Work Issues
#258780 - 04/18/06 05:40 PM
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bev28
Reged: 08/24/05
Posts: 6
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This is my first time posting here. I sent this to the fitness forum because I couldn't figure out where my question would fit in. This forum was suggested by someone there, although I think the research library would have been more direct but I was unable to post there. I am in danger of losing my job because my IBS has become so bad that I cannot always get to work on time. I am a librarian in a college, and we got a new dean last summer who was asked by my director to help him since I was occasionally late and also stayed too late (which was to make up the time, but he would rather I just worked the hours I was supposed to). I knew my lateness was due to my having to use the bathroom many times before leaving my house, but I had never been able to tell him much about it because I was embarrassed. Once the dean began to complain to me (in very upsetting meetings and e-mails), however, I learned as much as I could about IBS (especially from this site - thank you so much!) that I started explaining it to my director and the dean. However, her reaction (the dean's) was that I should get up earlier so that I could make it in on time. I told her that waking up earlier wouldn't help much (and I have tried to do this) since the attacks come when they want to and I have even been on the way to work when I have had to turn around and go home to get to the bathroom ASAP! Sometimes I have only been 15 minutes late, but when it is really bad, I might even be 2 hours late! What I need to know is where can I find some documentation on the subject of, as my dean would call it, "chronic lateness" - I call it "chronic illness" -- something to help her understand my predicament and perhaps even be a bit flexible as to when I arrive at work and even allow me to make time up at the end of my shift? I hope I'm explaining this clearly. All I know is that ever since she started in on me, I have become severely stressed and I know that is the reason my IBS is worse than ever! Can anyone help me with this problem? I have searched all over the web but could find nothing about IBS and work issues except that it does cause a lot of absenteeism. She has called a big meeting with me, my director, the human resources director, herself, and my union rep, for next Tuesday, and I know it will be very stressful and maybe even the end of my career (I am having stomach pains right now just thinking about - and dreading - that meeting!), so any help would be so greatly appreciated!
Thanks so much, Beverly 
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I'm not sure where to direct you, but I would imagine beginning to get some medical documentation may help protect you from a legal standpoint. You might even look into FMLA... I would absolutely go to your human resources person as soon as possible, as it is their job to guide you on these topics. Best of luck, I think a lot of us are one step away from where you are & it is very scary. One of these days we need to get some legislation going to recognize that this is an EXTREMELY debilitating disease.
YOu have the support of everyone here.
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I'm sorry to hear you're going through a rough time. Have you tried Heather's diet, teas, Fibre, and hypno tapes? They might help your situation. Also, have you tried taking Immodium before leaving for work, or before going to bed? Some people on here do that and it seems to help them. Good luck with your meeting and I hope you feel better soon.
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Heather's book The First Year: IBS has all kinds of great info on IBS that you can show to them to inform them about IBS and what is does to our bodies. You should be able to get it at Barnes and Noble or Borders in the medical section. It's generally shelved under diseases. It discusses what happens and has illustrations. It makes IBS very easy to understand. Maybe that would help them to see that this is a legitimate problem.
Unfortunately many people don't understand or care to know anything about IBS. I have had to leave a job because they stressed me about so much about my IBS which ended up making it even worse.
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If you're not dead, you've still got time.
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Here's a webpage that discusses the results of a survey of IBS patients, noting that more than 1/4 of respondents reported needing to arrive late for work or to leave work early because of their symptoms in the past 3 months. late for work
Hope it helps!
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IBS-C, lots of spasm and trapped gas.
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I'm assuming you're IBS-D? Have you tried taking lots of Immodium right when you wake up, or perhaps right when you go to sleep? I've read that can help.
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IBS-C
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Re: Work Issues
#258847 - 04/19/06 03:53 AM
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Sand
Reged: 12/13/04
Posts: 4490
Loc: West Orange, NJ (IBS-D)
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I would try to see your doctor before the meeting - or at least talk to his office - and get some kind of piece of paper with your IBS diagnosis on it. That, combined with the references other posters have given you, should make it clear you have a health problem to deal with, not a lateness problem.
Beyond that, definitely talk to Human Resources as soon as possible and make sure you know what your options are with regard to FMLA and disability. If Human Resources isn't helpful, you probably have some state office (Labor, Disability, something like that) that can tell you what your options are. Also, for some medical conditions, employers are supposed to make reasonable accomodations, but I'm not sure IBS is covered by these requirements and that may vary from state to state. Again, Human Resources should know this and, if not, the appropriate state office should.
I completely understand that getting up early does not solve the problem. Before I got relief from Heather's approach, it didn't matter if I'd been up for 15 minutes or 3 hours, my body was always most likely to decide it needed a bathroom break - or 2, 3, 4, 5 - just at the time I HAD to leave the house. One thing I found that did help, though, was leaving early. If I had to leave home by 8am to be somewhere on time, I'd leave at 7:30am or even 7am. That gave me lots of time for emergency bathroom breaks, which seemed to take some of the pressure off and make it less likely I would need them. If your supervisors are not willing to be flexible about your hours, maybe that approach would help you.
In the longer term, I would strongly suggest you try the EFI Diet to help with your IBS symptoms. Imodium and possibly a prescription anti-spasmodic can be extremely helpful, also, until you stabilize on the Diet. As someone else mentioned, a lot of people have done well with the hypnosis tapes. And given the stress from your job, maybe some of the stress-management techniques discussed in The First Year would help, too.
BTW, this is the appropriate Board for all general IBS questions. You can see a brief description of each Board's function here.
HTH. Take care and good luck with all of this.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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I agree with what someone else said about talking to your doctor and finding out more information about FMLA. Maybe if you had some time off, you could focus on stabilizing your IBS symptoms.
Is it possible for you to change your hours? Maybe start later in the day?
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I forgot to mention that while I used to have IBS-D, lately it has become "constipated diarrhea" which is what I had called it for years before realizing that what I had was IBS! So, right now I am afraid to take Immodium. My doctor had prescribed it as 1 pill every night. Now I find myself held up in the bathroom because I think I can go but often I can't due to IBS-C! This also makes me late for work. Then, the next day or the day after, it's back to IBS-D!
Thanks for all the information I have received so far. I have printed it all out and visited the site mentioned, where I found even more useful information (except for their description of some people leaving for work earlier - in case of IBS problems -- I can't seem to do that, and I wouldn't want my dean to read that). I think I may have more than IBS making me late - I seem to lose track of time and go off on tangents (my mind wanders at times). I'm afraid to tell my dean about this part of my problem, but it may be covered by ADA as perhaps ADD or OCD. The dean, a former lawyer, has already informed me that IBS is NOT covered by ADA. I keep searching the web anyway to find something that would either prove her wrong about this or at least explain and convince her that it is a problem that calls for flexibility as to my starting and ending work each day.
Thanks again for all your help! Beverly 
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My doctor wrote me a letter saying he wouldn't write anything for me, except that I have IBS and acid reflux. He said if he had to write a letter for each of his IBS patients he would never get anything else done! (But -- he DID take the time to write that letter to me - in that same time, he could have written what I had asked for instead!) He also said I should just leave for work earlier, which I have tried but can't seem to keep up. I also can't work any later. I work from 1:30 - 9 PM, and the building closes at 10. They all want me out by 9, and the security guard even stands over me now until I leave! But that's another story - related to my losing track of time - I would just keep working without realizing how late it was, and the maintainers complained about my staying too late (sometimes until 10:30 PM! - they have to be here until 11 PM I believe, but they want everyone out by 10, and my dean wants me out by 9!).
So, I switched doctors, only to find that this new one also would not write anything explaining my lateness - for the same reasons - but, I did find out that she is actually a member of his practice and had read his letter, which may be why she refused to write anything - had to be loyal to him?! It seems like all the GI MDs here are in the same practice! Maybe I need to search further. I'm in the Hartford, CT area, and all my doctors use Hartford Hospital. Right now I'm wondering if maybe I should try the GI MDs at UCONN Health Center - I'll have to give this some thought. Has anyone out there been able to get a doctor to vouch for their IBS problems that might cause them to be late for work?
Thanks once again! Beverly 
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