Riccardo wrote in [OPE-L:5472]:
> But I thought that you, Jerry, should be on
> holidays for at least a couple of months!
The "holidays" are over for Jerry.
I met my regular doctor last week. He scheduled me for another meeting
with a cardiologist this week and (in brief) told me to relax and NOT go
back to work until I get the OK from the (HIP) doctors. He said that,
normally, they advise 4-6 weeks absence from work following a heart
attack.
Well ... (isn't capitalism beautiful?) ... the school where I receive my
health benefits from told me last week that if I didn't report back to
work *last Friday* (9 days after being released from intensive care; a
little over 2 weeks after the attack) ... then I would lose my health
benefits!
They gave me little "choice", particularly since I was feeling well enough
to teach. Under current circumstances, I am in no position not to have
health insurance.
So ... last Friday I went back to work at that school. (I decided not to
teach this semester at another school and at Pratt they put me on a
3-week paid medical leave ... so my schedule is lighter).
"How can such a thing happen?", you ask. I belong to a category of
academic workers called adjunct or part-time faculty. These faculty not
only receive lower wages and little to no job security, but also little to
no benefits. Indeed, many part-time faculty in the US don't have health
insurance at all (and virtually none have pension plans). In my case, my
ability to maintain health benefits is (even though I taught at that
school for 10 years) dependent on my ability to teach at least 2
classes/semester and not miss more that a set number of days being sick.
So ... (Catch 22) ... if you are sick enough that you exceed the maximum
allowable absences, then you lose your health benefits!
In solidarity, Jerry