Hello- I've been dealing with PMDD symptoms on and off for the last year. There are sometimes that I can handle the symptoms and 'life.' But in the past 6 months the symptoms have gotten worse and I've needed to take off work 3days to a week to rest and take of myself once a month when the PMDD episodes occur. (I've also been on and off SSRIs which made me so much worse, so I was off for almost 2 weeks then.) I've been honest with my manager (she) about what is going and explained that my medications have been switched around, etc. (My manager does not know I see a therapist.) I'm a nurse at a hospital, I've been in my current position for 3 yrs (I've worked at the hospital 5.5yrs.) One of my doctor's has filled out a form for HR so the 'sick time' is not counted against me, and that I needed to be off for medical reasons. (HR has not notified me that I need to correct my 'call in's' and my doctor's form was approved my HR.) I understand that my 'call in's' have become more frequent and I feel horrible when I have to call in for the PMDD, I have expressed this to my manager as well.
I'm worried because I stopped taking the birth control pill 3 months ago and now my cycle is different (I stopped it to decrease the heart palpatations); so I don't know exactly when I will have the PMDD episodes. I told my manager about this and said that I have tried to work my schedule around it as much as possible as she requested me to do.(we make our own schedules at work as long as there's coverage.) Recently, my manager expressed that for the next schedule she doesn't know if she can have me taking some time off, and why wouldn't the issue be corrected by then. (I wanted to take off four days one week and three days another week b/c I don't know when I will have my cycle. I also explained this to my manager again; after she said 'why won't the issue be corrected by then?') I understand she is concerned about coverage b/c we do have a few ppl going on vacations, leaving, etc in the next month or two.
I'm not sure how to handle this. I am going back to the psychatrist and gyno docs in the next two weeks, I told my manager I will let her know what the doctors' say in regards to my treatment plan. I'm just not sure how to handle this with my manager? and now besides the PMDD symptoms I'm worrying about work.