How do you explain a tune up to your manager?

[caccomando]

I posted ealier this week about voluntarily checking myself in for a tune up. Well, my doctor's appointment is next week, Tuesday, and I just have this awful feeling my doctor is going to agree it's needed. (After getting over a horrible sinus infection, it's been feeling like I'm breathing through a straw at times and my coughing is just horrible).

My manager knows I have CF. She is a doll and we have a very close relationship. I have a very demanding career, so I'm blessed to have a support system at work. But, she doesn't know what a tune up is. I'm wondering if I should go to my doc appt. as planned and call her later letting her know I'm being admitted, or give her a heads up before I go that this may happen. I don't want her to freak out, but either way I know she will worry. I also want her to understand that I'll be back to normal in no time. Two or three days in the hospital and I'll be back to work by Monday (with an IV that no one will see). I'll probably even take my work laptop to the hospital with me.

Any thoughts?

 

[Aboveallislove]

Are you at a larger company? Greater than 50 employees? Have you been there a year or more? If so the fmla applies and your company might have some requirements for you and the manager....I would give her a heads up saying you think your doctor will want you to be put on Antibiotics for your cf bugs...not things contagious to others assuming that's the case. That you will know for sure in two weeks but that you expect to be hospitalized for three days and back to work but with an iv for another two weeks. Do all the legs work saying you looked at what hr requires for paperwork...it looks like since out sick less than five days I just need to use sick time. Show her the paperwork...tell her you intend to take laptop and keep up while in hospital. Ask if she has any questions. Anything she wants you to do before you are checked in ie work to get done before or showing someone else how to handle something. Tell her whether you are comfortable with her mentioning to others who might notice...ie saying I'm fine if you want the team to know to preempt concerns or questions, but no need to announce unless she thinks it would be easier. They don't want to violate any privacy...but personally I think it's easier if a team knows then they see something or gossip starts but that depends on you.

 

[caccomando]

Thanks for your reply! Coincidentally enough, I work in HR. I work for a huge company and we have great benefits, including short-term disability and FMLA (after five days), but I have plenty of PTO days still left to use, so I'm not going to go through the hassle of filing for STD/FMLA.

I guess my main is concern is just ensuring my manager understands that everything is going to be ok. She is a worrier. I think she'd be upset if I answered emails from the hospital, but I'm a workaholic. I want to be a successful career woman, despite this hiccup that is CF. I need work to help me forget about CF. I think that's what being single and my master's degree debt has done to me.

If I don't end up being admitted for some reason, I think I'll feel a little silly for telling her it might happen - like I dramatized a what-if situation. I think I'm going to have to sleep on this one.

 

[Aboveallislove]

Well, being in hr then you know all that stuff which is great. I know most managers are clueless on what HR says you are suppose to do! I guess my thought is if you tell her from the doctors she will panic. It must be dire if they are immediately admitting her. Do you think the doctor would be open to doing an admit in a week or a few days, so you can give her some notice (and also to show it isn't a dire emergency that you are down playing?? If I didn't know anything/understand I'd think an immediate hospitalization was serious. So beyond wanting to give a heads up for professional reasons, if you don't want her to panic, then by having a few days after appointment to "get things in order" that might help allay any concern. Good luck!

 

[jaimers]

If i knew there was a strong possibility that I would be admitted I always gave my managers a heads up (they knew about CF and were so supportive much like your manager). That way they could be prepared in whatever capacity they needed to be for my absence (I was usually out of work for the duration of my IVs).

 

[TreasureGoddess]

I also give heads up when my son's not feeling well and we have an appointment scheduled where I expect him to be hospitalized. One thing that's helped my job immensely is to explain that this is more of a "tune-up" admission versus an admission with a lot of procedures. I then explained that after the initial application of the long term iv line (picc is placed under slight sedation) that I will be available most days during regular business hours with just an interruption here and there. I explain people can feel free to email, IM and call when needed as normal and not to feel they will be interrupting anything. So many people think horror stories when they hear "hospital admittance" so telling them that you will be mostly just laying in bed getting medicines and able to perform duties as usual is comforting. If you want to take a few days totally off and rest, that's a great idea too. You are very lucky to have such an understanding and caring manager! (me too) I've worked where I had extreme resistance to missing work for my child so I'm very thankful to have a good situation where I can work remote when needed.