PD full time = part time job = 24/7 screw

November 21, 2013


Gooday (or rather good evening), 

Something I just remembered...today was my grandma's birthday. Yesterday was the anniversary of her passing...a LONG time ago. 

I was just 12 years old. That was in the Pleistocene era I believe.

Imagine this..my grandma was born in 1886. My daughter was born in 1985. What a long stretch between only four generations.

My grandma saw SO many inventions, societal changes, and of course medical advancements. But with all the advances the docs could not cure her from lung cancer--
she never even looked at a cigarette in her life. 

There is no history of PD on her side of my family or my father's side. So I don't know why or where, or how I received this gift...

As I sat in my neurologists office the other day for my regular appointment I noticed as poster for something regarding Huntington's Disease.

( It was acrosss the room, ok?) 

I mentioned to my doc that if I had to get a neuro disorder I guess I will take PD over Huntington's, or MS, or ALS. 

My doc completely agreed. 

♡ My heart goes out to the victims of these other diseases and their families. ♡

Those are much more debilitating and, sometimes and in some cases, progress much faster than PD.

So I know how to count my blessings. 

I can still lead a relatively normal life and take care of my ADLs (activities of daily living).

But of course if you read this blog and/or you know me personally you know I have a bone to pick even so. 

I can't work full-time because I am not ABLE (as in dis-abled) to anymore.

But because I can't pull those lllllooonnnnggggg 12 hour shifts anymore 3x/week I am being penalized.

Let me explain:

Full time employees get

       1) twice as much tuition reimbursement than part-time

       2) paid holidays, as a part-timer I don't qualify and I lose out on getting a
           paid holiday and then my check is one or two days short, unless I can make up the day/s 
          somwhere within the pay period. 

       3) I can't accrue vacation or sick time like a full time employee. So
           I have LESS sick/vacation to use.

       4) I also don't qualify for FMLA, a leave of absence from your job designed to allow you to take
           time off for family needs or illness, that requires your employer to keep your job for you for a
           designated period of time until you are able to return. This is only if you worked a certain    
           number of hours every year...hmmm who are those who are likely to need a leave of absence?

AND WHO IS MORE LIKELY TO NEED EXTRA TIME ??????????????

        5) I forgot this in the original post--I have to pay higher health care premiums just because I 

            am a part time employee.

Now if an employee CHOOSES to reduce hours for a reason that is not thrust upon them, that is a different story.

I CANNOT WORK FULL TIME BECAUSE MY BODY WON'T LET ME!!

This is not the future I planned when I graduated.

Is there anyone out there who gets how unfair that is?

I would seriously be working full time if I were at all able.

But I am not.

So, I guess I need to hold on to my socks and suck it up. 

Lie back and think of England.

Hum.

I know I know, God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.

So what wonders is He performing through me?

          Not sure...

It's kind of a mystery right now. Things are rather topsy turvy right about now. 

Have been for a few months.

I know that change is coming. 

Can I hold out long enough ???????????

Maybe if I can get a little more tuition reimbursement and time off ????????

Grandma, if you can talk to the Big Guy....

: ))

Until next time,

Peace and Love