I wanna talk to Paulie

I'm kinda pissed off at a conversation I had last week. I'll explain... I work for a bank. Needless to say, this is not the best industry to be in at the moment but I'm not in a position to change jobs right now so it is what it is. My employer has done everything under the sun including huge layoffs to stay afloat in this market. I'm not so opposed to the idea of rolling up my sleeves and doing my part in the rough times but I'm really sick of hearing "You should be thankful you have a job." Mostly because that statement makes me feel like I'm not valued. I digress; when the economy came tumbling down and I was being encouraged to "do more with less" I did not think that I would have to sacrifice my health. We changed short term disability insurance providers last year and at the time I did not think much of it. When I called they seemed pleasant and I guess I was satisfied with their service, until I got a call from my boss. He told me my claim was approved through December 31st. I was thoroughly confused because that was only four weeks of leave that they agreed to pay for and my doctor had previously advised me that it would take six weeks for me to completely heal. How the hell am I supposed to work if I'm not back to normal??? I have nerve damage and my reflexes are not normal so I'm not able to drive, this sounds like a pretty damn good reason for me to stay out on leave. I mean really. When I explained this to the insurance company, my caseworker acted as if I was not telling the truth and kept talking in circles about how much leave I am entitled to. I don't think the bottom line should be a factor in my healing process. But I guess that's how employers determine your value.