- Post starter
- #13
JohnnyCNote
New Here
Continued . . .
First, a correction: "That July I started developing symptoms of both corneal detachment" should read "retinal detachment"
I returned to work in March 2002 at a nearby call center. The work started out okay, but gradually went downhill. So I wasn't completely disappointed when I was told that I needed yet more surgery. The transplanted cornea wasn't holding up very well, and scar tissue had developed on the retina, causing my vision to degrade. I scheduled the surgery, which required the presence of 2 surgeons, and coordinated everything with my employer.
One day I was notified that I needed to complete some more paperwork, and it was then I learned that they'd changed their policies and I was ineligible for short term disability on preexisting conditions for the first year of employment. However, the general level of morale had dropped to the point where I didn't care and just wanted out of there. Beyond that, it became known that the facility was going to be closed within the next 6 months or so, so I decided to move on after I'd recovered from the surgery.
The procedure went well and I spent the next few weeks recuperating. However, the next time I saw the doctor he said that I'd developed a scleral fistula, aka a leak, and needed surgery to have it fixed. So, a month later, I had a 2nd operation. It wasn't very lengthy, but it did extend how long I would be unable to work. As if that weren't enough, I needed to have two more surgeries to plug up leaks that had developed. That meant that from September through December, I had surgery each month.
Needless to say, this was getting really old. It also left me feeling very uncertain since I didn't know how many more surgeries I'd need, and I was reluctant to start work, lest I have to take time off for another operation and lose that job. However, January passed without incident, then February, then March, and I began to feel more optimistic. But there were some bumps in the road ahead, not related to the injury sustained 21 years before.
In about April, my left ear suddenly became blocked off with fluid behind the eardrum over the period of just a few hours. My primary care doctor took one look and arranged for me to see the ENT doctor ASAP. They said it was badly infected and they needed to insert tubes into my eardrum, much like they do with children. The procedure was very quick, but required general anesthesia as it was necessary for my head to be immobilized. This took about a month to get over from the time the infection first started.
I finally found another job that August (in 2003), and started the last Monday of the month. That Thursday I went home, just 3 miles away (I place a high value on short commutes), planning to get the mail, take the dogs out and then take a nice nap. I'd never even get in the front door. As I was about to leave the mailbox (we live in a condominium complex), I managed to step on an ornamental stone no larger than a golf ball, spun around and found myself laying flat on my back, mail strewn all over the place.
I knew my left ankle was broken, and managed to push myself up and slide over to the mailboxes and lean against them. I was lucky enough to have put my cell phone in my pocket, so I called 911 and asked for an ambulance to come. As this was August in Florida, a typical afternoon thunderstorm blew in and I became completely soaked. So I figured that as long as I didn't get struck by lightning, it wouldn't get any worse. The xray at the ER confirmed my fears that my ankle was indeed broken, and in several places.
The next week I had surgery that left me with 8 screws and a plate. The worst part of all of this was that I couldn't walk without crutches for nearly 2 months. I can't express how much I hate crutches. This was not my first experience with those accursed devices. I had broken my right ankle when I was 16 during a very misguided decision to go to a local roller skating rink. However, this injury did not require surgery and I eventually recovered fully.
I spent the next several months in bed watching DVD's and the satellite. Another mitigating factor was that the job I'd just started offered health insurance as of the 1st day, so that definitely made a huge difference. I was eventually able to return the following February.
Through a series of events I'll omit describing, I wound up working at Blue Cross Blue Shield by the end of the year. They have a very large presence in Jacksonville, and I'd hoped to work in their main campus that's a few miles away. However, in thier wisdom I was sent to another location downtown, requiring a daily commute in rush hour traffic. The atmosphere was most oppressive. As time went on, I started suffering from major insomnia and a loss of appetite.
It got to where some of my friends asked if I was seriously ill as I lost nearly 50 lbs. I also started hoping for some event to intervene and extricate me from this dark place. I imagined being rearended by a commercial truck and winning a large settlement, although I didn't want to sustain any injuries. As these thoughts persisted, I became somewhat alarmed and finally saw a psychiatrist. His intial diagnosis was depression, for which he presribed Zoloft. Eventually, I was taking the highest dose, 200 mg/day. One day I picked up a pamphlet about PTSD and recognized several of the symptoms, in particular problems with sleep, motivation and appetite.
After some discussion, he agreed that the recent series of surgeries, in particular with the eye, were a very likely cause contributing to this episode of PTSD. Soon after my first visit with this doctor, I found another job at a firm that specializes in creating websites for small and medium businesses. While this is a lot more along the lines of my general interests, I was initially hired in the retention department. Anyone who's tried to cancel an AOL membership will have dealt with this. While we weren't required to be as aggressive as AOL, we were expected to be more insistent that I was comfortable with. I personally find these things to be quite annoying and disrespectful, and could not bring myself to act in a manner that I found objectionable.
One day I met with my supervisor and showed him the PTSD pamphlet, explaining that I had to reduce the level of stress in my life. I had no problems providing general customer service, but found that retention was more stressful that I was able to handle. He acted understanding at the time, but this proved just to be for show. A few weeks later, as the result of an incompletely quoted conversation, he sent me a very offensive email demanding that I drop the "poor me" attitude and do the job.
So I started looking for another job, and was offered one at Comcast, doing the same thing I did when it was AT&T Broadband. I didn't give any notice because they don't accept it, but on the Thursday before my last day I was offered an opportunity to move into the modifications department. This meant I'd be actually making changes to websites, which was a lot closer to what I prefered to do. For the next several months, this proved to be a much better job and I never left.
That August (in 2006), during a visit to the ophthalmologist he suddenly started asking his assistant to check which days were open in the operating room. So I was scheduled for the 7th surgery since I'd started seeing him in 2001. It went smoothly, but I wasn't cleared to return to work for the maximum period allowed. At least I had short term disability, so it could have been worse. However, I found myself in that same situation where my whole life revolved around doctors visits, just as in San Francisco after the original incident.
When I returned to work, I was never able to get back to where I'd been before, and was finally terminated due to poor performance. I do give my last manager for doing everything possible to keep me, and I later informed him I had no hard feelings. I just started a new job last Monday. It's closer to home and pays more, plus the benefits are better and it's a huge international company, so I'm quite optimistic.
However the problems with sleep remain. I either can't sleep at all or, as I did today, can't seem to get awake and sleep all day. I dearly wish I could get back to a regular sleep schedule. I had a bout in the past with sleep apnea, but I've lost quite a bit of weight and the doctor says I probably don't have it any longer. I've taken 2 more sleep studies over the past 2 years, and the last one resulted in a diagnosis of ideopathic hypersomnia. In other words, I tend to need to sleep excessively for reasons they can't explain. This alternates with insomnia. I've tried Ambien, Lunest and am currently taking Rozerem. They don't really help, and I take Provigil to stay awake during the day. When I returned to the previous job after the surgery, I had lots of trouble remaining awake at work.
I've checked with a lawyer who said that I might be able to receive Social Security disability, but that's easier said than done. I'd prefer to avoid all of that, but I did file a claim just in case.
That pretty much brings things up to the present. I really appreciate the encouragement I've receive so far, and would continue to welcome any suggestions or advice anyone may have. Also, if anyone finds this useful, that's good to know too.
Thanks again and in advance!
First, a correction: "That July I started developing symptoms of both corneal detachment" should read "retinal detachment"
I returned to work in March 2002 at a nearby call center. The work started out okay, but gradually went downhill. So I wasn't completely disappointed when I was told that I needed yet more surgery. The transplanted cornea wasn't holding up very well, and scar tissue had developed on the retina, causing my vision to degrade. I scheduled the surgery, which required the presence of 2 surgeons, and coordinated everything with my employer.
One day I was notified that I needed to complete some more paperwork, and it was then I learned that they'd changed their policies and I was ineligible for short term disability on preexisting conditions for the first year of employment. However, the general level of morale had dropped to the point where I didn't care and just wanted out of there. Beyond that, it became known that the facility was going to be closed within the next 6 months or so, so I decided to move on after I'd recovered from the surgery.
The procedure went well and I spent the next few weeks recuperating. However, the next time I saw the doctor he said that I'd developed a scleral fistula, aka a leak, and needed surgery to have it fixed. So, a month later, I had a 2nd operation. It wasn't very lengthy, but it did extend how long I would be unable to work. As if that weren't enough, I needed to have two more surgeries to plug up leaks that had developed. That meant that from September through December, I had surgery each month.
Needless to say, this was getting really old. It also left me feeling very uncertain since I didn't know how many more surgeries I'd need, and I was reluctant to start work, lest I have to take time off for another operation and lose that job. However, January passed without incident, then February, then March, and I began to feel more optimistic. But there were some bumps in the road ahead, not related to the injury sustained 21 years before.
In about April, my left ear suddenly became blocked off with fluid behind the eardrum over the period of just a few hours. My primary care doctor took one look and arranged for me to see the ENT doctor ASAP. They said it was badly infected and they needed to insert tubes into my eardrum, much like they do with children. The procedure was very quick, but required general anesthesia as it was necessary for my head to be immobilized. This took about a month to get over from the time the infection first started.
I finally found another job that August (in 2003), and started the last Monday of the month. That Thursday I went home, just 3 miles away (I place a high value on short commutes), planning to get the mail, take the dogs out and then take a nice nap. I'd never even get in the front door. As I was about to leave the mailbox (we live in a condominium complex), I managed to step on an ornamental stone no larger than a golf ball, spun around and found myself laying flat on my back, mail strewn all over the place.
I knew my left ankle was broken, and managed to push myself up and slide over to the mailboxes and lean against them. I was lucky enough to have put my cell phone in my pocket, so I called 911 and asked for an ambulance to come. As this was August in Florida, a typical afternoon thunderstorm blew in and I became completely soaked. So I figured that as long as I didn't get struck by lightning, it wouldn't get any worse. The xray at the ER confirmed my fears that my ankle was indeed broken, and in several places.
The next week I had surgery that left me with 8 screws and a plate. The worst part of all of this was that I couldn't walk without crutches for nearly 2 months. I can't express how much I hate crutches. This was not my first experience with those accursed devices. I had broken my right ankle when I was 16 during a very misguided decision to go to a local roller skating rink. However, this injury did not require surgery and I eventually recovered fully.
I spent the next several months in bed watching DVD's and the satellite. Another mitigating factor was that the job I'd just started offered health insurance as of the 1st day, so that definitely made a huge difference. I was eventually able to return the following February.
Through a series of events I'll omit describing, I wound up working at Blue Cross Blue Shield by the end of the year. They have a very large presence in Jacksonville, and I'd hoped to work in their main campus that's a few miles away. However, in thier wisdom I was sent to another location downtown, requiring a daily commute in rush hour traffic. The atmosphere was most oppressive. As time went on, I started suffering from major insomnia and a loss of appetite.
It got to where some of my friends asked if I was seriously ill as I lost nearly 50 lbs. I also started hoping for some event to intervene and extricate me from this dark place. I imagined being rearended by a commercial truck and winning a large settlement, although I didn't want to sustain any injuries. As these thoughts persisted, I became somewhat alarmed and finally saw a psychiatrist. His intial diagnosis was depression, for which he presribed Zoloft. Eventually, I was taking the highest dose, 200 mg/day. One day I picked up a pamphlet about PTSD and recognized several of the symptoms, in particular problems with sleep, motivation and appetite.
After some discussion, he agreed that the recent series of surgeries, in particular with the eye, were a very likely cause contributing to this episode of PTSD. Soon after my first visit with this doctor, I found another job at a firm that specializes in creating websites for small and medium businesses. While this is a lot more along the lines of my general interests, I was initially hired in the retention department. Anyone who's tried to cancel an AOL membership will have dealt with this. While we weren't required to be as aggressive as AOL, we were expected to be more insistent that I was comfortable with. I personally find these things to be quite annoying and disrespectful, and could not bring myself to act in a manner that I found objectionable.
One day I met with my supervisor and showed him the PTSD pamphlet, explaining that I had to reduce the level of stress in my life. I had no problems providing general customer service, but found that retention was more stressful that I was able to handle. He acted understanding at the time, but this proved just to be for show. A few weeks later, as the result of an incompletely quoted conversation, he sent me a very offensive email demanding that I drop the "poor me" attitude and do the job.
So I started looking for another job, and was offered one at Comcast, doing the same thing I did when it was AT&T Broadband. I didn't give any notice because they don't accept it, but on the Thursday before my last day I was offered an opportunity to move into the modifications department. This meant I'd be actually making changes to websites, which was a lot closer to what I prefered to do. For the next several months, this proved to be a much better job and I never left.
That August (in 2006), during a visit to the ophthalmologist he suddenly started asking his assistant to check which days were open in the operating room. So I was scheduled for the 7th surgery since I'd started seeing him in 2001. It went smoothly, but I wasn't cleared to return to work for the maximum period allowed. At least I had short term disability, so it could have been worse. However, I found myself in that same situation where my whole life revolved around doctors visits, just as in San Francisco after the original incident.
When I returned to work, I was never able to get back to where I'd been before, and was finally terminated due to poor performance. I do give my last manager for doing everything possible to keep me, and I later informed him I had no hard feelings. I just started a new job last Monday. It's closer to home and pays more, plus the benefits are better and it's a huge international company, so I'm quite optimistic.
However the problems with sleep remain. I either can't sleep at all or, as I did today, can't seem to get awake and sleep all day. I dearly wish I could get back to a regular sleep schedule. I had a bout in the past with sleep apnea, but I've lost quite a bit of weight and the doctor says I probably don't have it any longer. I've taken 2 more sleep studies over the past 2 years, and the last one resulted in a diagnosis of ideopathic hypersomnia. In other words, I tend to need to sleep excessively for reasons they can't explain. This alternates with insomnia. I've tried Ambien, Lunest and am currently taking Rozerem. They don't really help, and I take Provigil to stay awake during the day. When I returned to the previous job after the surgery, I had lots of trouble remaining awake at work.
I've checked with a lawyer who said that I might be able to receive Social Security disability, but that's easier said than done. I'd prefer to avoid all of that, but I did file a claim just in case.
That pretty much brings things up to the present. I really appreciate the encouragement I've receive so far, and would continue to welcome any suggestions or advice anyone may have. Also, if anyone finds this useful, that's good to know too.
Thanks again and in advance!
