Work Woes

[Guest guest]

Does anyone here have experience with FMLA and/or disability issues

relating to their A? Today, I'm waiting for one of the Human

Resources staff at 's company to let him know just how many days

he has left that would be covered by FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act).

Since 's local GI knows how bad the spasms get for him and all

the problems DES has caused, thankfully, he has been nice enough to

fill out whatever paperwork needed for 's missed work days. It's

been over a year since he first had the doctor fill out the FMLA

paperwork and now we just have the office fax over a work excuse

whenever is home, dealing with the severe spasms he gets. The

only problem is that we're just realizing that there's a limit of 12

workweeks to what is excused under FMLA each year. I feel like I

should've been on top of this, since 's the sick one who

struggles to make it to work. I'm the support person who's supposed

to keep up with this. Lately, he's been sick about 2 days of the 6

day workweek they've been doing recently. At that rate, I'm thinking

he may be over the FMLA limit (or close to it). Since his are

intermittant days off, I don't think a medical or disability leave

would apply here.

Since I think this job is a major source of stress for , and

it possibly aggrevates his condition, sometimes the thought of him

losing his job sounds like it may help. But, since he carries the

health insurance for the two of us (my job doesn't offer it) and it

would probably be hard to find another company that wants to hire

someone with so much missed time for illness, that's not really an

option. Thanks for letting me vent! I hope everyone is swallowing

well today!

in Michigan

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I'm sorry about your situation. Not only do and yourself have

to deal with the difficuly of DES, but financial issues just seem to

make more stress that one shouldn't have to deal with. My father

was sick with cancer over 9 yrs ago (he was 39 at the time, he is

cancer free today) and I know my family applied and recieved social

security during his time off work (which was over a year). It may

be worth it to consider the option. I was young at the time, so I'm

not sure how the process works. If I find out anything from my

parents, I will let you know. During my recovery, I'll have lots of

free time to chat with my Mom and Dad.

Talk to you soon.

in Michigan

>

> Hello, all!

> I'm up late worrying and if you don't mind, I'll do a little

> venting to you nice folks. The situation with 's (my husband

> with Diffuse Esophageal Spasm) work has reached a critical stage.

In

> the last few weeks, he's only been able to work 2 to 3 days per

week

> because of his spasms. This week was even worse and today was the

> only day he made it in to work (although they were closed Monday

and

> Tuesday for the holiday) this week. Besides being a strain on him

> physically and on our finances, these last few weeks have left him

> about maxed out on the days he's allowed to take off under FMLA

> (Family Medical Leave Act). I talked to someone in human

resources at

> his company yesterday and found out that they no longer grant

medical

> leaves (I thought that would be his next option so that he wouldn't

> lose his job)! If he needs more time off, he would have to submit

for

> a personal leave, then he could apply to their insurance company

for

> short term disability benefits. That actually doesn't sound too

bad,

> because he could actually get paid something for being off, except

for

> the fact that his medical coverage would lapse on DAY ONE of his

> personal leave time! My employer doesn't carry medical coverage

and

> the COBRA from his company would be over $800 per month. Even if

he

> opts to have surgery (in his case, it would be an open long

myotomy,

> with probably a couple of months or so of recovery), it would

still be

> considered a personal leave and because he's used up his FMLA days,

> we'd still have to pay COBRA or lose coverage! A few people have

> suggested that he apply for social security disability. I just

looked

> at their website and the application and guidelines for disability

> seem very intimidating! According to part of their guidelines, he

> could be automatically considered disabled if he lost another 30

lbs.

> (on top of the 70 lbs. he's already lost), but I don't want to wait

> for that to happen! There just doesn't seem to be any good options

> out there for him! Maybe it's just that I inherited a worry gene

from

> my late mother (rest her soul), but I'm starting to get really

scared

> thinking of what may lie ahead, even in the near future!

> Thanks for reading my venting (worrying). If anyone has any

> experience with FMLA or work issues or social security disability,

I'd

> appreciate any advice you can give.

> Here's hoping everyone is swallowing and healing well!

>

> in Michigan (and hopefully not in the poorhouse soon from

> paying for medical insurance)

>