Where I work, it isn't as simple as just going to your supervisor or handing in a leave slip to have time off. Each request nearly has to go through committee. I have to log on to our special site, send in the request for time off which gets sent to my immediate supervisor and if approved, over to the department head and if approved, over to payroll.
Knowing that I'm going to be having monthly appointments, or at least 1 more appointment scheduled on 11/30, all these requests are going to start looking weird. Although I'm trying to schedule my appointments for late in the day, I'll still have to take an hour off.
So, I started struggling with how to explain this to my supervisor to prepare her for all these requests. How much to tell her? Is there something else I can think of to explain all my Dr's appointments? If I do tell her what it is all about, can I be prepared for the "normal" person reaction that IF is no big deal and I'm blowing this "problem" all out of proportion. I thought about this for 2 days.
Today, I was in her office to talk to someone with her over the speakerphone so we had the door closed. After we were finished with the call and before I opened the door, I took a breath and just did it. I truly wasn't expecting the reaction I got.
I explained that I will be having more Dr. appointments and blood work.
"For babies?" she said.
"No" I said. "I haven't been diagnosed yet, but I'm fighting infertility"
There. I said it out loud. ringing in my ears, I think I'm going to faint.
"Oh, wow! What are they going to do for you?" She said with genuine concern and interest and admitted ignorance about this sort of thing.
"Well. I'm not ovulating. My body has shut down so I'm taking progesterone to restart my cycle and clean me out. Hopefully this jump starts my hormones. If not, I'll take some other medicine to make me ovulate."
"Gee, do you actually have a period if you don't ovulate?"
"Sometimes, that's part of the problem."
"Well, that is some really tough stuff. Not only physically, but emotionally. If I see you bawling your eyes out I'll know why and hand you a Kleenex. I'm so sorry you are going through this."
Me = floored
"It's kinda hard to come out of the closet because you never know how anyone will react." I confessed.
"Well, and I'm sure it is hard to talk about there being something wrong. Don't worry, I won't say anything, it's your story to tell."
All I could say is thank you and to let her know that I just needed to explain about the time off.
I feel very fortunate to have had this compassionate reaction from a "normal" person and to know there is some understanding in my corner.
I can only hope all my coming-out admissions go just as smoothly. I still haven't talked to my Mom. Not because I'm afraid of her reaction but because it means giving up yet another dream to surprise her with a pregnancy announcement.
Is This Thing On?
14 years ago
