Sharing Medical Issues with Employer?

Do you get a lunch hour?  If so, try to schedule appointments during this time.  You could also just tell your supervisor the real issue.  He should understand.  I know if it were me, I would hear "female issues" and wouldn't want to hear any more

Yes, I try to do that, however, usually travel to and from the appointment takes time - this is DC, after all. So I am inevitably gone for more than an hour, especially once you add in the obligatory wait time that you get at all doctor's offices.

I had some medical issues a couple years ago where I had to miss alot of work for appointments.  At the time I was working at an organization that was somewhat "micro-managed" and also people liked to gossup.  While i could have tried to continue to work appoinments aroung long lunches and such, I deceided to be upfront with my supervisor about what was going on. This was one of the few times that i felt my management was supportive and it made it much easier on me becuaase I didn't have to stress about when I would schedule appoinments. 

I'm not a female but I do have a wife and I know there are some things that are not comfortable to discuss with the other gender.  It's really none of their business.  If you don't wany him to know, I would just leave it at you have some medical issues that you wish to keep private. 

my 2 cents

To cover a few questions people have raised:

When I've had appointments, I've come in early and left late, in order to make up the hours. They know this. I have not slacked on hours because of these appointments.

No, I haven't told them the exact condition, though I have implied that the situation is possibly serious and somewhat time-sensitive and that all of the appointments are related - but I also worry that NOT telling them, and only mentioning that it's female in nature will make them think that it's something long term like pregnancy - no one likes a pregnant employee. But part of me also feels like it's not my male boss's business what's going on inside my lady bits - I could care less about people I don't know on the interwebs - none of you can fire me from my job

Rayd - my boss is definitely the micro-managing type - another reason why I am concerned.

They're not going to think you're pregnant, and you don't have to tell them what the issue is or that it's a female issue. Just say you have been dealing with a medical matter, and you appreciate their flexibility in allowing you to take appts during work hours, etc. Let them know to expect a few more appts in the short term and that there might be a surgery which could require a few days out of the office, but that you also hope/think the situation will resolved quickly. Ask them if they have any concerns about the matter in how it relates to work. As others said, a little communication goes a long way and just talking a little about it will really help. Most people are fairly reasonable and compassionate and don't want to see an employee who is already stressed about a medical situation have to also be stressed about 30 mins here and there at work. A candid conversation could result in a moment of just two people talking, rather than boss and employee, and it might make your boss your compassionate about the situation and you less nervous about what your boss will think.

I agree with you. We have two pregnant women in our 13-person department here at work. One will be going on leave just as the other returns. They actually work together on the same 3-person team within our department. Yes, it will make things tough, but no seems at all bothered by...not the male who leads the team they're on or the male who runs our department. It's all good.

Ooh, that's a good idea - I won't be able to get the note until my next appointment b/c I am switching doctors (not happy with the original doctor), but I will do that once I go.

I've only been here since February, and the company in total is 60 people. We don't really have an "HR" department. I handle a lot of the basic on-boarding of new employees, people are interviewed and hired by the manager of the particular position and the one person who handles the general "HR" stuff is also male (finance-related business, so all male-dominated). I doubt this will require FMLA. And I DO have personal time, which is mine to take if I need to. I just know that many employers frown upon people being gone at all - at least that's what my experience has been. Or maybe I've just been really unlucky in where I've worked. Being at the bottom of the food chain doesn't afford you many luxuries.

Write a short letter to your boss.  A sentence or two about the medical condition using medical terms.  A sentence or two about the future course of treatment and potential imact on your time in the office.  A sentence or two explaining in businesslike and neutral terms how you've fulfilled company obligations in spite of the appointments (avoid a sacrificial tone).  Finally, a sentence that this is personal information and you expect him to respect your privacy on this issue.  The last sentence should address what you'd like him to do if he overhears watercooler conversations between other employees speculating on your condition. 

Just a question about the "medical terms" thing - what I am being treated for is a "complex ovarian cyst". That is pretty obvious as to what the condition is - instead of using some random medical term that no one really knows anything about. Wouldn't that fall into the "gory details" category? Many men don't know the names of half the stuff women are afflicted with, but they know what ovaries are and what a cyst is - I feel like that's too much information right there. Thoughts? Sorry, I know this sounds dumb, but I am not comfortable discussing the state of my ovaries with my 40-something year old male boss...

(PS - yes, I get that saying it on an internet forum is odd, but since I know none of you, do not have a professional relationship with any of you, and will probably never meet any of you in my life, it's a little different)

Yeah, that's kind of why I asked. I know that health stuff is one of those weird HR issues where legally some stuff isn't supposed to be mentioned, and certain people don't need to know. But since I'm a low-level employee, a young female in a male-dominated environment, I am just concerned as to how this may negatively reflect on me if they suspect that I'm hiding something, esp. since they've already taken issue with one appointment, even though I mentioned that it was a "sensitive" issue.