Bay 12 Games Forum

World is changing not quite for the better.  Used to be the people I worked for had latitude to praise the productive, helpful employees.
I actually cared if you were getting screwed through no fault of your own, and stupidly, I still do. 

Now we have the same old management with new stupid metrics. This has produced two types of employees.

A.) Don't care. Game the system and if people get hurt o well.
B.) Fewer and fewer of us who actually help and consider the impact on others before acting. Our numbers don't look as good, but people love us and we get complimented all the time for actually fixing the problems. We still look "good" and don't miss deadlines, but we don't just crash through things while not helping for the sake of counting up numbers just to have them without helping.

Now, my immediate supervisor loves me, because I solve problems everyone else just throws at him and doesn't care. He'll be here another  2 years or so, until his frustration with the management and age eventually drives him out. He tried to give me a perfect 5.0 performance review, but they are "chiseling" him down to 4.8 and making him not use such glowing terms. I have lots (but not all) of what I do documented even and especially through emails etc. I just got one of the highest award from the people at the top last October, and some additional time off awards (like sick days or vacation days) for being productive, so they can't complain too much regardless. I fix others' mistakes while they clock out on time..... Someone about to be charged $28,000 personally, partially because something got messed up.... O well, quitting time I suppose. I stay and fix it, but don't get credit officially.

Caring, extra effort, and effective resolutions are considered a waste of time and not as productive.
Racking up meaningless numbers on easy matters is considered amazingly productive.

I'm not good at not giving a damn.

Thank you. I wasn't sure why he wanted to see me on video verses talk to me on the phone for this, given that it isn't like he's going to be able to see the nerves inside me on a regular camera. I also was not going to bring this up for fear he may decide I'm right and then insist I see him in person... 5 or 6 or however many months later. I appreciate it.

Hang on a second, you're a physician right? I imagine you have a million things to do and your time is very valuable.
I understand that the world simply does not have enough doctors. It's a hard job and I don't want to make it harder.

May I please ask for some tips to make things easier on my physician? or physicians in general? (Different in US, but...).
I may be very frustrated with the whole process, but I am just smart enough to know the doctor is not to blame. I also just work sort of adjacent to healthcare in offices and don't know medicine really.
I figured out doctors have a special way of looking at things and I don't want to be a pain for him, especially if he is being nice enough to work me into his (who are we kidding, probably overbooked) schedule.

I guess it's possible I could be miscommunicating with doctors. However, I just get the impression they are completely on a different planet.

What I would say: "Hi, I need a doctor's note about my nerve damage so I can work from home. It's painful. I use a walker/cane. Half my office works from home and there's a stupid rule saying I live 10 miles too far away. If I get a doctor's note, that will likely be ok and let me work from home. Can I please do that and I will do whatever to make that as easy as possible for you. Thank you."

What they seem to hear: "Hum, for some evil reason this person who PT, medications, nerve block injections and other things hasn't worked wants a doctor's note. Plus, she refused surgery (neurectomy)!? I must not give doctor note! it is a precious resource and must be guarded. I must force her to come in for at least 3 more in person examinations which will cost $300 a piece in copays so I can sit there, collect money, prescribe nothing but opioids she won't take and bill more!"

I do not get their reservation on this, at all. I see exactly 0 reason they can't write something like,

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is [Doctor's name] and I have treated Ms. [My name] for 7 years. She has nerve pain in the following nerves [list of nerves]. This causes her symptoms such as pain when walking and to use a walker or cane when walking. She has tried physical therapy, and nerve block injections but no relief resulted. I understand your company employs her and requires a physician note to permit her to work from home. Allowing her to work from home would result in less pain and related symptoms. It would be a reasonable accommodation to permit her to continue doing her work from home. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office at [Doctor's office phone number] or [email]. 

Sincerely,
[Doctor's name]

Heck they could even put something like this and I'd be fine with it:
Limitation: This letter is for the purpose of allowing Ms. [My name] to work from home remotely only. This is not an endorsement of disability status for purposes of receiving disability benefits from the social security administration, veteran's administration or other agency.

But for some strange reason, I call up the scheduler who asks me what I would like an appointment for and then they treat me like I'm not making any sense at all. No clue what to do.


Also, thank you, Quarque it is frustrating. Half my coworkers work from home full time. The one girl who uses a walker/cane, can't because she's 10 miles too far... I couldn't make this crap up if I tried. I guess they don't want people moving too far away when they get full remote so they put a distance on it, but come on....

The job market is supposed to be better, but also when you're disabled it's different. I mean basically I'm not Einstein, but I'm not stupid. People still look at me like I'm dumb though. They see someone who has uses a walker or has more difficulty with a cane and then think there's something wrong with me mentally. Clearly, I can type on a keyboard..... I'm good at my job. I routinely get 4.6  out of 5.0 ratings (I've been told nobody gets a perfect 5.0). I don't cause issues and I'm good at my job. Leaving seems risky and it's really easy to end up unemployed when you're disabled. It would be hard to get disability benefits if that happened and I would rather not have to get those anyhow, because I'd rather work. [/list]

I think one of the issues may be that I just tough through it and don't go to the doctor a lot. This seems to baffle them. It's incredibly simple. I live in America, the land of Medical Debt and doctors are expensive. I have insurance, the copays are $300... a pop. Why O why have I not been going to the doctor every few weeks... Well, let's see if I went 12 times a year (once per month) that'd be $300 x 12 = $3,600 I don't have with the cost of living doubling recently with inflation.... The sarcasm ... it just kinda drips, I know and I'm sorry for that, but it's a coping mechanism. I just bugs me they can't comprehend that.

Hi there.

I fortunately have a job, and support myself while being disabled without taking benefits from anyone and only the physical help I absolutely need. I mostly just tough through it. It's difficult and painful for me to walk but I do it with a walker or sometimes a cane when I'm feeling better. I can sit just fine mostly as long as I don't mess up the nerves involved. Permanent nerve damage from injuries is fun. Basically the doctors can't seem to do anything about it. I refuse to take opioids because those things are addictive and had bad side effects for me. I was offered a neurectomy but that would leave me without feeling in a good portion of my leg(s). So, I would not be able to feel it if I got hurt there..... This would be bad if I got a cut or infection I could not feel and shaving your legs is hard enough as it is without worrying if you cut yourself without feeling it. So, no thanks.

My work is letting people keep working from home if they are within 30 miles, but I am a little further out than that. Like 40 or so miles away. My immediate supervisor thinks this is BS but there's nothing they can do. It's a stupid rule and the managers are not budging. She says if I can get a doctor's note that might work though, because then it would justify why they would let me do it and not everyone else. That's kind of crummy of them, but ... Basically I am being told I need a doctor's note for a reasonable accommodation. Weird how before this I was always just being the good girl and not making a fuss for anything but now they do this so they can justify not letting everyone work from home too. I don't want to be disabled and I want to work (what else am I going to do with myself?) but it would be just a million times easier if I didn't have to walk around and could just sit in my chair at home and work instead of trekking in all the time. It's just so stupidly weird that literally half my office is working from home but the one girl who uses a walker can't because she lives 10 miles too far away. Honestly I think everyone is sort of looking at this and silently calling BS in their heads but they dare not say anything.

My issue is that my doctors just don't seem to want to do anything anymore from my perspective or declare me just disabled or whatever with a note so people will shut up and let me work. It's been 7 years going on 8 years and I have been good about all this. I've tried fixes and they just don't work. Physical therapy, injections (they won't tell me what kind but a "nerve block" under fluroscopy (like an X-ray movie) does not seem to help and that swelled up), and everything basically just does not help overall.

I do not know what to say to get a doctor to just give me a stupid doctor's note to let my boss let me work from home like I did during COVID. I don't want to get government benefits or anything. I just want to be able to do my job without a bunch of pain. I just feel like instead of helping me, I go to doctors and end up paying hundreds of dollars of copays to be told there is something wrong with me some type of (chronic neuropathy and nerve damage in a bunch of nerves they name off) but they do not suggest other treatments anymore. I wonder why I go. It's expensive and I can't afford it for what feels like no result.

TL:DR: If I lived 10 miles closer to work, I could work at home like everyone else. I don't live 10 miles closer to work so I need a doctor's note to work at home like everyone else, who isn't disabled. How do I get my doctor to write me a note so I can show it to my boss and the managers will let me keep working from home? Don't want opioids. Don't want handouts. Just want to keep working ... from home like half my office does already.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/democrats-republicans-companies-seem-agree-155308291.html

Just gonna leave this here as I fume. If college degrees are no longer the future, then maybe we can get refunds on all the costs of them (currently owed and previously paid). I get not everyone needs to go to college and there's nothing wrong with trade schools, etc. The military can be a good option. However, that's a hell of a rug to pull out from under people who were told the exact opposite. Also it just feels like they're just giving up the idea of it being affordable/attainable for people, while also not wanting to show people how to think for themselves and reach their own conclusions. "Democracy requires a free and educated population" and all that stuff I'm sure I'll be called an "elitist" for thinking, including giving people an education. O, irony.... "Provide education for everyone," is now "elitist...."

In other news, my cat is dying. Frankly ancient 23 year old cat has a final vet appointment.

In other dying news, I am apparently the only one trustworthy enough to be executor (executrix?) to my uncle's estate. Hurray responsibilities and people being upset at me for things I have no control over and don't really want to do anyhow. Tons of work and dealing with courts for surprisingly little pay off that I will be screamed at as unjustly getting.

I kinda feel like it's all been a lie. It's the future and we have neat phones, but no flying cars, no colonized moon/mars, no equality, no fusion power, no cure for cancer, and just tons of issues. I get that I'm somehow probably "mom age" for a lot of the people here, and I'm sorry about that. It just, wow.

Basically, my printer is printing a PDF document, but not the blue ink signature part....?

I have an important form I need to submit ASAP. I emailed it to my former employers, and got them to sign it. Looks like HR printed it out and signed it with a blue ink pen, then scanned it and emailed it back to me.

Part of me can't believe I have to actually snail mail this thing, and I can't just am not allowed to upload it as a PDF. This means I have to print out a hard copy and mail it.

Issue: My printer is working fine on all the pages except the one my old HR manager signed. It prints the document fine except it omits the marks he made with a pen (signature, etc). I thought I might be out of blue ink, but the first page of the form has a blue hyperlink in it and that printed just fine.

I have printed it out in grayscale but parts of it are faint. I just want this thing to print out like it is on the screen, with his signature on it. I don't care if it's blue like the inkpen he used, black would be doable if possible.

Any help would be very appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

See physician, probably get given to dermatology. Avoid itching or scratching. This will likely not help.

Are these areas covered by your hair or exposed to the sun?

Could be any number of things: cyst, tumor (possibly benign), allergic reaction, nonhealing scab if you have diabetes.

If diabetes, physician may address several things including diet and glucose monitoring.
If tumor, testing and treatment.
If cyst, possibly removal procedure, including drainage and removal of internal cyst sack, if any.
If allergic reaction, treatment for that. Stress might play greater role if it is this.

There are really a lot of things  it could be. Might be nothing, might be something but the only one who can tell you is a doctor....

Not sure how to bury the trap. Odd thing, the exterminator repeatedly laid traps, and I saw the groundhog sniff at it once. He knew there's an apple with peanut butter on it in there. Passed.... The coons were all about it though. Racoons really don't get it for whatever reason.

I agree that the cats are probably full and happy off a diet of birds and bunnies, and sometimes garbage when they manage that. They just don't want to go outside their comfort zones and the person who said they don't want to follow groundhogs underground is probably right.

I agree that flooding is also probably a less advisable idea, because I'm pretty sure he's tunneled under the shed and yeah. That could wash away soil and stuff. No good solution there really.

I looked at traps and the ones he had probably cost about $150 a piece. So, yes, in hindsight I could have bought some for that much. Although, I know I would have had to kill whatever I trapped in there, which is kinda meh. Not a huge fan of that idea, but I don't know. I could probably do it, but that's another not so great thing. I don't have time, energy or ability to find a place to live relocate trapped animals myself, and in some cases it is illegal to do that. Sometimes, depending on the animal, (racoon) you have to kill them if you trap them.