Posted by Joy on April 29, 1998 at 16:45:54:
In Reply to: Help for a friend posted by Carol on April 28, 1998 at 15:37:16:
Carol,
First of all, I hope your friend understands how blessed she is to have such a wonderful friend in you. I don't think I'm alone when I say as a CH sufferer, we've watched friends come and go. They either don't have the patience for the attacks, or feel uncomfortable around someone in so much pain. In any instance, we've all lost friends over them. I thank you for all of us because it's nice to know there are people who don't have them that are haning in there with those of us who do.
As far as having her disability discontinued, I'm so sorry it happened the way it did. That's just one more reminder of how little people know about these blasted things. I don't know about the laws in Canada but I'm attaching and internet site to this e-mail of a group of labor attorneys that may be able to help you direct your questions/concerns to the right place (I'll send you a personal e-mail that will be more specific). Even though the law office is in the US, they may have connections your friend's way. Regardless of whether or not the disability company thinks these 'can't be that bad' (I wish I had a nickle for every time I heard someone tell me THAT), acute CH people, people who don't seem to experience a remission period or have ones that are less than six months, are incapacited and that is a legitimate disability.
I understand about having problems at work. Although I'm blessed to have such great people in my department, it wasn't until I had an excruciating runaway CH at work that my coworkers had an idea of what I was going through on a daily basis. I had to be walked outside my building, put in a cab and sent to the hospital because I was in so much pain I couldn't even make it home. Unfortunately that's what it took for people to realize I wasn't having normal headaches. Even so, some people still gave me a hard time, but you can get that on and off work for any number of reasons. I'll keep your friend in prayer; I know the anxiety of not being able to work. And not being able to do anything about it. Everytime I hear of another person with these, I'm terribly saddened that one more person is going through what I am, but relieved that people are speaking out because the more noise we make, the sooner we are apt to get the help we need. Thanks for sharing.