Migraine

So, I have been on this HUGE project at my job for the last few weeks. Highest priority, needed to be done yesterday, blah blah blah. I have been working 50 hour weeks for the last month or so.

In the meantime, I have been having lots of migraines. I am back to my usual 3-5 a week. But I haven't DARED call out because
1) I will get chewed out 2
) My boss would probably just say NO.
3) I just got my FMLA approved last week, so taking a day off two days after it got approved would look super-suspicious.

So I have spent the last two -three weeks taking my abortives and rescue meds, and trying work while trying not to puke from the motion sickness.

But that isn't even my gripe... here it is... On Friday, the project leader took a half day BECAUSE SHE HAS A COLD!!!! Oh, you're sniffly??? That must be sooo much worse than stabbing head pains!!! I have been busting my tush through migraines, and you're taking time off for a COLD!!!

Actually, I think more than anything I am mad at myself for being stupid enough to put the needs of my department above my own needs.... Why do I push myself when no one else bothers? I think I am also mad at myself for being (fake) sympathetic and sending an "oh, I hope you feel better" email. What I really wanted to say was " A cold?!?!??! Are you kidding me?!?!?!?! "

Kathinthecorner,
I'm so sorry. It's hard to see that when you work through so much pain.

I hope your week gets off to a better start than it ended.

Cindy

Hi Kat- It's hard to go to work in pain. I've done it many times, then been mad at myself also for not taking better care of myself like you said. I'm glad you were able to vent this, because we all understand!(and by the way, if it's okay for your boss to say it's okay for someone to take time off for a cold but not okay for you to call out for a migraine there's something wrong with this picture!).Take care of yourself!
Valerie

Kat--

Been there, done that!!! So now you know--next time you DON'T work with a migraine. I used to work from 6:30 until 3:30 when I worked the OR and I knew it would be very hard to find a replacement if I called in sick with a migraine at 5 in the morning. So I would go in with the headache figuring I could get the OR started (I was the OR pharmacist), and then my boss could send up a replacement once everybody got in for the day. But he got worse and worse about locating someone to come up and take over (usually because it would have to be him). Then one day, when nobody showed up to replace me and I called him to ask when somebody was coming, he told me I could just throw up in the trash can and work my shift! So-o-o I did a couple of times, picked up the trash can, carried it down to his office, gave it to him, told him I was too sick to work and went home! From then on, if I had a migraine when I got up (one of my most usual times), I just woke my boss up at 5a.m. and called in sick!!!

Nobody really appreciates what you do when you continue to work in agony, so I decided that I might as well take care of myself, since I wasn't going to be even thanked for the SACRIFICE anyway!!!


Tracie

P.S.

in your email, did you ask her if having a cold gives her a migraine too, since obviously she must be having so much pain. Gosh--things must be really bad, since you've been working with all those migraines, and it's so hard to work when it's hard to think.

Tracie

Dagnabbit anyway! That is so wrong on so many levels. Double standards are not at all fair.

Kat, I think this is more than a minor gripe. It's something I know I struggle with all the time! Especially now that my chronic daily headache has become a constant migraine. Meaning I'm in pain all the time, so I can't call out whenever I'm in pain - I'd have to quit my job. I decided about two weeks ago I needed a "mental health day" so I called out. I had had a complete mental breakdown and literally couldn't deal with the pain AND work for another day. Well, when I came back in the next day, my team must have thought I had the plague or something because they were all asking if I was feeling better. Well actually... no. The migraine is still there, thanks for asking!

Sorry, didn't mean to make my own post turn into a vent. It bothers me when I see coworkers complaining about their colds when my head is pounding and the nausea's welling up and I just want to go HOME but for some stupid reason I'm still at work.

I don't know why we do this to ourselves, why we think we still need to perform as well as others despite our migraines. You're right, we need to put ourselves first, because there's no way anyone else has our best interests in mind.

Hope this week goes better for you than last week.

Kat,

I can relate with you 100%. I used to do the same thing as you, I’d force myself (against my better judgment) to come in and work, regardless of how much pain I was in. After awhile, I realized that most people didn’t appreciate the fact that I was working through painful tears and that all I was doing was prolonging my pain because I couldn’t treat my migraine properly while at work.

Take care of yourself!

quote:

Originally posted by tracieB:
P.S.

in your email, did you ask her if having a cold gives her a migraine too, since obviously she must be having so much pain. Tracie

ROFTL!!!! I was thinking about it! Btw...I also like your trash can story!

Oh, and I was on a conference call with her yesterday and everyone was acting like she was SUCH A TROOPER!!! It was SUCH A SACRIFICE to work with a COLD!!! My director made a joke about checking her work yesterday b/c she was on meds for her cold. I said "if that is the case, you should have someone re-do my audit because I have been on migraine medication and pain killers for over 3/4 of this project" .... And they changed the subject.

You're right. No point in making the sacrifice if no one appreciates it.

I really do appreciate all the sympathy, and believe me, the next migraine I am ABSOLUTELY calling out sick. AND using my two FMLA days. In fact, and I hate to say it, but I am almost looking forward to the next one because I desperately need a day off. Okay, I'm not looking forward to it, but since I know its going to come anyway I am trying to put a silver lining on the cloud.

And MaxJerz , I'm almost right there with you. If I called out whenever I had a migraine, I would be averaging about 10-15 hours of work a week for the last 6 months! And don't worry about venting too, your venting WITH me not at me!

thanks as always guys!