new hep c dx

[reddy111]

After a reported needlestick i was called to our comp employee nurse who then walked me directly to the lab , which i found odd. The last time (5 months ago) i had an injury (pt bite/ scratch) i went first to the ER, office then lab.  In both instances initial fast tests were negative. Then the day after initial draw i was called back for another blood test . 2 weeks ago Our employee health nurse called me while i was working to go over test results The shocker Hep C. Since the needlestick was to recent i asked about the incident 5 months ago and she took the file looked at the cover page and through it back into the cab like a hot potatoe. I was crying yet she shoved me out of her office. i caaled my boss and charge nurse that i had received bad news and myvcharge nurse came to comfort me. She realized that i was extremely upset not only because of the news but now my unexplained pains, extreme fatigue and dx anemia made sense. She offered me to go home and since all my pt had discharge orders shecassured me that she was going to take care of them . A few hours later my boss returned my call and as i asked her for a fewcdays off to digest the news and figure out what i needed to do she coldly informed me that i had been indefinetly suspended for "patient abandonment" and that they would forward a complaint to the nursing boards. i should not contact them but i would hear back from Hr once the investigation was completed.
Anyway on Monday night i received a call that i was to report back to work .  i met with my director and received an oral warning. i could not believe my ears and told her so. Her attitude changed as I told her that the entire management of my work related injury was ignored but that they failed to follow their own protocol. as we discussed the injuries and my questions and concerns our employee health nurse was called. Once more she was asked about my previous injury, testing and results to which she replied:
No significantvtests were done
the previous injury did not require specific testing
she had read the incident report and the injury was just a scratch ( i wrote the incident and i know that it was a bite with broken skin, blood and deep scratches)
the incident happened on a weekend and was handled by the nursing supervisor

when i asked to see my own incident report she said i could not receive a copy
my boss intervened and called risk management
risk management  could not locate the report
i was asked for the incident date which was clearly at our employee healh nurse but my file does Not hold a ferernce to the pt

Needless to say by now something just doesn't smell right!
Then my boss and I discussed treatment options (I aready had been seen by one of our GI docs) and she mentioned to me that that she would approve flma and that I should immediately go to HR before 4 pm to apply.
I returned to my work assignment.
2 days later I return home from work and find a prescription card for my work related injury.  No call from HR
The next day (yesterday) I receive a call from the workmans comp insurance carrier to inform me of my appointment with their infectious disease specialist next week ( I am on the schedule to work that day)
I was supposed to work today but last night started with fever so I called my primary to get me a note.
Today I called HR to set an appointment to discuss my rights and responsabilities under workmem's
comp and/flma as well as short term disability benefits. However Ii have not yet received a response
So here are my questions:
Why did the employee health nurse make so many excuses ... did they fail to disclose or fail protocol
Is it normal not to get any communication in regards to protocol or processes
What are my rights in reviewing records
Does my appointment with ID mean that they are accepting my hep c as workmans comp  ( the insurance
carrier told me I was going to be treated for both injury dates)
Is it advisable to have somebody  ( witness) go with me to the appointment since I am also meeting the claims manager.
I am still upset about the oral warning and suspension although the latter was lifted. Do I have a recourse?
What should i expect from my employer and how do I protect my rights?
Thanks for any input...

[Dee1956]

Hi I agree with the above posters, documentation at the time it happened is crucial.  If you just contracted Hep C there would really be no symptoms, I am not a doctor just a patient who had it for close to 30 years before any symptoms.  This virus is call the shadow disease for a reason.
What I am wondering is, if the woman told you to go home after your dx why did you then get in to trouble?  Did she say you just left?
I believe hearing everything you have said that you will need legal representation.  If you want to know the future look at the past.  So far they have done a lousy job helping you.
Best of luck.

[Idyllic]

This is really surreal. Have you ever been tested for Hepatitis C before? Sorry if that was made clear in your post. I was wondering if you have had it for a while now since the time line seems a little off. Hepatitis C is largely asymptomatic so the physical symptoms you are having are likely not related. When was the last time you had a physical? I am just wondering if you have some other kind of illness going on. You have been through an incredibly stressful ordeal and it sounds like this is just the beginning.

As far as your rights, it really takes someone with insight into current employment law as well as perhaps some other areas. One thing you might want to do is gather up your employee handbook and all your other employment related documents, agreements and the like and review them. It seems as if you have been documenting things but I would sit down and do it scrupulously on the computer with as much detail as you possibly can.

I hope someone else can provide insight and guidance with this terrible ordeal.

[ceanothus]

Wow, what an awful ordeal! I can't answer any of your questions but I still wanted to offer some kind of moral support. Be sure to write down everything that has happened in full detail and continue to document all communications related to these incidents. It does sound like there are some people there who possess more authority than integrity or basic morals, and you will have to be careful to protect yourself. I'm so sorry about your diagnosis in the first place, and even more sorry that you've been treated so badly while being given this bad news. I hope someone else here can offer you more answers.