Work are contacting Occupational Health to come visit me...

Is there stuff i should bring? I dont have a clue whats going on whaaaaaaaat?! Help!!

[Impatient]

They are on your side, and you need them to understand your illness and how it impacts your life and how inspite of it all you manage to cope. So if you have had any discharge forms from hospital surgery that states what you had done, and letters confirming diagnosis, any drugs you are prescribed - that have side effects that contribute to your work issues, like dizzyness, tiredness etc.

You could perhaps prepare a brief page explaining what you do know about your own endo experience, and how long you are having to undergo various treatments and how long you are waiting to see specialists or have scans or ops.

What pains and fatigue you suffer etc.

Basically show that you are doing your best to find ways to improve your situation and also suggest to OH what ways your situation could be made less stressful by your employer.

for example - not counting each occasion of a day off sick for the same illness as a separate incident but rather part of the same condition, so that all days off for endo are counted as one period of sick leave distributed over several different occasions.

Perhaps you would benefit from a shorter working day, or working week, or by having more breaks so you can medicate and sort yourself out, or you may find working reduced hours till the next surgery and recovery are over then increase your hours gradually.

Be honest with the OH, they type up a report on your current health situation and prospects for the foreseeable future and also they make suggestions as to how your employer can best accommodate your illness.

It be that you are fed up of colleagues not understanding endo - in which case staff awareness training might also be something you want on the agenda - specifically for the management !!

They will act as a go between to get the best compromise that suits both you and your employer so don't be shy in voicing you concerns.

Being hounded while you are suffering a chronic illness is incredibly stressful and if the behaviour of your employer towards you has added to your problems then say so.