AIBU to have called sick for work ???

[soriasis]

Just looking for some outside opinions on this as I’m too involved and can’t decide if I’m unreasonable or not to have taken off sick days

i took off several sick days off work. I have psoriasis and usually it’s on areas of my skin that nobody can see as I dress to cover it, although some of my colleagues are aware I have the condition anyway. I don’t just mean a bit of dry skin- I mean full blown psoriasis and I’m under dermatology for it. i had a huge flare up on my face- I have never been so uncomfortable in all my life. It was all around my neck, chin, mouth and lip area and around my eye lid and forehead. It was also on my hands. I couldn’t talk properly (I could talk but it was uncomfortable and the skin burst open and bled if I talked), eating was painful because if I moved my face the skin would burst and crack, same with moving my hands and fingers. Everything was doable but a massive struggle and extremely painful and bloody. I called sick for work for this

but I’ve never called sick for my psoriasis before and I’m a bit stressed about it now. I have a separate condition which is serious and I didn’t want my colleagues to think I was unwell with that, so when my colleagues that I’m close friends with asked if I was ok I just explained I had a bad psoriasis flare up on my face and hands. They were really understanding and wished me well but in general lunchtime chit chat they must have mentioned to others that’s why I was off because now everyone knows. And apparently they’re annoyed that I took time off because I was embarrassed about my face and how it looked and apparently I should have just slapped some moisturiser on it and apparently I’m unreasonable for taking time off, let alone several days, for psoriasis

was I being unreasonable for this? I suppose embarrassment did come into it slightly as I was mortified at how my face looked. But I mainly took time off because of how painful and uncomfortable it was. But technically I could have done my job, albeit uncomfortably, and it’s not like I had a headache or sickness bug where I was completely unable to do it

please tell me honestly (so I can prepare myself for the honest opinions of others when I return to work!) was I unreasonable?

Hello, I have experience in this area and wanted to let you know that

a severe, long-term disfigurement - for example severe facial scarring or a skin disease

is covered automatically by the disability discrimination act.

Just in case that helps.

Equality act even I think it is. Citizens advice helped me with the info. Or the charity Changing Faces may help.

You are NOT being unreasonable. Stop stressing because that will not help your skin condition!

How do you know that the other colleagues were annoyed? Have they contacted you while you’re off sick to have a go at you?

YANBU and please don't stress, will make it worse x

Poor you

I took a day off for conjunctivitis recently, my eye was really bothering me and I had to keep using drops and damp make up pads to keep it tolerable. And computer screen made it worse. But if I'd had important meetings I'd have coped. A lot less bad than yours sounds. Ime your colleagues just don't understand the severity of your condition.