How many here are working full time?

I was just curious how many people on here are working full time and what they do? I am 60 and just struggling to work full time. I am in a lot of pain, not well controlled and so fatigued. I saw a new rheumy last week and she is checking me for Sjogrens and did some x rays on my hands and feet. I think she thinks I may have Sjogrens and not RA. I guess the x rays will shed some light on the RA since I've had joint pain for 7 years now, some damage should show up, right?

We need my income because my husband is retired. Ugh, I think we made a bad call when he retired 2 years ago. I was doing so well at that time...

I had colitis several years back and was in remission for 4 years post surgery and I think that is coming back as well. That's really got me scared. I'm pretty down about now and scared what's going to happen because I am about done fighting all this and trying to work full time. But, we need my salary. Ugh!!!! This is on my mind so heavily and I don't want to burden friends and family with it. Having to take so much time off from work for Drs appts is really hard too. I get so stressed.

Thanks for listening and sorry for being such a downer.....

Hi, I know how you feel as well. I think some days that there is no way I will be able to keep on working another 20 years with RA. I am employed as a software engineer and have been since coming up with ra. I was previously in underground construction and needless to say I could not continue on with this. My hands have some deformity so pecking a keyboard all day long can be pretty uncomfortable as well.

I have been working full time for 20 years with RA and it has been through the grace of God that I have been able to. Not only that but I have been able to excel in my chosen work even with all the sick days (sometimes months when I have been flared up!) and hobbling through the hallways at work going from place to place. I often wonder how things would have been for me without this disease standing in the way but I then feel so thankful that I have been able to provide a good life for my family and share with others about RA through my work.

Yesterday, I was feeling quite glum and sorry for myself in the morning and a friend at work in building maintenance stopped me in the hallway to comment that I am looking so much better these days than I have in the past. I thanked him of course but he went on to tell me that he had so much admiration for me and thinks of me often because no matter how bad I seem to be I always smile and do my best at work.
I was very flattered and his words brought me right up out of the morass of self pity I was in.

Ultimately I can claim no credit for this. I believe that he Lord has been with me through all of this thick and thin and it is and will continue to be him who I lean on through times when I just can't seem to go on any longer. I take comfort that through our struggles others see how The Lord works in our lives especially those of us who are sick.

I hope that you are feeling better and that your heart is lifted up because it can be so hard from day to day with this disease. I know how it feels and I am so glad you posted this because it is something many of us deal with on an ongoing basis.

Take care.

Post Edited (Don_D) : 12/13/2014 9:37:11 AM (GMT-7)

I'm 47 and taught kids until two years ago. I couldn't handle the daily pain and fatigue. I'm on disability now. My income is much lower but I can survive the day now.

Hi jeanneac so sorry I'd say if you could the best thing would be to give up work or at least go part time it will help you as time goes on

I was working full time in early days for probably about 5-6 yrs but then had so much time off I had to go on to part time for about a 2 years then dropped even more to 2 days a week did that for about another year then gave up all together
that was about 18 yrs ago now, I was a nurse so had to be physically fit but I found if I did one shift it took 4 days to get over it,
I even tried doing night shifts (quieter less heavy work) but that didn't work as I couldn't sit for long periods if I had to sit by a patient or at the desk , then one day I collapsed in front of a patient and they had to ring for help
so I stopped then.

the issue is yes I might feel ok some days - when I'm just popping about the house but try to Do anything then its an issue (as a lot of you would also have) so what sort of work could I do ?

can't sit - back & Legs & hips Ach
if I sit have to have legs up
can't stand eg in a supermarket line - legs & Back Ach
can't use computer for any length of time - Hands Cramp & Back & Neck, and eyes go double vision
can't write - unable to hold a pen
and have to be close to toilets due to incontinence issues - & need help there
even eating lunch at a job would be funny as someone has to cut it for me
and that's just the Basics

sometimes I get really angry that I can't work and feel useless but then I look at what I can do and try to accept my now changed life.

I'm 54 and I work 2 jobs. The full time job that brings in the benefits and the lions share of our income and when I get home I have to do the clerical, management duties of our family business.
I'm worn out. Thankfully only at onset was I completely out of commission for a few months. I have to hit the wall not to push myself right into the ground without thinking of myself. I am fearing a repeat of onset. My day job has become very stressful with key people missing and me having to pick up the slack. My RA symptoms that had seemed to be sleeping are surfacing pretty significantly. It appeared that stress was the trigger of my onset....