Guess what I recieved in the mail today?

[CQ:)]

I had always wanted to do jury duty, but was never summoned...until right after brain surgery to remove a tumor. I wrote on the little response card that I had recently had a craniotomy, then thought, "Yeah, right; they'll really believe that." So I just made a copy of the sheet that you sometimes get at the doctor's with all the codes for the procedures. I highlighted the name of the practice - Neurosurgical Institute; reason for office call - post-surgical consult; diagnosis - oligodendroglioma; follow up notes - set up appointment with oncologist and physical therapist, MRI in three months. I got an immediate "You're excused" No official doctor's note needed.

Over here when we have an election you are required to vote, if you can't vote on the day there are voting booths open for absentee voters or you can send away for a postal vote which can be done about 1 or 2 weeks before the elections. If you don't vote (at less get your name signed of on the electoral role) or have a valid reason for not voting then you can be fined.

Last year the state I live in had their elections but it was at the end of March, only a couple of weeks after my brain surgery. I knew that I wouldn't be up to voting that soon after my surgery. In the February I made enquiries as to whether I could pre vote before I went away to have my surgery. I went to our local members office to enquire if I could pre vote & they didn't know so told me to contact the electoral office.

I rang the electoral office & was told I could pre vote but the pre voting didn't open until Mid March which was the same time I was having my surgery. I told the person on the phone that I couldn't pre vote at that time because not only would I be in a different state but I was going to be in hospital after having surgery.
The person said they would make enquiries & ring me back. The person rang me back & told me that if I couldn't vote or pre vote then I would get fined. I asked to speak to a supervisor, I was put onto the team leader & explained to them my situation, how it was impossible for me to vote or even pre vote because i was having brain surgery.
The team leader agreed that brain surgery was a valid reason not to vote but told me I might still get a fine sent in the mail. They told me to get a letter from one of my specialists explaining that I couldn't vote because of the surgery & if I did get a fine I just had to tick on the back of the fine I had a valid reason & send it back with the specialists letter & I should be exempted from paying the fine.

I contacted my Neuropsych (who provides any medical certificates or letters I need) & explained the situation to her. She got straight onto it, she wrote a letter & sent it to me so I had it before I went away. In the letter she explained that I was due to have brain surgery, was unable to pre vote as I would be in hospital when pre voting started, needed plenty of rest in the 1st few weeks after surgery so was medically unfit to vote on the day. I never did get a fine or request to see a letter from my specialist. I still have the letter here which Neuropsych did for the electoral people lol.

 

[Eli]

I had always wanted to do jury duty, but was never summoned...until right after brain surgery to remove a tumor. I wrote on the little response card that I had recently had a craniotomy, then thought, "Yeah, right; they'll really believe that." So I just made a copy of the sheet that you sometimes get at the doctor's with all the codes for the procedures. I highlighted the name of the practice - Neurosurgical Institute; reason for office call - post-surgical consult; diagnosis - oligodendroglioma; follow up notes - set up appointment with oncologist and physical therapist, MRI in three months. I got an immediate "You're excused" No official doctor's note needed.

The way you said, "yeah right..." made me lmao - thank you!

 

[Eli]

Over here when we have an election you are required to vote, if you can't vote on the day there are voting booths open for absentee voters or you can send away for a postal vote which can be done about 1 or 2 weeks before the elections. If you don't vote (at less get your name signed of on the electoral role) or have a valid reason for not voting then you can be fined.......I never did get a fine or request to see a letter from my specialist. I still have the letter here which Neuropsych did for the electoral people lol.

Wow what an ordeal/process to go through on top of having the surgery!

 

[Nakamova]

I did jury duty a few years ago. It was a simple case, didn't take to long to hear and to decide. Everyone agreed on the verdict, so that was nice.

 

[valeriedl]

My husband had colon cancer a few years ago and was summoned for jury duty when he was doing chemo treatments. He got out of it with a note from the dr saying that he needed to beable to go to the bathroom when he needed to and couldn't hold it until a recess.

I know I wouldn't beable to do jury duty because my memory is horrible and I could have a seizure at any time. Plus with being on Keppra I'd probably jump up and start yelling "Come on don't you guys see this guy is guilty, listen to all the evidence!!!!! Lets get this stupid thing over with and just go home!!!!"

 

[thornton8000]

I was called for jury duty a few years ago and wasn't able to do it for many reasons:
1) no daycare to take care of the kids
2) uncontrolled depression and anxiety no medications have been able to control my depression and anxiety.
3) multiple personialitys that could interfere with my ability to give fair and equal input.

Of course all were documented, but with the tyoe of cases of jury duty, i wasnt asked to provide any medical paperwork.

Then the last time I was asked to serve jury duty my boss sent a letter to another state that called me to serve and stated that due to me being in security and another state that serving would be impossible.

But if you are the care provider for your boys and nobody else can watch them you more than likely be excused from having to serve among the other reason you stated.

Mike

 

[momof3boys]

Im the one who mostly takes on all the duties of the kids. My husband works first shift, 6am - 2pm wednesday through sunday. But Im the one who primary has to make sure the kids are taken and picked up from school. I filled out the form and sent it in this morning. So I guess I will wait to see what comes about with it. Im hoping that with my husband working in the dept of corrections, that will get me out of it. My father in law use to work for the dept of corrections and everytime he gets one of these in the mail, he has to add that he use to work in that dept. Apparently it gets him out of it!

 

[travel bug]

The way you said, "yeah right..." made me lmao - thank you!

Since there is no Thanks button on this thread, I'm saying Thanks for your Thanks

 

[travel bug]

Hey CQ

No wonder your motto is "laughter is freaking essential". Dealing with all that red tape on top of the stress of brain surgery is mind-boggling. If you couldn't laugh, you'd have to cry.

 

[CQ:)]

Hey CQ
No wonder your motto is "laughter is freaking essential". If you couldn't laugh, you'd have to cry.

:agree: Travel Bug
I always try to laugh or see the funny side of things because I'm sure if I don't laugh I'll cry.

Dealing with all that red tape on top of the stress of brain surgery is mind-boggling.

The stuff to do with the state election wasn't the only crap I had to deal with before my surgery.

In 2010 when I was going through the process to see if I could have surgery I was unemployed so was receiving the dole (unemployment benefits). I had told Centrelink (they handle all the social security benefits here, eg - pensions, unemployment) that I was going through testing to have brain surgery but they still required me to see my employment consultant every 2 weeks to look for work.

I have to lodge a dole form in to Centrelink in order to get my unemployment benefits, back in 2010 you still had to go to the Centrelink office to hand in your form (now its all done on line which is much better). I went to hospital in November 2010 for my Video EEG & I was due to hand in my dole form at the same time I was in for my Video EEG. I rang Centrelink & also spoke to a couple of people at my local Centrelink office telling them all that it was impossible for me to lodge my form when I was going to be in hospital. I kept being told maybe I could get a relative to hand the form in or ask a nurse to fax through my form. I told them the only relative who I would have with me would be my Mum & she was staying in hospital with me & there was no way I could ask a nurse to fax my form because I'm sure they would be to busy.
In the end I was told that if I could get a medical certificate or a letter from a dr saying I couldn't hand my form in because I would be in hospital I would be exempt from putting my form in. I ended up ringing my epilepsy nurse at the hospital & explained the situation to her. She got one of the neurologists to write a letter to Centrelink explaining that it was impossible for me to hand in my form as I was going to be in hospital for testing, which she sent straight to me. I was then able to give the neurologists letter to Centrelink which they accepted so I didn't have to worry about handing my dole form in while in hospital.

It was while I was in for the Video EEG that I met my Neuropsych, she explained to me that she would do any letters or medical certificates I needed. I told her the problems I was having with Centrelink & it was crazy to be looking for work while I was going through the pre surgery tests & still unsure at that time when I was having the surgery. My Neuropsych gave me a medical certificate for Centrelink which was ongoing. When I gave the medical certificate to Centrelink I was no longer required to look for work & just had to provide a new medical certificate every 3 months until I was well enough to go back to looking for work. I ended up being on medical certificates from Nov 2010 - July 2011.

My Neurospych providing the medical certificates for me did relieve the stress of worrying about looking for work while going through the pre surgery tests & when I had surgery.