To tell your employer or not?

General General TN & GPN (Old Site)
1

So I work in retail, which as you can guess is a lot of talking. We all know that can set off the pain. I was diagnosed like, three weeks after starting my job, and I'm becoming conflicted.

At the moment, I take baclofen three times a day, and my schedule for it is usually 8 AM, noon and 4 PM. Tomorrow I have a shift from noon to five, which means I will have to take a pill at work since taking one after would be late enough to aggravate my insomnia. I know baclofen looks nothing like my Tylenol they know I always have ("it's my wisdom tooth" or "I think I pulled my something a little" are my usual excuses), and we do have security cameras, so I slip it into my pocket before work and pop it out of camera sight on my smoking break. I told my mom about this method, and she's wondering why I don't just tell my team about this.

Well, pros and cons.

Pros - I am well loved at work, my assistant manager and I call each other twins and siblings and stuff. And I've managed for five months and haven't been reprimanded for anything that could even begin to be blamed on TN. They do know I have chronic migraine problems, and they never made a big deal about it. Little do they know the chronic migraines have been replaced by this for some reason.

Cons - They could decide, once I explain what it is and what makes it happen, that I need as few hours a week as possible to try and help me out so I'm not feeling like I'm dying after work. Also, they could decide it interferes with my ability to do my job and there's no reasonable accommodation that could be made.

So for those who have told your employer, how did you go about it? And what happened? Do you think it's a better idea to keep it a secret so you aren't babied and constantly questioned? Or would you rather be open so you don't feel like you're hiding something?

2

I'm a legal assistant. A reliable, self-motivated, intelligent, and capable employee. I love my job, my attorneys, and my firm. I've always needed time off for migraines, too. But one day, I came to work, trying my best not to call in sick. I ended up on the floor, dizzy from the pain, bawling with an icepack to my face. I went to lie down on the floor in a nearby empty office and called out "help". One of my attorneys came in and got me calmed down. As we talked, we asked, "Is this emotional since you've lost both of your parents in the last year? Could this be menopausal?" She encouraged me to talk to my GYN. I considered it, but I had a gut feeling that this was nether emotional nor hormonal. I went home that day, scared that I'd be fired for the episode. I soon got in to see a neurosurgeon and got a diagnosis after two visits. I explained the diagnosis in an e-mail to my attorneys and my office manager (who has never really cared for me for whatever reason). I explained that I can't control this, that it strikes whenever it feels like it, and what the cause was. After that, no more doubts and no more questions. To show my appreciation for their understanding, I work every day that I feel good -- sometimes 6-7 days/week. Plus I'm so relied upon that I try to stay ahead in case I have to call in sick.

Since I told them about it, I get hugs instead of leery glances. I get empathy rather than intolerance. If I go to work in pain, it's usually pretty evident because I'm not my smiling, energetic, bubbly self.

I'm a wide-open individual -- I've always shared my health issues with those around me. Some people aren't like that, and I have learned to respect that. I believe that you shouldn't HAVE to hide a medical condition, but I understand why people do -- out of embarrassment, fear of losing their position, or perhaps an illness that one brought on oneself (like cancer from smoking or the effects of long-term drug abuse/alcoholism).

It's hard to recommend what you should do, but you shouldn't have to hide taking medication for any condition. I have a herniated disk and take low doses of Percocet throughout the day ... I don't get looped from it in low doses. I just open my purse and take what I have to take. No questions asked.

Perhaps I'm just fortunate ... But if you're buddy-buddy with a boss, I should hope that they would completely understand ...

3

It sounds like you have a good relationship with your boss. I'd probably tell him/her and not make a big deal about it. As far as taking your medication, I wouldn't say anything about it. It shouldn't matter to anyone. I doubt if anyone would even notice it or say anything about it. It's really not their business and no different if you took a tylenol for a headache.

I work retail and have had ATN for several years before I was hired. I didn't say anything about it until I had a bad attack one day. I keep a couple of hydrocodone in my pocket and take one when I need it. No questions asked here either.

My advice is to keep the talk about your condition minimal. A lot of people when first diagnosed (including moi) tend to share more information about their condition than others need to know.

4

My boss knows because I had slews of Dr apointments in the beginning which would need to to ask to either be late or leave early…he’s really understanding. I do wish though that I didn’t let all my co workers know though because I’m always being asked questions etc and I don’t always want it brought up and even though their intentions are good they don’t truly understand.

5

It's been a few weeks and I still can't tell them. I will say it's almost slipped out a few times, but I think it's pretty well controlled so far. Not sure if it's the baclofen or if I'm just having less pain anyway since it comes and goes, but it's not as bad as it usually is. I feel like if it's not effecting me to a point it interferes, then they don't need to know... but I still hate carrying that secret around... I'm still so conflicted.

6

I've told my employer. I'm a radio host and news anchor. It is rare that I've had episodes of pain so severe I couldn't get through my on-air shift but I have had to leave immediately after. I take Lamictal dailly. When I have breakthrough pain, I add Gabapentin and Baclofen. Once I take them, I can't drive. They make me too loopy. I certainly couldn't go on the air in that state. I would sound drunk. A few years ago I had to take a whole week off because the pain was unbearable. I've missed a day here and there since but not often. I dread future episodes and the probability that they will increase in frequency. My direct supervisor is great. She is extremely understanding and never questions when I need to leave work or not come in at all. I think my co-workers are suspicious that I'm making it up so I can get a day or days off whenever I want. I've steered them to online sites that explain what Trigeminal Neuralgia is but I doubt any of them have read it.