Due to excellent advances made in the treatment of bleeding disorders, the impact they have on your life has been greatly reduced, allowing you to live life to your full potential.
Work
You might have concerns about telling your work colleagues about your condition, as you are unsure of how they may react. It is entirely up to you whether you are open about it. However, there are certainly benefits to letting at least a few trusted people, including your manager, know about your bleeding disorder so that they are given the opportunity to be understanding and accommodating. The key advantages from your perspective are:
– If they are aware of your condition and how you treat it, they will be able to provide a safe, cool place for your factor to be stored
– If you have a bleed, they will have more of an understanding of what is happening and whether or not you need emergency medical attention
– You can have a plan in place for what they should do if you are involved in a serious accident – this is especially true if you work in a physically demanding occupation or within a potentially hazardous environment
– They could be more cooperative and helpful towards you when you need to take time off, should you need to recover from a bleed
– They can offer you long-term support to make sure that you are not restricted or disadvantaged at work in anyway
If you have a mild bleeding disorder and/or don’t feel that it is necessary to discuss your medical history with your place of work, then that is also fine. You can always discuss any issues or concerns you have regarding your ability to work, or whether or not to disclose your condition, with your haemophilia centre. Furthermore, if you feel that you are not being fully supported by your manager and fellow colleagues, then you can talk to your healthcare team and contact Citizen’s Advice Bureau here.
