Dehydration/Arguments

[jadeeegarr]

So today when I woke up I discovered I had some rumblies in my tummy- if you know what I mean. I went to work and continued to go about my day like normal; however around 2 o'clock I was standing there and all of the sudden I got tunnel vision and my left arm went numb I felt like I was about to puke but I couldn't cause my mouth wouldn't water up enough to trigger my gag reflex, afterwards I felt really dizzy and confused. I realized right away what I did wrong, I didn't keep myself properly hydrated. So I then proceeded to drink lots of water to rehydrate myself. They let me leave work early and I called my mom and told her what happened. Now she is freaking out (she lives in Texas and I live in Indiana) and keeps telling me not to go to work tomorrow because I'm too sick, and that she'll give me the money I lose from not going to work. I disagree so I kept telling her no it would be ridiculous to miss work over an upset stomach. I've been there for about a year and a half and I've never called off so I'm sure they wouldn't say anything to me, but I don't feel right about calling off and leaving them to cover a 15 hour shift last minute. She said she doesn't believe that on a busy day like tomorrow I could reasonably work 15 hours and keep myself hydrated when I couldn't even do it today when I wasn't busy (which is a good point) and she's worried I'll faint and have to go to the hospital, which would be more expensive than her just giving me the money for missing tomorrow (her boyfriend went to the hospital for dehydration and he was in the hospital for 4 days). Then she threatened to call my manager and tell him if he lets me work my entire shift tomorrow and something happens she's going to sue. Oh and I have a fever; not very high, but a fever nonetheless.

Lol, anyone have any opinions? I don't really know what to do at this point; we agreed if I went to the bathroom before 10 I had to take off at least half of the day tomorrow.

[hrtbrk]

Yikes, that's scary!

 

I would suggest waiting until tomorrow morning to see how you feel. If you think you shouldn't go to work -- don't.

[Emily]

What kind of job to you do? I'm pretty sure there's some legal issues if your employer doesn't let you have reasonable access to food and water during your shift. Even if you have to carry around a water bottle with you at work (I've done this at every job I've ever had, as I dehydrate easily). Definitely talk to your manager about it and if they deny your request, it's definitely something to bring up with your union/labour board representative, as it's an easily remedied health issue.

 

Also make sure you're eating often enough during the day. Even if you can't have a regular meal, a granola bar or piece of fruit or even some juice every few hours keeps your blood sugar from bottoming out. This can cause lightheadedness and dizziness, as can not drinking enough.

 

You also need to be careful drinking large amounts of anything all at once, even water. There's such a thing as water poisoning, as your body needs to maintain a certain amount of water to minerals and too much water all at once can tax your kidneys. Wiki

[jadeeegarr]

I work at Dave and Busters and don't get me wrong, my job is great! Lol, I actually told my mom if I'm going to be dehydrated I'd be better off having something negative happen at work than at home cause they'd pay for my medical expenses. But anyways, I always have a water bottle on hand at work and there have never been any issues. I think my mom is more concerned that I would forget to stay hydrated due to the volume we experience on Saturdays; which is reasonable I suppose.

 

I ended up calling off because my fever has been steadily rising all night and I have thrown up a few times.

[siniri]

Do you work in food services at D&B's? If so, you really shouldn't be working while you're having digestive issues -- no matter how hygienic you are about hand-washing, etc., it's just too easy to spread various GI illnesses -- and in many states, it's a violation of the health code for you to work while you're sick. It's not just fluids, either, it's also important to maintain electrolyte balance and blood sugar.

 

You should probably go to the doctor soon, too -- fever + GI issues can be a sign of a bacterial infection, and depending on what it is, you might need antibiotics. Plus dehydration can happen pretty quickly if you're throwing up a lot.

 

I hope you feel better soon.

[carlyle]

You should call a doctor about this rather than ask us! Professional advice is very helpful in preventing these events.

[LizyMarie]

Employers can't fire you over a day of being sick if you aren't normally sick. If they do, you can probably fight them on it.

 

I'd say if you know your coworkers well, see if any of them are willing to take your shift, or at least half of your shift. That's what I end up doing. And when you call your boss, let them know all the details and explain "I DON'T WANT TO MAKE OTHER PEOPLE SICK". This is important. Your employer doesn't want to risk his other employees getting sick if that's what may happen. You may not be contagous, but he doesn't know that.

 

You were dehydrated, you need a day's rest to drink up and rest. Otherwise you'll only wear yourself down more. And a 15 hour shift is NOT going to be helpful. Please do the right thing and rest. No matter how bad about it you feel, it's better for your body. Trust me, been there done that.

 

:D