I was born with a congenital heart defect. I'm done well throughout my life and after having life-saving surgeries as an infant, everything has gone smoothly and I've never had any major issues that have caused me any real problems. I see a cardiologist once a year to keep track of my progress.
The only slight issues that I still deal with are acid reflux, which is common for people who have had the surgeries that I've had due to the nature of how the surgery is performed, as well as occasional episodes where my heart rate increases, and it always goes back down to normal levels after a couple of hours and my cardiologist has deemed it to be a non-concerning issue.
I've been working at my job for a little over two months now. On a couple of occasions I've had to leave early due to my acid reflux causing vomiting or experiencing increases in my heart rate. I know how to manage these things on my own, and I've done it my entire life. I've never needed emergency medical treatment for these things and my cardiologist tells me every year that I'm fine and that I can continue living a perfectly normal life.
Today I had an acid reflux attack shortly after returning from my lunch break. This is a normal occurrence – I often vomit, get it out of my system, and then I'm fine for the rest of the day. Sometimes I vomit on and off all day, but today I felt absolutely fine to continue working. However, my office manager pulled me aside and gave me a medical release form detailing that I must have my cardiologist sign off on my ability to work and that I may not return to the office until this has been received.
This is an office job where I sit in a chair for 8 hours a day. There is nothing strenuous about it, and there is no reason that I cannot perform the job duties that are required of me. I understand that it's concerning when an employee randomly throws up – I have no issue with them asking me if I'm okay or if I need anything. If I'm not okay or if I do need anything, I'll be honest with them about that. That's not the problem. When I was hired, I disclosed my medical history and informed them that these things sometimes happen, and that I'm used to these things, and that it rarely impacts my ability to work. They told me that it was all perfectly fine and not to feel guilty if any needs arise.
Now, I'm stuck at home until I get this work release signed. I see one of the top cardiologists in my state, and I know that he has a huge workload. His office is an hour and a half away from me, so it's not as simple as dropping by the office and asking to have the release signed. I emailed it to him, and called the office to let them know that I'd like to have it returned as soon as he's able, but historically it takes him a few days to get back to people – which is understandable considering that he's one of the most in demand cardiologists in the state.
If medical history is a red flag for them, why did they not ask for this prior to hiring me? Why is it only an issue now when they've been aware for two months?
I don't know when he'll have a chance to send this release over, and until he does, I'm fucking around at home, knowing that I'm fully capable of working. I'm not getting paid for the time that I'm at home, and I can't afford to miss much work. I have bills to pay, and since my employer has been aware of my medical history from day one, they know that I can work and they know that they're fucking me over by not allowing me to. My attack today was no different from the several attacks that I've had since beginning this job. A couple of them have made me feel like I needed to go home for the day, but most of them have not. Today, it did not. Yet, here I am, in my house, not getting paid and worrying about rent that's gonna be due in a week.
TLDR: Despite my medical issues, there's no reason that I can't work, and my employer (who has long been aware of my history) is forcing me to sit on my ass at home and not get paid until my doctor says I can work.