Advice Please

[CoolCat1]

I lost weight,had anemia for months, diarrhea/bloating for years and finally had a biopsy in July. I have been on sick leave from May till this month.I started working half time mornings after much flack/opposition (I was working afternoons teaching for years and my principal didn't want to let me change to mornings until I got my federation to help me). I am feeling so tired I'm wondering if my iron level is way down again. In April/ May, I got 13 iron injections. By the time I saw my GI (August)he told me my iron level was now low normal. I find that odd since I should have been higher. Now, I'm working again and I'm so tired in the afternoons. The school board said they would only have me work mornings until May. I will also be getting another job evaluation done. This is also stressful to me. I am dreading that they may force me to go back to afternoons or transfer to another school. This too will be stressful. I have only one more year till I can retire after this year. There are still other stresses...my husband's depression, environmental allergies, my teenage kids etc. Will it do me any good to go back to the GI or will he just say I'm tired because my body isn't absorbing iron and forget about it? I've been thinking I should go to the head of Human Resources and ask to be kept on mornings.

[judy04]

CoolCat.

Were you diagnosed with celiac disease? If you have a definite diagnosis then

I think your workplace would have to accomadate you, there is something

about that in the American Disabilities Act about that. Can someone

help me out here?

[lovegrov]

I think we need more info. Do you have celiac? Are you gluten-free? Have you considered possible bacterial overgrowth and tried a probiotic? If you weren't diagnosed as celaic and haven't gone gluten-free, have you considered going gluten-free anyway?

If you have been diagnosed and are gluten-free, I know that two months after my diagnosis I was still physically incapable of returning to work. It was 4-5 months before I could even do a full day.

WARNING: I am not a lawyer or ADA expert. If you have a definite diagnosis, the ADA might help as far as transferring to a.m. teaching as that might be seen as a reasonable accommodation. It won't help if somebody just too sick to function.

Hang in there and keep trying. You need that one more year.

richard

[CoolCat1]

Yes I was told during my Endoscopy on June 28 that I had celiac disease and when I went to my office visit on Aug. 4 ths GI told me my small intestine was severely damaged with completely flattened villi and no ridges. I have been gluten-free since June 28 with a few errors. I had a medicial certificate from my doctor saying I have celiac disease and I had a severely damaged intestine and that I needed a work change because of my physical condition and also stress. He said he couldn't definitely sayI needed to work mornings because of law suits relating stress to celiac disease. I made a deal to stay mornings until May 05 with the help of my union. There was no way I wanted a transfer and luckily there wasn't one available. I guess I'm worried if they tell me I need to go to the afternoons in June and stay there the following year and I just don't know if I could cope with the stress. Last year's teaching was just awful with me having anemia, fatigue,stress from my class, which had at least half of them with emotional problems/ADHD etc. and my husband's depression. I also couldn't sleep because of bloating and I'm still having problems with sleeping and am now taking half a sleeping pill at night. Labour laws in Ontario, Canada say I should be accomodated but I hesitant to make waves because of the control freak principal I work for.

[judy04]

Dear CoolCat,

I don't know anything about Canada for which I'm sorry, but do you have anything

like Social Security Disability for which you could apply? I know it is hard to get in the USA, although some people seem to get it. The fact that you are under so much

stress and you have a cooperative physician might help. Is there anyway that

they could accomadate you by changing to another job, perhaps behind a desk

to get you through the year. I know how a controlling boss can be, I still have nightmares about mine and I haven't been around her for several years. Please

let us know how you are doing.

[CoolCat1]

Thanks for trying to help. I doubt if I can get Long Term Disability because my GI said that I could be better in a matter of weeks to months. I have another biopsy scheduled in February. I suppose I could always take sick days but if they occur more than 3 days I would need a doctor's certificate. I guess I should take another blood test to see if my iron is lower. My allergies are bad too right now. Could it be allergies that make me so sleepy? Will allergies get better once I'm healed up? lovegro, I think I do need more than up to May next year. I guess I better get some more medical evidence first before I see the head of Human Resources. He should be able to overide what my control freak principal wants.

[tarnalberry]

Oh yes, allergies can definitely make you sleepy.

They may or may not improve on a gluten-free diet - depends on what you're allergic to.

[CoolCat1]

Thanks, Tiffany. It seems as if I'm better today but my allergies(environmental: grasses,pollens) are better today and I'm not at work either. I guess I'll see tomorrow with increased stress whether that's the problem. I think I'll see how tired I am this week and if its bad I'll phone my gastrologist up and ask to see him.