In Portugal, you have a limit for how long you can be on sick leave uninterrupted. That limit is three years. After that, you must request a disability evaluation.
I’ve been on uninterrupted sick leave for almost two years. Last week, I had my latest presentation before Social Security’s medical board. In a very aggressive manner (both in language and body posture), they told me that I had 15 days to send them the request for disability or they’ll stop paying me the sick leave.
For this request, I need a form filled out by my personal physician, another from my employer, and a third one by me, and the ton of medical reports I have collected. I already have mine filled out, but I’m waiting on the other two.
Listening to a dick say I have 15 days to prepare everything and send it to them was like a sword stabbing my heart. Until now, I’ve been hopeful that I would find a way to control the pain level and get back to work, even though I can’t find a doctor willing to prescribe me low-dose morphine or a similarly potent opioid.
“You shall not break me completely” I’ve thought several times about my apparently aggressive form of fibromyalgia. Now, I feel that I’ve been shattered into dust. I feel more hopeless than before and terrified about what the future holds. I feel utterly defeated.
