Skip to main content

Dumb, Dumb, Dumb

I think I maybe made a big mistake.

The sister company I had worked for, prior to retiring, asked me to come back to work. Actually I offered, because they were having some personnel issues, and I knew I could help, but they were very willing to accept my offer.

Anyways, before starting work, a preemployment physical was required. So I took the opportunity today to go, thinking it wouldn't be very busy, and it wasn't. The entire process, which consisted of filling out some forms, a drug screening, and cursory  physical took just about an hour. No problems, or so I thought.

It turns out, because of my CABG, the doctor would not or could not release me for work as a metallurgist, which essentially requires me to sit for long periods of time, taxing my brain. There is no physical exertion required, except for the occasional trip to the bathroom. But instead of the release, I was given a note which I have to give to my primary care physician, cardiologist or oncologist (I'm not exactly sure who), to get their release to go to work.

If that was all I needed, why did I have to waste an hour at this clinic to get a release. The drug test would have sufficed, and I could have been in an out in 15 minutes

The problem is, ever since I accepted the offer, I have been having second thoughts. I'm beginning to think I may have screwed up a good thing, and thinking I should have just left well enough alone.

I had it pretty good before. The company I worked for, prior to retiring, had been paying me a small monthly stipend (they never replaced me) to answer their questions, and review an occasional blue print, specification or PO. But now I agreed to give the sister company about 20 hours a week of my time, on the premises.

So here I sit wondering what to do. I know some might consider it a small thing to get clearance from my [personal] doctor(s), but then most of you don't have to deal with the VA. Plus, I've already bothered my doctors enough, since my surgery, with a host of petty issues, so I would rather not be bothering them further, for something I don't believe should be necessary.

Now all I have to do is decide how to present all this to my new boss, when I visit him on Wednesday.

Comments

Gerry said…
Why in hell would you want to work! The drive alone is stupid, just saying.
Have a great Holiday and enjoy your time off the grid.
Marc said…
I wouldn't be driving to Oxnard. That would be stupid. It's just to Paramount. Less than 10 miles, and I could easily ride my bike if I wanted.

And you have a great Holiday as well!
Rebecca said…
WTH? What position are you applying for? Did they give you a description of the job so your doctor can sign off on it? A pre-employment fit-for-duty should come with the duties you need to be fit for. I.e., lifting X lbs, sitting for X hours, etc.

Popular posts from this blog

My concerns reaffirmed today

When I was first diagnosed with MCL, I pretty much read just about everything I could get my hands on, I attended various conferences, and I talked to anyone who would listen. One of the most important lessons I learned, and which I've mentioned numerous times before was No one cares more about you than you. But in addition to that, I learned to fear the drug Doxorubicin , AKA Adriamycin, Doxil, Hydroxydoxorubicin, or more affectionately the Red Devil. Besides being a deadly chemical, as is the case with most chemotherapy drugs, it is one of the few chemotherapy drugs known to cause permanent heart damage. I even heard Dr. Sandra Horning , a noted Stanford lymphoma specialist, state at the first lymphoma conference I attended in LA, there was no evidence Doxorubicin provided any added benefit to chemotherapy protocols. This was music to my ears, since Doxorubicin is very common in most lymphoma treatment protocols. And even though Dr. Horning has since changed her tune [which my sk...

Bowling: A metaphor on life [sorta]

Over the past 15+ years the game of bowling has changed dramatically. Not only has the equipment changed, making it easier for bowlers of all ages and physical conditions to participate, and score well, but there have even been major advances to how the lanes are prepared for the start of bowling. No longer is it just heavy oil, light oil, long oil, short oil, or no oil, with the latest equipment, the amount of oil can be varied from front to back and side to side, producing a myriad of patterns designed to make the game more interesting, more challenging and as you might surmise, more frustrating. No longer does the "one ball fits all" approach work any more either. In order to navigate all the differing possible lane conditions, you need to have a varied selection of bowling balls. Most pros will tell you the average bowler needs 3 balls, plus a ball for spares, but to be an above average bowler you'll need at least 6 balls, with many possessing more than that. But just...

Fatigue! Part II - Maybe it is real?

Or it's actually Motivational Deficiency Disorder, MoDeD (pronounced Mo-Dee-Dee) for short. In a report this week by Roy Moynihan who reports for the British Medical Journal Austrailian scientists may have come across the reason for extreme laziness . The condition is claimed to affect up to one in five Australians and is characterised by overwhelming and debilitating apathy. Neuroscientists at the University of Newcastle in Australia say that in severe cases motivational deficiency disorder can be fatal, because the condition reduces the motivation to breathe. Neurologist Leth Argos is part of the team that has identified the disorder, which can be diagnosed using a combination of positron emission tomography and low scores on a motivation rating scale, previously validated in elite athletes. "This disorder is poorly understood," Professor Argos told the BMJ. "It is underdiagnosed and undertreated." Who knew? Maybe I have MoDeD, from my attempts to become a...