Today is my third day off from work. I am a school bus driver. (I’ll talk about that in another entry) A few nights ago I had several seizures. Seizures and bus driving don’t mix. Today I had to face going to my supervisor to explain and get released from duty and probably my job and all the health benefits.
When we are off 3 days or more, we must acquire a note from a doctor. I got one and a referral to another neurologist. As it turns out, I may not be having a seizure as much as a series of small strokes called trans-ischemic attacks. It’s not a good time in either case to be losing my health insurance. Still, I could not accept the idea of faking it and going back to work like I just had the flu. If I hurt those babies, I could not live with myself. It would be the ultimate selfish act. So I went to my supervisor to receive my just rewards.
Since I have only been working a few months, she has no cause to keep me. I’m not vested yet. I’m still on probation of sorts. What other possibilities could there be?
I walked in to find her very happy to see me. She asked how I was feeling. I replied, “well it’s a little worse than I thought.” Then I handed her the note. My doctor had given me 2 months leave as I would require lots of testing. My supervisor asked for more details. When I told her what happened, she stood up, walked over to me and gave me a big hug. We both cried for a few moments.
“I understand the position this puts you in and I know you have to let me go. I just need a little time to try to get health insurance…”
“What?” she said, looking very confused. “I’m not letting you go. Are you crazy? That’s the last thing you have to worry about! No. You have to take care of yourself. Your worry is about your health. We can work something out here.”
I was stunned. There was no reason she had to keep me given my low status. We spent the next half hour working out different possibilities including other positions where I don’t have to drive. I left with a whole new sense of hope and possibility. Marcia gave me that gift. Now I could move forward into this mystery with the blessing of reassurance and the underpinnings of health insurance to cover these next expensive steps.
This is an episode with a happy ending. Now the dance picks up step as I arrange the next set of physicians to see and tests to take.
