Just need to let this out… worst week of life. Not that life is great.
I work remotely for a pharmacy and i call their stores to troubleshoot with employees remotely.
We have an attendance policy that says a day called out is 1 occurrence, half day is .5, and consecutive days are 2 for one occurrence.
I’ve reached my limit of 5 due to other real life obligations.
Tuesday i came down with debilitating but non productive cough and Severe Head ache. i figure i’ll call off as i’m not usually sick often and it’ll mostly blow over. Total hours of sleep that night 4.
Wednesday comes, i now have no voice, cough continues. Okay this is still one occurrence. I’ve got 90+ hours of paid time off saved. 4 more hours of sleep.
Thursday comes, i work through the coughing, fever, and chills after boss insists i will be given a verbal if i call out again. 4 more hours of sleep.
Friday. I wake up and cough out mucous. But since that was it, i pay it not much thought. i get a few hours into the day and suddenly my throat starts feeling like it is closing up. Like seriously unable to concentrate. I have a lot of post nasal drip and i eventually inform manager and leave for the day to visit immediate care. They prescribe prednisone and suggest i do benedryl and even gave me a Gi cocktail thinking it may have been spurred on by my Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease flair ups in the esophagus. But they agreed my uvula and lymph nodes were swollen. They suggest i Buy nasal rinse, taking mucinex and sudaphed. But no other mention of infection. Even give a covid test, did two myself already. Hours slept that night 2. Between throat closing feeling and random panic attacks for not being able to breathe.
Saturday. Finally the weekend, i can surely get better before work on monday. Sinus is absolutely full of blood and rinsing isn’t helping. I wake up to coughing up more mucous. Plus side is the throat closing feeling is gone. I go to immediate care again and they hesitantly prescribe antibiotic. Called back for negative covid test. Mostly disappointed because at least i’d get a measly 5 days off for covid, and im sick whether it is or isn’t. Do the usual, and night comes. 2 hours sleep due to raspy/deep mucous filled coughs. When im sick i try to sit up anyway because of drainage, but i cant even lean back without losing a lung.
Sunday. Same as above, hoping meds kick in did not revisit hospital. All i can think about while getting better is my job security. Not about healing. 3 hrs sleep.
Monday. Work is here again… raspy voice. I do phone calls. I push through it on no sleep. Talking hurts. But job = i might get to live if this doesnt kill me. And means i can go to hospital if it gets worse. 4 hours sleep
Today (tuesday). Work again. Not as much upper sinus pressure. Still raspy, still hard to breathe. Im sure sleep will be unlikely again.
This has to end. Why is there a limit on days sick? I’ve never been this sick sure, where i needed 7+ days of recovery. But why is that my fault? There is nothing good about this life. Working to stay alive. Even when you might be close to hospitalization. Knowing if you get hospitalized you lose your job, and go broke from non insured bills to boot. No time to enjoy weekend, much less heal. Because the threat of work is never more than 48 hrs away. I just want to be free.
The bad healthcare has to stop. It was advocate condel in the midwest. Why does it seem doctors dont listen. Like i never get an answer or they’re not really that knowledgable, guessing is NOT science.
I pay a lot for this. But why.