Buddhism advises its practitioners not to seek highs or lows but to follow a middle path to personal salvation from the painful cravings of the average sensual life, which is why it was pretty much reviled by the masses and mutated into forms more suited to human drives and desires. It seems evident that very few people can simply sit still. Children spin in circles until they collapse with dizziness.”
I've been dealing with a conundrum the last few days. You see I got some feedback from my job application a couple days back that it's gone to the next stage in the process. This is great news and means that they liked what they saw on my CV, infact they said as much. There is a very good chance that I will make it through and possibly be offered the position.
It's a great prospect and to be honest, I could really do with the change of pace and scenery.
But there is a bit of a problem. Well, it's not really a problem, but it could potentially be an issue.
The last two weeks I have been having dizzy spells and extreme fatigue. I have always had low blood pressure so I am acutely aware of the symptoms of it and that's exactly what it has been. I had my blood pressure checked this week and it was 99/68 which is about standard for me. I have coped with low blood pressure my whole life and have done pretty well with it only suffering from a few dizzy spells here and there, but nothing too severe so far.
The issue that I have is that even though I've been coping perfectly fine with it this last year, in a fast paced environment, will it be the same or will that impact it and as a result - me? Will it have an impact on my job performance and will I suffer from brain fog as a side effect?
My life I must admit (and I'm grateful) has been pretty non eventful in terms of major health issues. I'm still not going to give away my age here but even without it, I can tell you that I'm pretty much a healthy individual. I'm not overweight, I live a pretty active lifestyle and I only have one chronic illness (apart from the low blood pressure) that is successfully managed with medication.
I've tried numerous times to deal with my blood pressure naturally without success. I've tried eating more salt. I've tried sleeping with my feet propped up. I've tried all sorts of things but I honestly think I was just made to cope with a high stress environment which would probably normalise my blood pressure. It's not the best fix, but I've done ok all things considered.
The last week though, I've been getting very bad dizzy spells especially when I stand up, I've been feeling rather faint and have been having the worst case of fatigue imaginable. By midday I am yawning away and my mind feels blank which translates in me not being able to concentrate too well.
So the issue I have now is : should I be the successful candidate and I get this job, do I disclose it to them upfront or do I keep it quiet?
I've been in many varied positions in my working career and never have I found an employer who is happy when you tell them that you aren't in immaculate physical health. They look at it as a problem that the company will have to deal with. More sick days potentially. Less productivity potentially. Those are blows to the company I understand, but we're also human. While I'd be more than happy to not have a sick day for the rest of my life, I also have limitations and I know that there's a chance that if I have a really low pressure day, that it could mean something bad not just for the company, but for me personally and potentially life threatening if I'm driving for example.
I've been muddling over this and while I believe that everyone's medical information is their own and shouldn't be a book for all to read, do I treat it as a secret or do I treat it as something that deserves acknowledgement the same as diabetes?
I'm in a pickle. What do you feel about disclosing your ailments to your workplaces? Let me know in the comments.