I have been working for my current employer for 2 months. I have had a myriad of health problems from the get-go. I'm not sure, nor are the doctors (they're guessing auto-immune). Currently I have swollen, red/purple, very painful ankles. I was seen Thursday with just redness and slight swelling (with difficulty walking). Labs only showed slightly abnormal SED rate, 22. On Saturday, my ankles swelled, very very red, hot to the touch. Painful, can't walk. As wide as my calf muscles. Repeat labwork, nothing showed. But SED was 34.
The ER doc is guessing vasculitis. PMD says no, cellulitis. Been on Keflex almost 36 hours, getting worse. Returning to PMD today. Have had work slips for this time off....but I need to get back to work. I'm in so much pain, getting worse, not happy with being off of work b/c I have three kids to support. I'm freaking out.
Now to my question: Prior to the onset of this, 2 wks prior to be exact, I was out d/t sinusitis/bronchitis, high fever, nausea/vomiting. Was on a course of doxycyline, and two days left to go on it, developed this "cellulitis".
Anyway, when I had the bronchitis, my boss called me at home to tell me, "I've called your former boss at the agency you worked at. I said, 'How was she for you?' Your boss said you were great. So what I'm wondering is, are you happy here? I mean, frankly you're not what I expected. I don't want to put you on the schedule if it's going to make you sick."
Is it even legal to call a former boss inquiring about my work with them, after I've been working there two months? Legal or not, it really hurt my feelings. I don't like being sick. I have a strong family hx of auto-immune diseases, and the urgent care doctor happened to ask me if I'd been worked up for Lupus.
I'm upset. I'm scared. So nervous that I'm having lots of crying spells at home, lots of anxiety, heart palpitations, stomach pain, particularly when it growls. Gives new meaning to the word "hunger pains".
I want to confront my boss. I do have doctor's slips which I've faxed to her. The doc said, "No way" to working. It's not like I'm vacationing and enjoying myself. I'm just worried sick and in a LOT of pain. To walk is killing me.
Wouldn't you feel horrible if your boss went behind your back and called your former employer? That all should've been done when she hired me, not two months after.
Do you have any suggestons for me on what I could say to her? Or is what she did perfectly legal and logical? It just feels awful, to have your integrity questioned....
