Restoring Competence for the Worker Role
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Audrey did not call in sick today because if she called in sick every time she felt like she was going to pass out, or vomit, or birth a species of alien from her forehead, she would never actually go to work. And while the chemotherapy would pass, this job was a hard-won treasure not likely to come her way a second time if she left.
She hadn't actually told anyone other than Paula in HR. Having the OT come in had been Paula's idea, but Audrey desperately hoped it would help. If there was some way to make the days just a little more bearable then, yes, maybe she could get through this.
And ooooops, she bumped into Sherry because the woman was hurrying down the narrow hall and Audrey misjudged. Really universe? As if the headache and rising waves of nausea hadn't been enough, now she could hear Sherry mentioning to Carla that maybe Audrey had partied a little too hearty last night. Lovely.
When the OT finally got there at 9:30, Audrey shut her office door and sank into her seat and started talking. The OT listened while Audrey explained about the weird soar three months ago, the tests, her sister's ongoing battle with PgR+, how that meant there was no way she was going to burden her sister and mom with this, how much she loved this job, how much her boyfriend loved the hair she really hoped she wouldn't lose.
By the end of the visit there was a dimmer on her overhead light, sheer curtains over her windows, a glare reduce over her monitor, a box of peppermint tea on the desk, a long list of To Gets on a yellow legal pad, and a blissfully short list of "Essential Functions" that Audrey really had to get through each week if she was going to keep this job. (There was also now a thick plastic liner in the large gold vase on the desk just in case.) It hadn't occurred to her, despite Paula's warm offers of help, that it truly was reasonable to ask others to take on a bit of her burden. Legality was one thing, but reality another. It had seemed ridiculous until the OT had asked her how she would feel if Paula were going through the same thing.
Of course Audrey knew she'd have been over there doing everything she could and happily so that Paula could get through this okay. When the OT asked her if she could find it in her to be as nice to herself as she would have been to Paula, it just made sense: hence the list of temporary Reasonable Accommodations below the list of Essential Functions.
And yes she would take the suggestion of counseling under advisement.
Yes, she could do this. She could absolutely, definitely do this.
