Sickness, Health, and the Workplace
After a medical crisis rocked my personal and professional life last week, I decided to do some processing in the best way I know how: to write. I wanted to share how this situation has impacted me in a variety of ways and welcome the contributions of others, as their own stories undoubtedly have different circumstances and outcomes.
I am thinking specifically of friends who have needed to navigate the space between work and health, either for themselves or their loved ones. No two workplaces are the same, and policies vary just as widely.
It is my hope that through this series of articles, we might have some honest conversations about how to walk this line, advocate for ourselves and others, and help policymakers consider the real-world implications of workplace regulations, for good or bad.
Here’s my story:
On August 10th, I was between appointments when I started getting texts from my husband about pain in his jaw. Things progressed over the next few hours, and when he asked ChatGPT what he should do, it told him to go to the emergency room.
By the end of the day, tests revealed that he had suffered a heart attack.
Somewhere in the middle of all of this, I called my boss.
I'm normally pretty good in an emergency. I can stay clearheaded, figure out what needs to happen next, and keep moving. But this time was different. I was nervous and scattered, and I needed someone else to help me think.
We briefly talked through what was on my calendar and what needed to be covered. She reassured me that she and the team would take care of things and that I needed to be with my husband.
After a series of tests, it was determined that my husband needed quadruple bypass surgery. That was just the beginning. Post-surgery, there seemed to be endless IVs, tubes, pain, waiting, and a whole lot of uncertainty.
As I spent increasingly long hours in the hospital, I wasn’t worried about missing work, as I knew my incredible team was covering for me. But I found myself unanchored, missing the normalcy of professional engagements. Time itself was hard to grasp, as there was no “work week,” and “days off” were still consumed by the surreal hospital vortex that seems to be its own strange world.
Today marks one week since this life-changing incident. It’s early Monday morning, and instead of heading to the office, I’m once again heading to the hospital. This will likely be my routine for at least the next few days.
Once my husband is released from the hospital, there will be six more weeks of adjusting my schedule, as he will be unable to drive and restricted from a host of activities, including reaching, pulling, or any other activity that might compromise the healing of his severed sternum.
While my husband and I exchanged vows to love each other through sickness and health, I did not enter into such an exchange with my employer. I am so thankful to say that I work for an incredible woman who will do all she can to support me through this challenging season. I want to publicly honor her for her response and help during my time of crisis.
Others have not been so fortunate. The need for schedule adaptability or an extended absence may not have been granted, leading to either a strained professional environment or termination.
I would love to hear from others regarding their experiences. My objective is not to shame companies or specific leaders, but to host some conversation that just might lead to positive policy changes for decision makers who may come upon this dialogue.
What is your story?