How does a person with Fibromyalgia keep a job?!
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How does a person with Fibromyalgia keep a job?!
| Wed, 03-06-2013 - 8:45am |
Please tell me how you manage to keep a job and raise a family while suffering from Fibromyalgia. :(
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The short answer is you just do, but of course that's not exactly helpful, even if it is essentially true. It's hard (understatement) to juggle work, kids, marriage, etc., when you are exhausted and in pain all the time. It's made more difficult by the fact that no one can "see" what's wrong with you and there's a huge lack of public education about FM and people who suffer from it. There's a perception that we are just lazy, love taking meds, don't want to work, etc., but the truth is, it is enourmously difficult to function until you find a good treatment plan. AND, everyone is different, so my plan may not work for you and vise versa. It's frustration to say the least.
I'd say the first thing you need to do is get a good doctor and work on managing your pain and other symptoms so you can function as well as possible. You need to be fairly disciplined with your sleep schedule, diet, exercise, and managing stress. What works for me is a fairly healthy diet, getting about 7 hours of sleep a night, doing yoga and running on the eliptical about 2 days each a week, and resting when I'm tired. I know that sounds easy, but trust me, it's not! I would rather go out with my kids or friends, but somedays, I need to lay on the couch and watch TV, read, soak in the tub, etc. I also see a chiropractor/Chinese medicine doctor who does deep tissue massage, electrical stim, lasers, adjustments, and herbal treatments to help me manage my pain; I go every 2 weeks. I take Tramadol 50mg 1-2X a day, extra strength Tylenol with it, and flexeril at bedtime. I also take vitamin D and B 12 injections to treat deficiencies. It is a lot to maintain, for sure, but I'm able to work 3 - 4, 12 hour shifts a week, look after my son, go out with my friends, and enjoy my life. I even bought a motorcycle last year and I love every minute. Sure, there are days when I just can't do what I want, even riding my bike is too hard, but I have more days where I feel good. The other thing is coming here to vent and get advise! It really helps you feel better knowing you are not alone and other people are having the same problems. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
You bought a motorcycle and ride a bike??? I am very impressed!
I worked for 10 years with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue: Depending on your benefits at work, you can try various things. I was in the Federal Government so I went on part-time whereby I took one day of LWOP (leave without pay so as not to affect my pension) in the middle of the week. This helped a lot. I also joined a gym near my work and lots of stretching and light weights similiar to the ones suggested on this site. Also, one of the gyms had a hot tub, so that was beneficial relief.
As it progressed or work became more stressful, with permission from the Health Canada doctor and my own doctor's letter, I switched to flexible hours as some mornings the pain was severe, so time was made up later in the day. In the winter time, with pain travelling, I was able to get a handi-cap sticker for my car. Work stress played a lot into and having a boss in the end that did not support working with persons with a disability, etc., of which I won some compensation via my union, did not help. Eventually, after 10 years I went on long term disability, was approved for a medical retirement. The approval of my retirement and pension plan disability was evident with all the sick leave and annual leave that was constantly being used up.
If you can not find a job with benefits, then it becomes more difficult, unless you have a sympethetic boss. Fibromyalgia is a disability and most states and provinces it is the law: employers have to abide by these laws when empoyin persons with disabilities.
Hope some of this helps.