STEPHEN FRY

ah thanks- thats very sweet of you!

i have started something that i would like opinions on! although im still in the same situation with my illness, i hope this will help bring in some extra cash.
i have new website where i will do animal portraits. its http://www.theoshouse.co.uk and any thoughts/ideas/criticisms would be greatly appreciated! (plus i cant remember if i have already told you all about it!)
thanks peeps xxxx

Hi!

I`m very worried about my job, too because I don`t know how long I can do it.
I`ve been working as a nurse in a children`s heart hospital for about 10 years now and was scared to death what my boss and collegues would say or react.

Nevertheless, to my opinion being ill doesn`t make me less responsible for how I get along with it especially when it`s affecting other people`s lifes. I always try to be frank and it`s my duty, also for the safety of people & patients involved, that they get informed.
(And I don`t feel a need to hide because there`s nothing to be ashamed of)

I had a lot of dissapointments because of that with so-called friends..

Luckily my boss said he will keep me as long as possible and used his "doctor-connections" for my best treatment. Altough I cannot work in my old "place", I used to assist during OPs-that`s over, I only work in the care now- and work part-time now. The other "part of the time" I stay there as a volunteer helper (when able)
. At the moment I need this very much because I so much love my job! It also helps me to look over my "own cup of tea": If you look in the eyes of a 5 year old boy who will only make it to his 6th birthday IF a heart donation is found for him, some things get relative..


Well I guess I`m talking too much..? :-//

I like your site very much Hanny! I start saving for a picture of my lovely cats...

Hello st.bipolar!

Yes, it is a result of my illness that I changed my place. I have to say before that during my last assistance I suffered from a big "high" and I noticed I lost concentration.(My english fails me sometimes to express everything right;it was not only loosing concentration;I think you all know what I mean-everything went pink...! - most of the time I`m very good at hiding this fact when it happens..) Well a heart Op lasts very long and you simply have to work accurate all over the time. Of course my chief took notice and we had a loooong talk. In my case, he was very understanding and explained that he doesn`t want to miss me (We work 10 years together;that`s almost like a marriage -without sex of course- ) but the has to take care for the safety of his patients during the operation.
I understand this and I do not feel discriminated. Unless, my own heart bleeds.

He was also asking me if he should inform my other colleagues. I thought about this very long and then agreed:
First because: They already might wonder why I work in a different place (or behave strange sometimes) and it`s better they know the truth before some rumors get started.
Second because: When my boss informs my colleagues everyone of them knows that he stands behinds me.
Their reaction was positive in most cases. (there are always some stupid ones around but I`ve chosen to concentrate on the intelligent ones.. )

I can very much understand that your girlfriend is reluctant in telling about it. I for myself (and well:
to myself ) tried to hide it for a long time. You must be very sure for yourself inside before you do it because you never know what will happen then.
To me, it`s always a bit like getting naked before others, although I consider myself as very frank and open. (Sometimes tooo frank or open, I suppose..) But this is still my most vulnerable point.

But it came to the point for me facing the fact that I cannot help people in that kind of mood and that was particulary the reason for me why I always wanted to work as a nurse.

Life is funny sometimes. I got understanding from where I didn`t expect it (at work) and experienced rejection where I never thought it could ever happen! (In friendship or whatever they call it)

You mustn`t be sorry you don`t know what he looks like & I`m not THAT manic..
Besides I`m married very happily & have a girlfriend too (being bisexual ist my 2nd vulnerable point..) so I don`t need to get the doctor-nurse-clichè started...

I don`t know if this (telling my co workers) was brave but it was the only chance not to get rumors started.(In a way I was kicked in the arse to do it..oops excuse me!) And as a very proud one I couldn`t stand it if someone thinks of me taking drugs or being careless in my work.
I always want to be recognized the way I AM. (difficult enough to stand)

Well I`m not in the position of giving any advice but to my opinion your ex-girlfriend is walking a thin line. I don`t know how your law is handled but in the german law as an assistent you can be made responsible for doing something wrong during an OP, if you withhold the information of having this illness. If her chief doc knows and let her assist than it is his own responsibility. ( I just started to get me informed on this subject) What if some incident (like mine) happenes but things get worse, she might feel bad & maybe not forgive herself?
As I said before, I can understand her VERY well, everybody has to agree it with themself. And maybe I`m just to timid because of my own experiences. (I wouldn`t lay myself under the knife as a patient if I would assist my own op..)

Sad to hear that you lost friends, too, because of being bipolar. I think you will be better of with the little 3 sheep left that are staying by your side.You`re just the same person as before, "only" diagnosed.
Thinking about opening a thread with experiences in that case, if there isn`t one already? Haven`t found one yet...

I`m very happy to meet you because I like frank people!

Let`s all be frank! X-D X-D X-D

I hope she is fine, too, sending her the best unknown wishes because I can imagine what she`s going through.
Yes, it`s a stressy lob, unfortunately to say it with Stephen Fry in his doku: I need stress to go on. I just cannot imagine sitting round like good old buddha saying "OHMMMMM"", I always have to do something: Further education, longer work,talking to worried parents (I just love to help people) ,learning better english, trained myself french+italian,started painting...
Hyperactive child I say. But for my situation it`s worse.

but what do you do when it all goes wrong?

i lost my job last year after a bout of stress that escalated into full blown mania before anyone brought it to my attention that my behavoiur was erratic (about 7 months AFTER my line managers noticed something wrong) and am now struggling to regain my equalibrium in time for the tribunal hearing in mid august.

discrimination is definatly on the cards, as is reasonable adjustment but it seems like every time i'm nearly stable the solicitors acting for my ex employers take a hammer to my fragile state of mind and shatter my defences - what do i do to cope?

i was informed of the disciplinary process on my return from 3 weeks sick leave for 'stress related depression' and promtly suspended at my back to work meeting, this was followed 8 weeks later by a disciplinary hearing

Quote from my disciplinary hearing: " I am very short-staffed. We should never have taken [Depressed Green Giant] on. We do not have the resources to support him. He has mental health issues


aqnyone know any good expert witneses who work probono?

Loona, his forum name is a reference to this cultural icon of American and British processed food.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolly_Green_Giant