My birthday evening was so nice then I come in to work this morning and get called into the bosses office. The legal secretary is leaving - she starts a new job on Monday - I work in a small office so that means all of her work is going to fall into my lap. Those of you who read this blog regularly know that the vice president is a drunk. So basically everything is left for me to do - my work, his work and now the secretary's work. I am feeling overwhelmed - half of the things she does I have no clue how to do - so I am going to have to learn everything. I just asked her how much do I really need to learn and all she said was ALOT. Just what I need more work dumped on my lap right before starting an IVF cycle and it is not like I am getting paid more for all this extra work. Nope - same pay - more work.
Then to add to an already stressful meeting - my boss tells me that him and the vice president are going on vacation at the end of September - meaning I will be the only one in the office to handle everything - which is right when my IVF is suppose to start and when I will miss time for appointments.
Then he says they are going away on business at the end of October for a week - can this meeting get any worse. That is just when my ER and ET are going to be and I was going to take a week off of work and use my vacation time. Well now I have to tell them - so I say that I am going to have alot of appointment coming up at the end of September beginning of October and he was fine with that - as long as I make up my time - okay that is good.
Then I tell him that I gave to have surgery at the end of October and I was going to use my vacation time to take off - he was also fine with this as well. So that is good. But I am still worried - he says he is fine with it now - but when I am the only one here handling things - he is going to get pissed off that I am missing so much time??
Then all I keep thinking is I am going to feel like crap - I am going to be sore and crampy and bloated and tired and I am going to have to work extra hard. On top of my now overflowing workload I am going to have to wake up early to go to the monitoring appointment and stay at work late to make up all the time I miss. This is going to be a hard few months coming up.
Readers: How do you handle it - working full time and going to monitoring appointments and making up all your time and running around in addition to feeling like crap from the drugs - how do you do it - how do you get through each day?? Any tips or advice??
7 comments:
I just pray that like me, the drugs won't affect you. They have me on a low dose of all the meds, because the proplem is with our sperm, not my body, and I know your in the same situation. I really didn't have any side affects other than being hungry all the time, and I hope you have the same turn out! Some girls have to take higher doses of the meds we're taking-and just like you-I thought I'd be miserable the whole time. But it's just not true!
First off, that's great that your boss' took your needing time off well. Maybe you can have them verify via email that this is fine with them so you don't run into problems later.
Get the very first appointment every morning at your RE's office. Being out of there by 8/8:30 gives me the rest of the day to not worry about my IVF cycle. We also did the shots as soon as we got home from work so that we could enjoy the rest of our nights without worrying about what time we had to be home.
I was miserable during IVF but it was more because the meds caused my arthritis to flare up. I was moody, but the side effects are no worse then they were while I was on clomid. Actually nothing effects me the way clomid does.
Take one day at a time, it will all work out.
I agree with Peachy in trying to get the earliest appt times. For my clinic, when I go in for blood work, I just have to be there between 7:30 and 8:30 so I make sure I'm there in time to get drawn and get to work. I also didn't feel bad when it was time to stim. I never got crampy or bloated but everyone is different. And if the bosses aren't there, at least you don't have to deal with them giving you a hard time about coming in late! It can get overwhelming but try to take it in small steps. Concentrate on what needs to be done now. When you start your meds, focus on taking it a day at a time. It can get overwhelming if you try to take it in all at once.
This isone of my biggest gripes with IVF. IVF can feel like a full time job sometimes. Here are some strategies that have worked with varying degrees of success with me...
1. Delegate as much as possible to your husband. Anything that I don't physically HAVE to do is delagated to my husband including housework, dealing with family and friends, calling doctor's offices, and running for supplies. He might not do it the way *you* would do it, but do you want it done or done "right"?
2. Prioritize. What absolutely HAS to get done and what can wait. I do this at home AND at work. Sometimes you have to "manage up" and get creative with your boss. I might not be the "going over and above" employee that I normally am when I cycle, but it's only a month. Boss's memories are relatively short. I don't have to make up time, but ask your boss if you can make up time in other weeks or even do soem work from home. Most times if you are a good and valued employee they will work with you. (Besides you are the only one left now so they have to keep you happy.)
3. Focus on what is important. While you are cycle the most important thing you can do is remain calm, stress free, and comfortable. Nothing else matters. For this relatively small period of time in your life, be selfish and only think of you.
4. Take time to breathe. I am a fan of meditation. Guided meditation CDs or relaxing New Age music helps me let things go. Yes, it's weird and funny, but it works.
Good luck! Don't get stressed! It will be OK!
I have to echo every single thing that Megan said. Though I've never been through IVF, I think all of the advice Megan offered is spot-on. You have to prioritize. You have to do what you can do at work and say screw the rest! You have to put yourself (and your potential baby) in first place. Good luck to you.
You've gotten a lot of great advice!! And although I haven't done IVF, it was way easier to deal with my medical stuff when my bosses were out of town, so maybe it will be a blessing in disguise?!
makingmemom.blogspot.com
My clinic is a 2 hr. drive each way, so I took the 7:30 a.m. appts. and made it into work by 11:00. Then I had to stay late (until 8 pm or so) to make up my time. Sucked big time! I took the week of ER/ET off using vacation time. No one at work knows about my IVF and I'd like to keep it that way! I have literally fallen asleep on my desk several times this week b/c of the PIO. Hope it works out for you.
Post a Comment