I Think I Need Sick Leave But Don't Know What Doctor To Turn To (Psych? Pcp?)

[pulp]

Okay since I joined up in the diagnostic limbo I've kept getting worse, especially the total and complete exhaustion (getting myself into the shower takes about 3 days of will.. I'm sure you guys understand where I'm coming from). I had 5 weeks of internship at the hospital and really gave it my all, since then I'm totally out of it. On top of that I got a cold last week which really was the straw. I hurt everywhere. I still feel somewhat ok mentally most of the time, I would not call myself depressed - there's so much things I want to do etc but I don't have the energy to even cook for me and my 6 year old daughter. So, now it is getting at me mentally too (it wont get better etc etc) and I understand that. I didn't have any time off since July last year when kido was with her jack-in-the-box-dad. I got offered sick-leave before the summer but decided to keep going and I worked my *** off this summer which I guess I shouldn't have, I got a cold and went to work too soon and started getting the tachy and dizziness on top of my crazy stomach problems. Maybe I've made myself sick. I'm rambling now, I'm gonna get to the point, I want to get on sick leave, to do that I need a doctor to write a certificate which I can send to the health insurance office.

I don't know what I should turn to the doctor for or which doctor, there's so many things wrong but I guess the exhaustion is what is making me totally unable to do anything. Psych I don't know - I'm not depressed but exhausted. Maybe PCP?

Thankful for any feedback,

hugs

Pulp

[MomtoGiuliana]

Once I was diagnosed, I was able to get documentation from the specialist who diagnosed me (w/ POTS). I would think any doctor who understands your diagnosis could write a needed letter.

[kmichaelson]

I'm sorry you're in diagnostic limbo still! I was there for a very long time too and it's hard to find the right doctor I know. If you have a history of appointments with a certain doctor, I would just go back to that person. I think someone you've been going to and knows the situation would be the best bet. I didn't know what I had for the longest time, but I knew I was dizzy every day and unable to work like I used to, so first I had an ear, nose, throat doctor manage my documentation for work, then a neurologist, and now a cardiologist. My human resources contact told me that it should just be the doctor who is treating me for the problem that's keeping me out of work. Of course, with what we have it seems to affect so many systems--like you I have crazy stomach issues, dizziness, fatigue, and of course heart rate & bp issues--it's hard to decide which issue is the worst and the thing actually keeping us from work.

Anyway, I hope you get it sorted out and can take some time off to recover. It took a long time for me to officially take that step, but it was the right thing to do and gave me time to get recuperated and now I'm working my way back to full-time slowly. Good luck to you and take care of yourself.

[pulp]

Momto, problem is I still don't have a diagnosis, still waiting for two different appointments. One of them with a medicine specialist and another with a doctor abroad.

The only doctor lately has been the PCP I saw who actually took me seriously, having met 3 others before that who just blew me off as having anxiety issues. This doctor referred me but has just seen me once. I will try and call there tomorrow and just say what's up, I mean I get so exhausted from one day at uni it takes me many days to get slightly better - it's not humane. Prio 1 in my life simply has to be my daughter and at this point I can not cover her needs. Just feels so weird asking for sick leave. So much want to finish uni but I have to work on accepting it might not happen inside the timeframe I had put up.

I did ask my psychologist where I should turn to and she said not to psych atleast since it's somatic problems I say is the problem. Was kind of hoping to find a way out there just in case but won't happen I guess.

[rubytuesday]

I don't know where you live but here in the US we have FMLA (family medical leave act) that can be enacted for yourself or if you are caretaker for immediate family member. You can get the form from your HRC (I would complete as much of it as I could so less work for my PCP, take it to him/her, explain what is happening and have him/her sign it). Once it is completed, signed and dated make a copy for your own records and return to HRC. Then you are permitted to take sick time as you need, a leave as you need without penalty from your employer. For example, my former employer had policy that if you'd had a third miss within 3 mos., you got verbal reprimand, then written, then temp. suspencion. This protects you for a period of each year. I had my PCP do it annually because at the time I had migraines that would cluster and I could never predict them (and if child got sick, I could use that calling in as a 'migraine').

Your doctor works for you and should understand. I wish you well.

[pulp]

I live in Sweden, it's a bit different here. Here you can stay away from work one week without a paper from the doctor which the doctor sends to the health insurance office where it can be denied or approved (been alot about this last few years cause some really sick people got their disability taken from them sort of). If you go on sick leave doctor has forms he fills with information of the diagnosis, estimated time needed on leave etc and then sends. If the time he grants you on sick leave is longer than "normal" for whichever condition you are having he has to write extra and motivate why. If it gets granted it's usually 2-3 weeks at a time and then the doctor does an evaluation to see how I'm doing and then has to send the paperwork in again.

Thank you for the wellwishes.