Comments on: If you are so inclined http://medicalpuzzle.com/2010/02/03/if-you-are-so-inclined/ The life and times of one woman with many diagnosed and not yet diagnosed medical problems that are autoimmune, neuromuscular, and/or chronic. Mon, 21 May 2012 02:42:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Laura http://medicalpuzzle.com/2010/02/03/if-you-are-so-inclined/#comment-316 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:58:25 +0000 http://medicalpuzzle.com/?p=704#comment-316 I only adopted this attitude recently and after years of doing it the other way. You should do what feels comfortable for you, I mean comfortable emotionally and mentally – I realize comfortable is a loaded word when your body’s acting up like for so long. That along with “better” as in “are you feeling better?”, which is also relevant at work. I decided that “better” has two meanings. There’s better/recovered and better/not as bad as yesterday. Most people use the former without considering there may be a latter. I’m working on educating the people I am close to about the latter.

]]> By: queenofoptimism http://medicalpuzzle.com/2010/02/03/if-you-are-so-inclined/#comment-314 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:01:44 +0000 http://medicalpuzzle.com/?p=704#comment-314 Thanks, Laura. I do feel that dealing with people at work is one of the my biggest challenges. Because I’ve been in situations where I feel I am close to answers/diagnosis, I have really made it worse when I have disclosed. No, i don’t have a thethered cord; it’s not my thyroid like they thought; oh – did I say it was a blood flow problem? turned out it isn’t; nope, not sciatica; I’ll be fine…. (and the next week I’m limping and can’t lift my arm). Sheesh. I admire your confidence and shall try myself not to lean toward guilt.

As always, best wishes to you!

]]> By: Laura http://medicalpuzzle.com/2010/02/03/if-you-are-so-inclined/#comment-311 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:27:58 +0000 http://medicalpuzzle.com/?p=704#comment-311 Being sick and undiagnosed sucks :( Especially at work. I make up stuff, ok not exactly make up. I *do* have arthralgias, but people don’t know what that means so I say “I have arthritis” to the people who don’t need to approve accommodations but who do need to know so they will stop expecting me to jog up and down flights of stairs. Yep, just today a coworker who just returned from some time off (and who hasn’t worked with me until the last few weeks) held the door for me as she entered our building. “Come on, hurry up!” she yelled at me cheerfully as I made my usual hesitating way up the stairs. “Sorry!” I said as I came through the door “I don’t go fast.” At some point, I will probably need to “disclose” to this lady, it happens. And when that happens, I will say without a hint of guilt “I have arthritis that flares up now and then” and leave it at that. If we become friends, she can know more. Otherwise, functionally, it’s the same to her.

]]>