Metapost: Work

Content Note: Health Issues

Ramblites, my boss came by to talk to me today.

Up until now, I've been working in an area that has a small parking lot (which helps, because walking hurts me), an internet connection, access to my cell phone, and the freedom to telecommute on Tuesdays and Thursdays as a means to try to keep my back pain under control. But for reasons related to budget, I'm soon going to be reassigned to an area that has a huge parking lot, no internet connection, no cell phone use, and no telecommuting. There's no word on if this assignment will be temporary or permanent; I suspect we're edging closer to permanent. This is also just something that simply has to be right now, and can't be fixed easily.

I'm not at the moment certain how this will change my life. I know for a fact that pain and pain management will be a major issue. I also know that my internet access is going to drop drastically from my current 12+ hours a day to something like 3-4 hours. Both of these things, frankly, scare me a lot.

I also don't know how these things will affect the blog. I want Narnia Tuesdays and Twilight Saturdays to be unaffected by this. Review Mondays, Interview Wednesdays, Random Thursdays, Open Fridays, and Recommends Sundays may become sporadic based on my time and spoon management. Words cannot express how sorry I am about that.

I don't like to flood the board with my "issues", but I wanted to share this and -- selfishly -- solicit hugs if anyone wants to give them. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this, and I'm feeling more than a little overwhelmed.

43 comments:

redcrow said...

All the hugs you want, Ana.

Dezster said...

Oh Ana! That sucks majorly. Tons of hugs sent from Canadia land.

Michael Mock said...

{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}

Ice said...

Hugs!! Hopefully things work out!

Brin Bellway said...

*hugs*

chris the cynic said...

*hugs*

As many hugs as you want.

Gelliebean said...

*hugs and hugs* I hope that things will work out best for you (and your back, and that they'll find you an accommodation that won't aggravate it).

Adele said...

I hope it all works out for you.

Naomi said...

That completely sucks. Can you get a hangtag, and park close to where you need to come in, at least?

Jeannette said...

Delurking to say, hugs! Hope it gets better soon.

Ana Mardoll said...

If a hangtag is a handicap placard (what they call 'em in Texas), I'm going to call my doctor tomorrow and grovel. They don't like to hand them out unless you really, really need one, so I've been hesitating to ask, but I'm going to try now.

Thank you all for the hugs. I'm feeling really shell-shocked about this. I haven't even had a good cry, which is not a good sign with me. Here's hoping I break down tonight. *hugs*

Brett Tamahori said...

As a regular reader, and never-before commenter, I would just like to offer hugs, and many thanks for all the posts you've done and all the pleasure I've taken in reading them.

-- Brett

depizan said...

*hugs* *lots of hugs*

Even if you can't get a state issued handicap placard, maybe your workplace can make some kind of arrangement. I know workplaces can be assholey about disabilities, but that seems like a reasonable accomodation.

Whatever's going on wherever you work, it does not sound good. I'm sorry. :(

mmy said...

**HUGS**

Cupcakedoll said...

*hugs*

That sounds crappy and scary and rotten. Hope things work out somehow.

GemmaM said...

De-lurking to give hugs.

Dav said...

Hugs!

Jeldaly said...

Oh my god, that's terrible. *hugs* *hugs again* Screw it. *hands coupon for unlimited hugs*

Kay0alpha said...

That sucks. *hugs* I hope the new position is very, very temporary.

Loquat said...

If walking hurts, you deserve a handicap placard. Or hanger, or whatever. My mom has the hanging type so she can keep it in her purse and get handicapped parking when in someone else's car, rather than only getting it in her own car. (She's ok to walk short distances but can't go far without needing lots of breaks.) Anyhow, hugs and best wishes.

Naomi said...

Yeah, I meant a handicapped placard. FWIW, my friend who has one for MS was tipped off to ask NOT her neurologist but the doctor she sees for normal stuff; ymmv but she was told that regular doctors tend to be a lot more willing to fill out the necessary stuff than specialists.

Naomi said...

And you have a diagnosed physical issue that is causing you pain and impairment that gets worse when you have to walk further. You should absolutely have a placard; if you're in a small parking lot and don't think you need it, you can certainly choose not to use it.

Jenna Moran said...

That sounds dreadfully awful; I'm so sorry! Hugs.

Silver Adept said...

Blargh. That's entirely awful that they're basically telling you, "sorry, we can't accommodate you because the budget won't let us". I am hoping that they'd say, "We want to keep you on as the wonderful person you are, and so we'll find money in the budget to keep accommodating you."

Stuart_Armstrong said...

Egades! I hope it all works out - well if possible, but tolerably at least.

10 have hug
20 goto 10

Patrick Oberlehrer said...

Big hug, Ana!

Amaryllis said...

Piling on with the hugs...

I hope something can be worked out.

jill heather said...

Oh, I'm so sorry. Inflexible workplaces are so difficult even before pain issues. I hope that you can get a parking permit and they loosen up on internet and telecommute options.

Asha said...

More hugs from TN. I hope things resolve themselves quickly and in your favor.

leianajade said...

:Hugs:

I'm so sorry to hear about all this.

hapax said...

Just saw this :-(

{{{Ana}}}

Please, take care of yourself FIRST. We will muddle through somehow.

brjun said...

That's terrible. *hugs*

Karen N said...

*HUGS* I'm sorry to hear about these changes to your work and how they may negatively impact your health and schedule. My mother, who had severe RA, had a placard, and she used it for parking at her work (a very hilly community college with a lot of steep inclines) and in large parking lots--she still sometimes had issues at work with people who didn't get how painful and exhausting her illness was. Echoing the thoughts of others here: though a placard wouldn't fix the internet or phone access issues in the new place, it would likely save you some pain, and your situation is certainly deserving of a placard if I ever heard of one.

Ana Mardoll said...

I want to thank everyone so much for the hugs. I've been all happy-weepy today because of them.

I don't have much to update at the moment -- we're not sure when I'll start in the new area (maybe next week, but almost certainly in April), and my doctor is checking (in a very neutral way at the moment) on the placard. Husband has been a rock and an anchor and all the good things throughout this.

On the plus side, the universe seems to be conspiring to please me today. AT&T has contacted me through Twitter and is in the process of hopefully fixing our phone issues, National Geographic decided that all their DVDs should be half off just because Ana was having a rough week, and THE HARRY POTTER BOOKS CAME FINALLY, FIVE DAYS AFTER I WHINED ABOUT THEM. That's both bizarre and awesome. Bizarrisome?

redsixwing said...

Hugs and wishes for your workplace to be more awesome. *huuuuugs*

Thomas Keyton said...

*hugs*

Rikalous said...

Programming jokes, is it?

HugsForAna = 0.0
do
HugsForAna = HugsForAna + 1
if (Ana == FeelingBetter)exit
end do
----
Ana, I'm glad to hear that good things are happening to you.

depizan said...

I'm so glad there's some good news. Now, if it could just spill over onto the workfront, too.

Silver Adept said...

I'm afraid my programming bit isn't quite as complex or advanced as anyone else's, but langauge diversity is always a good thing, right?

@AnaBetter = 'false'

while @AnaBetter = false do
inc :var => 'AnaHugs'
end

Ben Klug said...

*Delurks*

Ben Klug said...

*delurk*
Hugs!
*relurk*

Laiima said...

I hadn't seen this thread before, but <<>> offered if still necessary or wanted.

Ana Mardoll said...

Thank you. I should make an update, so better here than a new post probably.

1. Best Friend will be working with me in the new area, and she's already running around ragged trying to get me accommodations (like a chair!) that will make this process a little easier. Best Friend, if you're reading this, thank you.

2. Amazon delivered a new roller-laptop-bag thing today so I won't have to lug my work laptop on my back across the mega-parking lot. I'm hoping that will help.

3. Husband, who works in the same building, is going to try to run down whether I can use the freight elevator to get to the second floor. That would help a lot.

4. Father, who also works in the same building, has offered to car-pool me to work so he can drop me off at the door and/or take me home when/if Husband works late. I'm not sure if we can make the schedules gel, but it was very kind of him to offer.

I'll be at the new building Monday, so.... we'll see. Hugs to you all.

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