Lily 3
Just as it appears as if my life is now back in order, I'm no longer the Queen of Scandal, I am laid low by a fever for a week. That in itself is not scary, there are endless variants of flu floating around.
What is scary is that the fever causes almost total hearing loss. I can still hear things like sirens, whistles, car horns; but normal conversation eludes me.
I hate to trash the medical profession, but in my view they are merely one step up from your typical witch doctor, there being so much guess work.
The doctor pronounces that my hearing loss is somewhat likely to be only temporary. But is somewhat 51-49 or 90-10? He declines to be further specific.
Thus certified as temporarily disabled, my employer switches me from library tech to putting books back on the shelves. As it is only temporary, salary continues as before.
At the three month mark, this prognosis is moved to somewhat likely to be permanent. At this point, my employer has no choice but to demote me and reduce my salary. Truth is I really do not begrudge them, rules are rules and the other help would be upset if I got any special treatment.
Monetarily the loss is not huge. First, there is little difference in salary, as I have the one year tech diploma. Second, the marginal rate of all deductions is horrendous anyhow. Bottom line, I am poorer by eleven dollars per fortnight.
It isn't that which hurts. My friends have all vanished. All into endless phone calls and conversations in coffee houses, I am left out.
I had a good but fairly superficial relationship with my father, so no real change there. But gone are the long chats with my mother, now we hafta pass notes.
At work it hurts two ways. First, I am doing lesser work, considerably less than I was trained for. Second, workplace social as in coffee breaks and lunch. I don't fit with the former group anymore. Nor am I accepted by the new group. And no, I wouldn't call that antiSemitic, simply the impossibility of fitting in.
The library sponsors me to take an ASL course. At the time, it seems like a wonderful idea, full of promise.
Afterward, it proves a flop. Think of a parallel, suppose you were the only person in town who could speak Swahili, knew no English. Who would you talk with? Same problem with ASL.
As time passes I become more introverted than ever before, my free time going on two main pursuits, walking and reading.
My reply from Israel arrives. Longwinded in how I just plain do not measure up, especially in the medical category. And that, was done back when I could still hear. Guess the letter would be stronger if they did a medical now.
What is scary is that the fever causes almost total hearing loss. I can still hear things like sirens, whistles, car horns; but normal conversation eludes me.
I hate to trash the medical profession, but in my view they are merely one step up from your typical witch doctor, there being so much guess work.
The doctor pronounces that my hearing loss is somewhat likely to be only temporary. But is somewhat 51-49 or 90-10? He declines to be further specific.
Thus certified as temporarily disabled, my employer switches me from library tech to putting books back on the shelves. As it is only temporary, salary continues as before.
At the three month mark, this prognosis is moved to somewhat likely to be permanent. At this point, my employer has no choice but to demote me and reduce my salary. Truth is I really do not begrudge them, rules are rules and the other help would be upset if I got any special treatment.
Monetarily the loss is not huge. First, there is little difference in salary, as I have the one year tech diploma. Second, the marginal rate of all deductions is horrendous anyhow. Bottom line, I am poorer by eleven dollars per fortnight.
It isn't that which hurts. My friends have all vanished. All into endless phone calls and conversations in coffee houses, I am left out.
I had a good but fairly superficial relationship with my father, so no real change there. But gone are the long chats with my mother, now we hafta pass notes.
At work it hurts two ways. First, I am doing lesser work, considerably less than I was trained for. Second, workplace social as in coffee breaks and lunch. I don't fit with the former group anymore. Nor am I accepted by the new group. And no, I wouldn't call that antiSemitic, simply the impossibility of fitting in.
The library sponsors me to take an ASL course. At the time, it seems like a wonderful idea, full of promise.
Afterward, it proves a flop. Think of a parallel, suppose you were the only person in town who could speak Swahili, knew no English. Who would you talk with? Same problem with ASL.
As time passes I become more introverted than ever before, my free time going on two main pursuits, walking and reading.
My reply from Israel arrives. Longwinded in how I just plain do not measure up, especially in the medical category. And that, was done back when I could still hear. Guess the letter would be stronger if they did a medical now.
posted by afghangirlscifi @ 8:07 AM
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