need a special time.

Some times I can get lucky and get 2 appointments on the same day or the like but I have had those weeks of 3 appointments in 1 week not on the same day many times so i feel your pain there.

for blood tests its no problem cause I can always do them at a resonable time since there are 3 labs i can choose from and they all have diffrent hours. for CT scans I can normaly get night but visiting a doctor for some reason is always durring normal working hours and if you work them too it really sucks

Craig

3boys_mom

Link
This was posted on another board I'm on and I thought of you. I have not read it, but it might be worth checking out.http://www.cancerandcareers.org/

Sarah