Told My Boss

A couple of days after I found out I have HIV, my boss at work asked me if I wanted to help out with some supervisor duties. Basically, just opening and closing two nights a week as a supervisor. I wouldn't manage a team of people or have the same responsibilities. I told her I wanted to think about it. I didn't tell her why I needed to think about it.

I was leaning towards saying no, thinking right now wouldn't be a good time as I have a lot going on in my life right now, but when I found out, I only have to do supervisor duties twice a week and not manage a team, I thought why not, it would be good distraction from all the complaint calls I take. Maybe for part of my day I wouldn't get yelled at because we don't dice our ham.

I started training today, and I decided to show up a half an hour early to talk to my boss. I decided I was going to tell her that I am having "health issues" and that if I do help out with supervisor duties I need to make sure I have a consistent schedule (they like to have your schedule all over the place) and that I may need some flexibility with doctors appointments. I went into her office and told her that on March 1st I got some bad news at the doctors. She said "what happened?" I was going to say "I am not ready to say what is going on" but instead out of no where it just came out "I have HIV."

I think I blurted it out knowing I could trust her. I used to work for this company seven years ago and I always had a good relationship with her. She told me for any scheduling needs to come to her, she is more than willing to be flexible with doctor's appointments and such. She told me "make sure you come to me, it's no one else's business." Then she said "I just want you to know, if you are ever having a tough time, you just need to vent and rant and not have someone say anything just have someone listen, you can come into my office anytime to do that." I had tears in my eyes.

Funny story of the day:

I am sitting with my co-workers and we are talking. I rub my eye because it's itchy and all of a sudden my eye lid flips. You know how people can flip there eye lid inside out? Well mine flipped inside in, if that makes sense. My eye lid somehow flipped and then my eye lashes were stabbing my eye ball. I started freaking out ( I have a thing with my eyes, eyes creep me out. I can't even put eye drops in, I have to keep my eye closed, put the eye drops on my eye and slowly blink them in) and was trying to put my phone on not available so a call wouldn't come in. My co-workers are laughing at me and I hear only you, this would only happen to you. I guess I should mention that I am known as the accident prone one (I once poked my eye with the headset). So I am trying to un-flip my eye lid but having issues because I am grossed out from the feeling and having to touch it. I finally un-flipped it and then my eye was itchy the rest of the night - I was too scared to rub it again.