Disability Employee Awareness Month

"Invitation to Self-identify: During Disability Employment Awareness Month, I hope you will take a few minutes to report if you have a disability."

This was the title and first introductory sentence of an email I recently received from my employer. I am not sure why it bothered me and provoked such a visceral reaction from me. The topic of disclosure to my employers has been something that I have struggled with in the past. I have had some jobs where I have been very open about my JRA and other jobs where I felt it was unnecessary to ever mention it. At my current job, I have told my supervisor and some co-workers and even though I am certainly not hiding it from anyone, I am also not shouting about it at the top of my lungs. All of this is ironic, considering that I work in healthcare as an occupational therapist and work with kids with many different disabilities every day. You would think that I would feel more open and honest about discussing my JRA, but honestly it is something that I always initially struggle with revealing. 

I am often afraid to disclose my JRA at work because I do not want to be treated differently than any of the other employees. Although I know it is illegal to discriminate against people because of their disability, it is hard to not be worried about this. On the other hand sharing the impact my JRA has on my everyday life, may help if I have to ask for reduced hours or work accommodations. I continually struggle between these two thoughts.

I think one of the reasons this particular email caught me off guard is that it forced me to define whether or not I consider myself "disabled." The email from my employer defined disability as:

You are considered to have a disability if you have a physical or mental impairment or medical condition that substantially limits a major life activity, or if you have a history or record of such an impairment or medical condition.

They then listed a variety of disabilities such as cerebral palsy, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, PTSD and Bipolar Disorder. Rheumatoid Arthritis was not listed. Typically on a day to day basis I do not consider my JRA as causing me to have a disability. I work over 40 hours a week and my JRA does not impact my ability to perform my job. However, I am usually exhausted after working and would not be able to keep up with my physically and emotionally demanding profession if I didn't have my supportive husband. I also have to constantly juggle medical appointments in order to not miss too many work hours. Just managing my JRA on a daily basis requires extra effort and sacrifices so I am able to perform my job without any accommodations or concessions. 

I am still undecided about whether or not I am going to "declare my disability" to my employer on their human resource website. Identifying myself as disabled will not change how I perform my job, nor will it automatically provide me with any job accommodations. In essence it will not change anything for my benefit. Instead, I believe there are other ways to improve awareness about disabilities in the workforce that will be more beneficial than just declaring it on website.

Hello, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late

"I'm late, I'm late for a very important date.
No time to say hello, good-bye, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late
I'm late and when I wave, I lose the time I save.
My fuzzy ears and whiskers took me too much time to shave.
I run and then I hop, hop, hop, I wish that I could fly.
There's danger if I dare to stop and here's a reason why:
I'm over-due, I'm in a rabbit stew. Can't even say good-bye,
Hello, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late."

- Alice and Wonderland

Punctuality has never been my strong suit. I am always running late. I'd like to blame my mother (sorry, mom!) who was also always running late, but at this point in my life I think I only have myself to blame. However, I don't want to be late all the time and have tried many strategies including setting my watch and car clock 10 minutes fast, and setting 3 different alarms to ensure I get up in time. Somehow though, I still end up being late.

A typical morning for me proceeds as follows:

• Alarm goes off at 7.20 - I really need to be up at 7.30 but I give myself 10 minutes to slowly wake up) 
• I actually get up at 7.45 - after snoozing the alarm 2 times and then lying in bed searching social media for 15 minutes
• Now I am running behind. Cue the hectic rush period. I usually only need 15 minutes for make-up and dressing (as I shower at night) and then about 15 minutes to make lunch and get ready for work. 
• Bringing me to 8.15 which is when I should leave the house to be at work by 8.30 - barring absolutely no traffic or red lights...
• Somehow I always forget to do something such as letting the dog out, doing a few dishes, or the time it takes to defrost the car and that brings me to 8.30
• Now I am running late...

As you can see I am fully aware of what I need to do. Set my alarm to 6.45 or 7.00 or prepare some of these tasks the night before, but it won't happen. When I try to set my alarm to 7.00, I just end up snoozing it to 7.30, rationalizing that I am exhausted and I still have 30 minutes to get up and then the cycle continues..

I went to the google machine before writing this post and determined that people who are chronically late actually have certain personalities. Diana DeLonzor wrote a book called, "Never Be Late Again: 7 cures for the Punctually Challenged" She classified seven different personality types of people who are chronically late. Most people have a combination of the seven types. 

1. The Deadliner: These people enjoy the rush. They either crave stimulation or rushing is a way of distracting them from boredom. They are unable to accomplish tasks without a looming deadline. 
2. The Rationalizer: These people have difficulty owning up to their responsibility and blame external factors such as traffic, kids or busy schedules. 
3. The Indulger: They have difficulty with self-motivation. The tend to procrastinate and lack self-discipline.
4. The Producer: These people try to get as much done in as little time as possible. They underestimate the amount of time it takes to complete tasks. They don't like to waste time and time their arrivals to the minute. 
5. The Rebel: They feel the need to break rules, compete for power, resist authority and attempt to be unique.
6. The Absent-minded Professor: These people are easily distracted, they have difficulty staying focused on the task at hand.  
7. The Evader: These people have lower self-esteem and need to control their environments as a result to decrease their anxiety.

I can relate to the feelings of "The Deadliner," I am not going to jump out of bed at 6.30 if I know I still have 2 hours before work; "The Absent-minded Professor," I am often heading out the door before remembering to turn the heat down, or grab my lunch bag; "The Producer," I illogically believe that I can straighten my hair, finish the dishes, pack my bags and take care of the dog in 20 minutes; and "The Rationalizer" traffic is always bad (no but seriously!). So what do I do? How do you stay on time? What are some of your tricks?

This article offers a few recommendations including:

• reevaluating how long your routines "actually" take - straightening my hair alone takes 20 minutes!
• remembering why it's important to be on time - I have time to eat my yogurt before seeing my patients, and it's more professional
• learning to enjoy doing nothing with your time - This one I don't need much practice with...
• being able to stop budgeting your time to the minute - My alarm is set to 7.20, I should just make it 7 am
• adding "buffer" time for the unexpected - Like being stuck behind a snow plow and school bus
• re-scheduling your day knowing you will not be able to get it all done - The dishes can wait and I probably don't need to make the bed when i'm already 10 minutes late..

I am going to try a few of these suggestions and see how it goes! But for now I have to run, because I am running late...

Appointments before sunrise

I am not a morning person. I use to easily sleep till eleven as a child and college student. You would not want to talk to me during breakfast before high school and I still need my coffee before I can smile each morning. Therefore having to wake up at 5.30 am this morning to make it to my 6.40 MRI appointment and 7.45 eye appointment was not enjoyable. However, scheduling these appointments so early was my idea, in order to make two appointments back to back and still be at work before my first patient arrived. So I rolled out of bed before the sun rose and started the expected 30-45 minute ride to the hospitals in my city. However, some of you may have heard of the recent weather we have been having...

On the right is a picture of the current streets in my city and the left is my actual backyard. Needless to say traffic was not good and I was 20 minutes late. Luckily, they saw me right away and I made it to the MRI successfully (I'm investigating SI joint pain) and then my eye appointment on time (read about my JRA background and eye disease here). As I was negotiating downtown traffic in the snow, parking in one garage, walking in between two different hospitals, knowing exactly where I needed to go, I thought that my JRA has indeed taught me some valuable skills. I know many peers who will not drive into "the city" because it overwhelms them, or who would have taken the whole day off for these appointments. I feel fortunate that I have never been nervous to drive in the city (as soon as I got my license I drove to my own appointments) and that I can negotiate hospitals and appointments before I have even finished my morning coffee. So I was off to work for my 10 hour day. Today definitely felt like two days in one, but tomorrow is another day and more importantly a day I can sleep till 11!

To tell or not to tell...

This topic has been something that I have struggled with internally for many years, but have not been able to put into words until recently. I always knew I wanted a career in healthcare since a young child. Having to deal with doctors, therapists and medical professionals my entire life, I felt comfortable in that setting and wanted to help others in a similar way. For a variety of reasons my education and experience led me to choose occupational therapy as a career. I wanted to be able help the entire person, family or child, both physically and emotionally, to help them enjoy their lives.

Which is why it is ironic that I find it stressful and am unsure of how to discuss my Arthritis with my employers. I have had a handful of jobs since earning my degree and I currently work for 3 different companies. One employer knows a small amount about my JRA, enough to be flexible with my schedule and caseload when needed. Another employer knows nothing about my JRA, because it has never conflicted with my employment or work performance in that setting. And the third is a new position and I have not discussed it yet. Legally I know that I can not be discriminated against as a result of my JRA but does that really stop prospective employers initial reactions and thoughts? Even working in the healthcare field, I worry that employers will anticipate extra time off, see physical limitations or have reservations about hiring someone with potential health problems. As a result of these concerns, I almost never mention my JRA to employers in my interview and I wait until I demonstrate my therapeutic skills or build a rapport with my supervisor before I discuss it. Which is a shame! Because I do think that having JRA helps make me more empathetic towards my patients and hopefully a better therapist. 

I am not sure if my feelings on this matter will change as my career and work experience grows, or if this is just one of society's unfortunate stigmas that may never change. I have been fortunate to choose a career that I enjoy and can be flexible, as well as have employers who are understanding. However, I know for some people with RA, this isn't the case and they battle with the balance of working and managing their illness every day. I know I am fortunate to be where I am now and I am hopeful that I will continue to be able to find that balance of work and life in the future.