Ever since March of '09 I've been experiencing joint pains in my right knee. At that time I was smoking marijuana and it had help dull the pain if not ridding it. It's been about 5 months since I have tasted the pure smoke of marijuana. I started my job in September of '09, from August to September was when I stopped smoking so that I may pass the drug test in order to obtain this job. I've been working as a security officer with this company now for almost 4 months which will be on the 26th of January. Just recently my left knee has started to increase with pain just as my right knee has. Though there is something very special about my left knee. Every time I walk I can feel my left knee pop and grind. Whether I sit down, crouch, stand up, walk, run or lay down my knees just throb in pain. It's really bad especially when I wake up in the morning.
Here's even the saddest thing. The state of Arizona which I reside in took my food stamps away and my state health care plan because making $1,400 a month is plenty to live on. Thats not nearly enough and it never would be if you live in this state. Some people have told me to get the health plan my job has but if I did that I would no longer have any money what so ever after the bills are paid and that is something I'm gonna have to pass on. I found some interesting news from another security officer who came out to my work just a few weeks ago which is very rare.
Apparently my company started out with 21 locations for security officers to work through out the valley, now this company had dwindled down to 13 due to the economy and that my company charges way to much. We had about 20-30 patrol officers or "Rovers" that would drive around and do rounds where ever they were needed and check up on other foot patrol officers, but they all got laid off. My company does no pay raises, so this means if I worked for this company for another 20 years (If it's still around and I don't plan on working here for that long anyways) I'd still be making the same $9.00 dollars an hour. After a year of working with this company you get one week of paid vacation and after you have used up that one week of paid vacation you don't ever get another one no matter how long you work with this company, it could be 20 years and you'd never get another one. There are no such of a thing as paid sick days or hardly any other benefits that you would get from a full time job and there are no promotions. I did ask the security officer if our company does random drug testing and he said that he's been working with them for 11 months and if his word is golden then he told me "Nope, but that still doesn't mean you should go off and start doing drugs". The thing about this man is he works really close to our company which is in the city of Phoenix as where I work is in the city of Apache Junction. Thats about a 30 - 40 mile drive from Phoenix to Apache Junction and the same goes from Apache Junction to Phoenix. Luckily I live in a city called Mesa which is a lot closer to Apache Junction, I only live 7 miles away. Now another thing too is the last time anyone from my work drove from Phoenix to Apache Junction was about 3 years ago, ever since then no one has came out there. No one calls me nor sends me any letters threw the mail regarding anything what so ever.
This is what my "Security Officers Handbook" says about "Drug use and Alcohol Testing"... "The company reserves the right to require employees to be tested, using appropriate testing procedures, for illegal drugs or alcohol usage."
Then there is this one "Drugs"... "Do not possess, take, consume or be under the influence of any drug, barbiturate, or any from of narcotics or hallucinogen (including marijuana) before or while on duty. The only exception is medication prescribed by your licensed physician and which medication may not impair bodily or mental functions required to respond to your assignment."
Now no where does it say that you can't do any type of drugs when your off work or before bed or when you wake up but since I work out in the desert alone where I could smoke a joint with no one knowing about it besides the friendly 13 cats :D they could possibly say "How do we not know your not doing it during your work hours since no one is out there?" I can see why they could say this because that is true, if I were to smoke at home and they did so happen to drug test me then they wouldn't know if I did it at work, they'd probably assume that I'm just saying I did it at home before bed or on my off day so that I could cover for my ass. I went threw Sonora Quest when I got drug tested the first time when I was being hired and I was thinking that possibly they would call me and have me drive back down to Sonora Quest again for another if that is what they would do. Hell who knows someone might just randomly show up from my company and drug test me on the site I just don't know.
Now I don't like prescribed medications (Narcotics) I have many many factual reasons as to why not and I couldn't obtain them because I don't have medical insurance anyways. But as the increasing pains in my joints increase each day and night I have been ever more thinking about taking the risk of smoking again with the chance of maybe being "Drug Tested" by my job. Though there are a few things that if I did I would lose if I was to be drug tested and I can't afford that right now, yet the benefit of my own health is more important correct? I also can't afford X-Rays or physical theorpy.
If there is anything else that I may have left out that your questioning please feel free to ask me and I will answer your questions as best as I can. Hopefully someone can lend me some positive advise or something?
Oh and this isn't relative to this topic but my right eye has been watering up every since last Wednesday (January 13, 2010). There is nothing in my eye, there is no pus, blood, mucus or any infection that I can see and no discoloration, it's simply just pure water. Regardless of the whether or temperature this does not effect the watering in my eye. Though the eye lid and outside of my eye is irritated from rubbing or wiping it dry. If there is any suggestions on this, please let me know as well because it's just really really annoying.
Thank you!
