Venesection and time off wrk

I am in the United States. I am on this forum because there is no where with a blog for haemochromotosis.  Regarding your problem. We have a policy here in the U.S. to protect seriously ill people from losing their jobs, it is illegal for your employer to fire you when you are seriously ill. Our policy is called FMLA (family medical leave act).

Your doctor has to fill it out and a 3rd party has to approve it. Do you have something like this in the U.K.? Some sort of protection for people like ourselves? If so, apply for it and protect your job.

That is a shame, so if you had breast cancer and couldnt work for several months, you would get fired?

I hope so, but we have had this for 17 years now. Still, a lot of people in the U.S. don't know about it and the companies don't tell them.

That is awful Paul I have to have fortnightly. Vennesections and my manager tells me to take the rest of the afternoon off after mine are doone.

Hello Paul, you'd think that in working for the very organisation that is treating you there would be some give and take. Have you tried speaking with occuaptional health as they can recommend to your line manager that you should be allowed appropriate time off for venesection. Do you have to go to a different location to your work to have venesection - just wondering if it were in same hospital then perhaps you could go back to work after but do light duties or paper work. I feel washed out after so I know that wouldn't work for everyone but if they were bering awkward about it then it might be a compromise. 

Also I spoke with my consultant about it and he wrote to work to say that venesection was the treatment necessary, that it was the only option open, that my health would suffer if I didn't have the treatment, and that they should not be discriminating. ( I too work for NHS) There is a Disabiliites Discrimination Act in force, though I am not sure whether it covers this sort of thing, but you could bandy legalese about with them, and watch them back down. Perhaps worth a shot.

On a slightly different subject, have you had travel insurance premiums bumped up because of hemochromatosis? I declared it when last i renewed as it was a new condition for me, though I am stable and have the occasional venection now, with no end organ damage. They ask if you are currently treated and whether you have any of 4 illness as a result I think, all of which was 'no' for me --> premium bumped up by 200GBP a year (on an annual policy worldwide cover). I told them it was ridiculous as i was and remain well, and I am seriously unlikely to need "emergency venesection" or to go from healthy liver to liver failure in one holiday. My consultant's approach was equally dismissive and told me to get them to write to him and he would put them straight about travel risks (for me) with H'osis. 

Best of luck Paul

CF

Hi Paul, just noticed your post. Here is my Story.

I worked as a Dump Truck driver in a Coal Mining site for 6 yrs, Doing 60hrs a week every week constant night-shift. Well my time keeping was that good i got promotion.But suddenly i was feeling depressed, tired, muscle pains all over and constant headaches. I presumed it was the hours i was doing but went to my doctors 3 yrs ago and after 2 blood tests, i was told i had HH. I started dropping a pint every 2 weeks and i was able to go to my work the same day, However the day after was a no no. This happened for the 1st 5 pints and i got pulled up on having every 2nd Tuesday Night off. I explained what wast happening and promised it would be better once my iron levels were normal. But after the 6th pint i was so weak i couldnt even open a packet of Crisps.This lasted for a fort-night and then another pint would get removed, Well that was me caught in a viscous circle.So i had to refrain from work for what turned out to be 10wks.

But with Xmas only 6 wks away i deceided Santa was going back to work.

However on the night i returned it became obvious men were getting paid off. I somehow avoided this but little did i know that behind my back so called work mates were unhappy and plotting to get me sacked.

Well they did, one of them crashed in-to my truck and blamed me for it. I was stationary at the time but i could not prove it and i was suspended a week before we were due to stop for 2 wks xmas holidays. When i returned in January after a terrible xmas worrying about my job, my health my debt i was Sacked. I was so Angry i called in the Union but lost my Appeal. Not giving up without a fight i took it to a tribunal for un-fair Dismissal. Well i won that part and the judge awarded me £30 thousand for loss of wages. That was 2 and a half years ago and i have only had £4 thousand pounds as the Company went in to a so called liquidation. But the place is still up and running with the same staff just different owners.

Moral of the Story here i would say is Watch your Back Brother. It is Weird how some people even get jealous because you are ill. lol its not the illness they are envious off, but perhaps the attention you receive or the time off. FFS i lost out on 10 wks wages when i was off ill. that was £5k loss right away. Then i go back still ill but to help do xmas for my family and thats what happens. Isnt it IRONic dont yah think ?. Good luck in your situation Paul and im sure yours will have a happier ending than mine did. (Rant over)