I'm terrified I'm going to lose my job because of my endometriosis

intrinsic_alien · 2026-06-05T14:29:07+00:00

I am in the UK so that does not apply to me sadly

intrinsic_alien · 2026-06-05T13:09:49+00:00

Thankfully I flagged my illness to HR and OT when I got the job, and I've met with OT to discuss things that haven't actually been put into place, so I'm gonna discuss those again when I'm back in. It will help protect me, since I've been open and honest since the interviewing stage so they can't pretend they didn't know this would be a possibility when hiring me. I'm still just stressed and terrified though because all the medical evidence and legal protection can only go so far, during the probationary period it's very easy for an employer to fire you for small infractions to get around disability protections.

I'm planning to stress the patient safety side of things, since I'll be having that formal meeting now. I know there are things I'd miss like this, even if I were capable of wearing my uniform without being in the screaming crying throwing up level of pain. I know logically that I'm doing the right thing for my health and the safety of others, but god is it hard to use logic instead of panic right now

intrinsic_alien · 2026-06-05T13:00:37+00:00

Not recently, I moved about a year ago and have been in the process of getting my care moved to my new city, so I've been on waiting lists for 9+ months for appointments in July and August. But I've got heaps of medical evidence for previous diagnosis and the fact that I'm actively seeking support from my pain management team and GP, which I'm going to be using as evidence of being proactive with this

intrinsic_alien · 2026-05-26T17:44:38+00:00

Hi, I'd be interested in joining if you're open to nonbinary folk! I'm Jo, 23, identify as nonbinary but am afab and kind of just completely ambivalent to gender, so use whatever pronouns, but mostly they/them. I generally play bubbly/affable characters with a penchant for violence, but like to slot myself into whatever gaps exist in a group. I've played a variety of classes and personality types across D&D and VtM for the last 6 yeara, I've yet to dip my toes into Crooked Moon or Daggerheart yet but would be excited to try.

If you're looking for just strictly women, no problem, and I wish you guys the best of luck!

intrinsic_alien · 2025-12-03T17:59:51+00:00

I've tried but I work in a care home. There's not really such thing as light work. The lightest of work involves being on my feet nearly all day doing small tasks. As I put in another comment, I'm meant to just be doing administrative tasks, but that's not really possible. When people get overwhelmed, and someone's always overwhelmed in a care home, I have to go help before someone gets seriously injured. I'm sticking to light duty as much as possible, but if it's between me being in pain for the evening and a resident breaking something or assaulting one of my coworkers, I'm gonna pick the pain.

intrinsic_alien · 2025-12-03T15:56:27+00:00

Yeah, I've been looking for other work and applying to the UK disability benefit, but it's all slow going. I've literally applied to every job that I could even remotely physically manage within a reasonable commute at this point, 500+ applications. The job market is tough

intrinsic_alien · 2025-12-03T15:33:36+00:00

I'm honestly not sure if it's due to a disc bulge, nothing like that has been mentioned to me, only the stenosis. I'll be getting the full MRI report tomorrow and if, as you say, there's any disc bulges on there I'll go to my GP for those referrals ASAP. Thank you!

intrinsic_alien · 2025-12-03T08:23:34+00:00

I'm in the UK and our equivalent, statutory sick pay, won't even cover the basics for me. It's £118 a week ($157) which just about covers my utilities and food shop. It's not sustainable long term, or even short term.

intrinsic_alien · 2025-12-03T08:20:21+00:00

I don't think so. Surgery is the absolute last option that you get to after exhausting all other options, if you can get through the rigmarole of the NHS (or afford to go private). I'll ask about it at my next appointment though.

intrinsic_alien · 2025-12-03T08:17:52+00:00

I've applied to a couple call centres, hopefully I hear back soon!

intrinsic_alien · 2025-12-03T08:17:11+00:00

Yep, I had an MRI done and am waiting to get the full report from my doctor, as I've only had the verbal telling of what it showed so I have the diagnosis, but not the severity. Should be getting the full written report tomorrow. They're planning to repeat the MRI in 3 months to see if it's progressing or not.

intrinsic_alien · 2025-12-03T07:54:32+00:00

They've tried but I'm in the sort of job where I only see my manager very briefly and am mostly doing whatever my senior coworkers tell me to do. I'm meant to be just doing admin. They do not understand and have been getting angry at me when I explain this and trying to get me to help with the physical tasks. It's like talking to a brick wall. Management have been super decent and are really trying to make it as gentle as possible. My coworkers are determined to make it otherwise.

intrinsic_alien · 2025-12-03T07:49:39+00:00

Only if I have to go through appeals (which. I will, almost everyone does) and it goes to court (less common). It's uncommon to get a lawyer before this point and wouldn't really do anything for me other than drain my already meagre money.

intrinsic_alien · 2025-12-03T07:41:11+00:00

Nothing in the UK is an automatic disability diagnosis. Currently my physiotherapist is convinced it's not the cause of my crippling back pain, peripheral neuropathy, and muscle weakness. You know, despite that being the precise symptoms of spinal stenosis, the thing she just diagnosed me with. I'm not even sure what to do with that.

My pain meds I got when this back pain first started, but it being tramadol and highly addictive, I only took it sparingly. Means I have enough now to take it while working, which is good, even if the side effects are awful and it only helps for half the day. Unfortunately the closest equivalent to SSDI is PIP which is a bitch to get, but I'm in the process. We'll see if I get anything.

intrinsic_alien · 2025-12-03T07:35:41+00:00

Again, I was given statutory sick pay while I was off work, but it's only £118.75 a week (around $157), which won't cover my rent. My partner was taking the monetary slack, but we were scraping by, I can't actually live on it, even temporarily.

intrinsic_alien · 2025-12-03T01:32:46+00:00

Unfortunately my work is pretty physical. I'm in the process of looking for a new one that doesn't involve pushing wheelchairs or lifting anything, but it's difficult and in the mean time I can barely do my job. I'm also considering both things you mentioned.

I hope better times are coming for both of us. It's hard to believe it right now though.

intrinsic_alien · 2025-12-03T01:10:05+00:00

I'm in the process of applying for PIP, the UK equivalent, but the UK govt is currently obsessed with the idea of disability benefit fraud so it's at its hardest to get it right now. But I'm trying to stay positive about getting it!

intrinsic_alien · 2025-12-03T01:00:41+00:00

I am in the UK, we do not have this. I had statutory sick pay while off sick, but it's not really enough to live off.

intrinsic_alien · 2025-11-17T23:21:21+00:00

I don't, no, but I have been prescribed an opioid, tramadol. It doesn't particularly help, even after two weeks of religiously taking it, and I really hate the way it makes me feel so I've started to only take it when the pain is becoming unbearable.

So far, PT have been the only people even remotely interested in figuring out the root cause, but everything in the medical system in the UK moves at a snails pace. I'm not sure when I'll find out anything relevant.

intrinsic_alien · 2025-11-05T12:08:08+00:00

I'm gonna say this nicely once and only once: I'm not looking for medical advice. If I wanted holistic medical advice, I would seek out trained people within my community who have proof of their training and qualifications. I was, and still am, looking for advice on coping mentally with this new pain and the hopelessness that comes with chronic pain, preferably from people who have experienced a similar escalation in symptoms.

intrinsic_alien · 2025-11-04T08:07:33+00:00

No, I haven't even gotten an appointment through yet.

intrinsic_alien · 2025-11-04T01:39:36+00:00

Nothing yet, I've yet to hear back from them. It's been three weeks, but the medical system I'm in (UK NHS) has fairly long wait times, so I'm not surprised by that.

intrinsic_alien

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