PNP2004

I am curious if there is anyone else like me out there. As some background: I was diagnosed with Narcolepsy in 2003. At the time I had been an RN for 4 years and a PNP for 2 years. Looking back it's so easy to see that I was suffering from this disease but at the time there was always some other reason that I thought I was tired. When my job as a PNP went from working day shift to 24 hour shifts... well, all hell broke loose. Some of my co-workers had a hard time with those kind of hours. I on the other hand completely deconstructed - every symptoms I had got magnified about 10 times. It was pretty obvious to me and everyone around me that something was very wrong. I had a sit down with my boss to discuss things and we agreed something was wrong, I needed to get checked out by a doctor and I needed off 24 hour shifts until we could figure out what was wrong and then see what we needed to do from there. Long story short - I got diagnosed and my doctor explained that he could help me - this was the best news I had had in ages. I was obviously shaken and scared to have a diagnosis of narcolepsy/cataplexy which I knew couldn't be cured. At the time though I was very focused on "he can help me" part and so I went back to my boss and gave her the news. I was so naive in believeing that she really just wanted to help me. 6 months later - after enduring the most humiliating, demeaning and nasty treatment she could manage - I was put out. I won't go into all the details here. I mostly wanted to know how other people have managed and in what jobs. Has anyone successfully fought off a hostile administrator? What was your experience like with co-workers? (in my case - it was a mixed bag and most people, even when they were nice to my face - I found out later on that they believed I was faking or that I was unfit to do my job). What ideas do you have for being successful in the long run?

After reading your post I just want to say "good luck" and "hang in there". I have been in your shoes and wish I had better advice to give you. The replies you have recieved so far however seem to cover all I am thinking which is "fight and/or move on". In my own experience I did fight back. I read up on and learned everything I could about ADA law and my rights. I contacted my employee advocate at the hospital where I worked. When I was fired anyway I appealed the decision with the hospital and filed a grievance against my boss. I kept records of everything.... meetings, calls, conversations, etc. Eventually my termination was overturned and I returned to work but not in my former role. I was put in a back room in a "new position" in a "new department" that was made up of me, myself and I. After 6 months that position was done away and so was I, only this time they could say it had nothing to do with my disability. I would have started the fight all over again if it weren't for a friend sitting me down and asking the obvious, "Why are you fighting so hard to prove yourself to and work for people who are so underserving of your time and talent?" If I could change one thing about what happened - I wish I would have fought back sooner. I trusted that these people would follow the rules and the laws. I had not come to terms with my new diagnosis at that time and I honestly felt "less than worthy" and "a burden" and so I felt obligated to put up with whatever extra work, higher level of scrutiny, unreasonable restrictions and demeaning treatment they could come up with. I was naive and by the time I realized that my boss was not interested in seeing whether or not I could do my job - she simply wanted me out of my job - it was too late. Definitely fight and protect your rights but also remember in the end that if you can't change them - you might not want to keep working there among them. It took months to un-do the damage to my health after my experince ended. it took 2 years to repair the damage to my self esteem and confidence. I am happier now working among people who respect what I can do and don't give a damn about whether I have narcolepsy or not. I hope you find a solution at your current job and if not then I wish you the strength to walk away and find a new one. Good Luck