Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that being sick while pregnant has been the hardest struggle for me. Before I got pregnant I worked full time, a 9/80 schedule. The second I became pregnant, I became sick. This happened to me with my first pregnancy as well. This time it's worse, actually. I was diagnosed with hyperemesis-basically extreme and continuing morning sickness. I still have it and sit here in my bed holding back vomit and trying to post this blog right now.
I have been put off of work due to this and now I have marginal placenta previa. The nausea meds don't help me. I drink water all day and constantly have acid-reflux which makes vomiting easier, not that I WANT to, but it brings on the vomit. Lovely, right?
As a result of all of this, I have had the pleasure (not) of dealing with a disability claims department. If you have ever had to do this I'm betting you have little good to say about it. I wouldn't deal with this if I could actually work. Nobody in their right mind would. I have a hard enough time dealing with it as much as I do while I'm sick, trying to sleep through nausea and dealing with asthma attacks and acid-reflux. All of these things happening in my uppper body combined with the occasional lower abdominal pains that I'm thinking are round ligament pains but I sometimes wonder, and I still have to make sure these people are doing their job. I have been misinformed about the process in different ways several times, I have been hung up on by their new phone system, I have been transferred to random claim manager's voicemails and I have received paperwork 10 days after it's sent and 2 days after it's due. It has caused me a lot of stress which I can't imagine is good for me right now.
I have had to complain on their facebook page twice to get a call back. Someone contacted me immediately the first time and things got taken care of pretty fast. I was going to update my facebook post to say how well I was treated but figured I'd wait and see if things were as good as they seemed. I'm glad I waited. I complained again this morning.
Someone finally called me back. They said the info they rec'd didn't medically support the reason I'm unable to work. So they closed the claim. I asked them what type of information they would need to verify that and they told me that the paperwork they rec'd didn't say anything about my current condition. When I stated that my condition is the exact same as it has been plus now I have placenta previa that is currently being monitored on a bi-weekly basis, she stated that I appear to have gained weight and since I have not lost weight it doesn't support my hyperemeis (severe morning sickness). I told her I have only gained 4lbs thus far (I'm 28 weeks, 5 days pregnat today) which isn't normal. I also told her that I will get her my entire file from the dr because I know that documents all of my visits, ongoing sickness, previa, medications prescribed (for nausea) and ultrasounds. All of that seemed to be enough before but I guess the pregnancy flow chart they requested wasn't enough and didn't state that. I don't expect her to sympathize at all but I have been in bed all week and vomiting on and off all day today so it's not like I'm just being lazy or anything... so it pissed me off.
I am fed up. I feel like they expect me to stop trying and/or quit my job. I'll show them. This system is in place for a reason, for people like ME and for sickness like mine. This system is in place because people need to pay their bills and care for their families even though they happen to be unable to work during their pregnancies. I'm sure plenty of pregnant women give up because they are too sick to fight for what's right. I'm sure this company gets plenty of that and for that I think they should be ashamed of themselves because they are still making money and we paid into this service, afterall. State and Federal laws are in place to protect people like us but they'll do a lot to make sure you don't get your benefits. I'll do a lot to make sure I am taken care of because I should be. I'll not stop fighting and stay home, free of disability income and I'll not quit my job or anything drastic because I know my rights.
I have continued to work to prove my case the entire time and will continue to do so as sick as it makes me. Companies like this should be careful that they don't aggravate the illness or circumstances of people in my situation. I'm sure there are far more angry and mean people out there than me but I'm civil and will do what I have to do to help my case.
It's really unfortunate that I've had to go to such lengths... I could have worked this claim better my damn SELF!
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