|
09-04-2008, 07:15 AM
|
#1
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 67
|
Discrimation at work!
Hi Everyone,
I have been having a terrible time with my employer. I was diagnosed in June. Had a bilateral in july. So far I've had 2 tx of THC and have been cleared to go back to work part-time. Which I am very capable of doing. However my employer will not let me come back unless I'm full-time 100# , and will provide me no reasonable accomodations for my treatment week.
Up until my diagnosis I have had extremely good progress reports. Always got great raises and have several awards for my work with the senior population in our county.
Not knowing exactly what to do. I contacted the American Disabilities Association. They are filing charges against my employer. In the meantime I have discovered they have someone waiting for my job, and as soon as my 12 weeks FMLA are up they are going to try to get rid of me. The ADA says this won't happen it's against the law, but how do we live in the meantime? We are not rich and need at least a part-time income from me.
It really sucks that corporations think they can do this to people. I'm definitely not a wall flower and have butted heads with my manager more than once when I believed my residents were being treated unfairly, but my job is to make sure they have a high quality of life while they are with me, and thats what I do. I love my job and don't want to lose it.
If anyone has had this happen to them. I would love to know how you have handled it.
Hope everyone is feeling well,
Love and hugs,
Laurie
|
|
|
09-04-2008, 08:28 AM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
|
It's horrible that your employer is acting moronically. It will bite them in the butt.
For clarity sake, not all corporations think they can do this. Only a few stupid bosses inside those corporations think they can do this. There are many fantastic corps who are very supportive of their employees who are cancer survivors. Be sure and have a conversation with your HR department. You have already taken the most important step to protect yourself from being treated wrongly.
Maybe these links will help - and maybe you have already seen them...
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/cancer.html
http://www.canceradvocacy.org/resources/employment.html
What can survivors do if their job is endangered?
Most employers treat cancer survivors fairly and legally. Some employers, however, erect unnecessary and sometimes illegal barriers to employment. Numerous resources help survivors determine what employment accommodations should be provided under law. One resource is the Cancer Legal Resource Center, at 1-866-843-2572 (1-866-THE-CLRC).
__________________
Brenda
NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary
JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...)
Nov'03~ dX stage 2B
Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive
Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo.
Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only
Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin
Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg
Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin
May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now
June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic!
Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2
Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED
Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone)
Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers
Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion
Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable
June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads
Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors.
Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen.
Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen.
June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen.
Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice.
Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots.
Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011.
Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah.
"I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."
|
|
|
09-04-2008, 09:03 AM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,210
|
I hope you are documenting everything and have kept good records of your past exemplary work performance. What a shame they would try to do this to someone who obviously loves her job and does it well
Keep the faith.
__________________
Bonnie
Post menopause
May 2007 Core biopsy, Rt breast
ER+, Pr-, HER2 +++, Grade 3
Ki-67: 90%
"suspicious area" left breast
Bilateral mastectomy, (NED on left) May 2007
Sentinel Node Neg
Stage 1, DCIS with microinvasion, 3 mm, mostly removed during the biopsy....
Femara (discontinued 7/07) Resumed 10/07
OncoType score 36 (July 07)
Began THC 7/26/07 (d/c taxol and carboplatin 10/07)
Began Herceptin alone 10/07
Finished Herceptin July /08
D/C Femara 4/10 (joint pain/trigger thumb!)
5/10 mistakenly dx with lung cancer. Middle rt lobe removed!
Aromasin started 5/10
|
|
|
09-04-2008, 09:12 AM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: "Love never fails."
Posts: 5,808
|
I feel your pain, Laurieanne.
Every time I had a major surgery, I would lose my job. In Texas, we've been told, the only thing we can do is to file for unemployment compensation. And we have to certify that we are available for work and capable of working full-time.
I was undergoing chemotherapy while I was doing my internship teaching special education (as an inclusion teacher) at the high school in the nearby town. I needed the job so I could have insurance. But when the principal found out I was going through treatment (my husband had to pick me up one time after school when I had cellulitis and wasn't aware of the danger of it), she started to document me.
There was another veteran teacher on campus who was also undergoing cancer treatment (lymphoma). Her husband is the president of the local chamber of commerce. And she received 'teacher of the year' award for being a cancer fighter. I couldn't really say if the different treatment has anything to do with my being a 'disabled (my two brain surgeries) foreign born female minority' (my teacher training program director did not think it's humorous at all) But I knew that there's no way she would have hired me if I had told her about my cancer treatment.
The law says we have one year to return to our original job. I always needed to get a note from the doctor certifing that I could go back to work. But then I always lose my job after a year.
I am taking some math courses on-line right now and hope to become a math teacher in a year or so. Read it somewhere that the Chinese term for crisis is 'dangerous point' which leads directly to 'turning point'. And the Chinese character used here for 'point' is the same word for 'opportunity'.
Even though I've gone through the routine many, many times, it still gets me depressed. We are only human. And I think confronting the feelings is a healthy way to deal with it.
It is tough. But I always come out with better jobs. So I am confident my family will weather the storm again. (and again, and again...)
__________________
Jackie07
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/06/doctors-letter-patient-newly-diagnosed-cancer.html
http://www.asco.org/ASCOv2/MultiMedi...=114&trackID=2
NICU 4.4 LB
Erythema Nodosum 85
Life-long Central Neurocytoma 4x5x6.5 cm 23 hrs 62090 semi-coma 10 d PT OT ST 30 d
3 Infertility tmts 99 > 3 u. fibroids > Pills
CN 3 GKRS 52301
IDC 1.2 cm Her2 +++ ER 5% R. Lmptmy SLNB+1 71703 6 FEC 33 R Tamoxifen
Recc IIB 2.5 cm Bi-L Mast 61407 2/9 nds PET
6 TCH Cellulitis - Lymphedema - compression sleeve & glove
H w x 4 MUGA 51 D, J 49 M
Diastasis recti
Tamoxifen B. scan
Irrtbl bowel 1'09
Colonoscopy 313
BRCA1 V1247I
hptc hemangioma
Vertigo
GI - > yogurt
hysterectomy/oophorectomy 011410
Exemestane 25 mg tab 102912 ~ 101016 stopped due to r. hip/l.thigh pain after long walk
DEXA 1/13
1-2016 lesions in liver largest 9mm & 1.3 cm onco. says not cancer.
3-11 Appendectomy - visually O.K., a lot of puss. Final path result - not cancer.
Start Vitamin D3 and Calcium supplement (600mg x2)
10-10 Stopped Exemestane due to r. hip/l.thigh pain OKed by Onco 11-08-2016
7-23-2018 9 mm groundglass nodule within the right lower lobe with indolent behavior. Due to possible adenocarcinoma, Recommend annual surveilence.
7-10-2019 CT to check lung nodule.
1-10-2020 8mm stable nodule on R Lung, two 6mm new ones on L Lung, a possible lymph node involvement in inter fissule.
"I WANT TO BE AN OUTRAGEOUS OLD WOMAN WHO NEVER GETS CALLED AN OLD LADY. I WANT TO GET SHARP EDGED & EARTH COLORED, TILL I FADE AWAY FROM PURE JOY." Irene from Tampa
Advocacy is a passion .. not a pastime - Joe
Last edited by Jackie07; 09-04-2008 at 09:35 AM..
|
|
|
09-04-2008, 12:58 PM
|
#5
|
Webmaster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Home of the "Flying Tomato"
Carlsbad, CA
Posts: 2,036
|
__________________
A Proud webmaster to the internet's most informed, educated, COMPASSIONATE and caring group of breast cancer survivors.
Illegitimi non carborundum
My Album
|
|
|
09-04-2008, 02:42 PM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: indianapolis, indiana
Posts: 1,544
|
Sorry that you're having to go through this on top of everything else. Hope everything gets worked out in your favor!
__________________
dxd 9-04, lumpectomy,
st 1, gr 3, er,pr-, her2 +,
2 tac,33 rads,6 cmf
1 yr herceptin,
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:14 AM.
|