Balancing work / activity and pain

As I've mentioned, I am the primary bread winner and my husband, very recently, lost his one night per week job which is really gonna hurt!

I teach, so fortunately, I have summers off. However, we are back in the swing and I am finding it difficult, no, HARD as heck, to balance going to work with managing my pain.

Today (and I should have seen it coming), another teacher and myself had to spend the morning in the Media Center administering tests to students on our caseload (I teach Special Education, students who are on IEPs). This meant I was up on my feet for around three hours straight.

I can usually manage by very frequently alternating sitting and standing. This morning kicked my butt! I absolutely HATE to take off or leave early, but despite my trying everything I could, I just couldn't do it anymore. I had to come home an hour and a half early.

Being a CP person / patient, I am sure I use more sick days than the average Joe. I guess I feel that I committed to my position, I should darn well be there. I don't like to use my sick or personal time, but what choice do I have?

What do you do when you have tried everything in your "arsenal" to get through the day but it just isn't working? Do you explain to your boss, or would that just give you a "black mark", so to speak, and make admin watch you?

How DO you balance it all (for those who don't work, how do you manage activities and / or other obligations?)

Hello again sicntired. My mom has been in that field since I was 5, she worked her way from part time clerk, to credentialed school psychologist, she just finished her master's and credentialing program 3 years ago, I am way too familiar with the extra hours that teachers and others have to dedicate to that program, I just can't imagine how you do it.

Time off for teachers is very different and a lot trickier than for most of us, since you have contract renewals to protect. I would think that with the "Americans with disabilities Act", there must be something you can do, it would be far more beneficial for your district to hire an additional paraprofessional, than to loose a teacher with such valuable credentials. Have you had a sit down with your principal and superintendent about this? You need to have some kind of game plan in place that benefits everyone.

You asked in a previous thread about going through with surgery, that's not going to be easy if you don't have any sick time, and especially if the issue is not work comp, teachers have very different forms of short term disability things than the average joe, and non-union districts jump on every chance they can get to find a cheaper employee.

My advice is to have a sit down with your principal and superintendent, and try to get you some help in the classroom, until you're ready for surgery. I had no idea you're a teacher when you were talking about it before, I think you need to get your back repaired before you end up having to take a medical retirement, the physical aspects of being an SDC teacher is just going to compound your back problems, to the point where they become permanently disabling, I've seen it happen to many teachers in the years that both of my parents have worked for school districts.

One teacher in particular, who I know very well and worked with my mom for over 15 years, had 3 vertebrate in his back crushed when he was attacked by a student with ED. He decided to put off having any surgery, and got his credentials to be special ed director, which got him out of the classroom. He let it go and just kept getting the shots and RFAs, and now he is permanently wheelchair bound, he's barely in his late 50's now, he's been in a wheelchair for 5 years now, he too had a great sence of duty to his family, but he will never walk without assistance of 2 strong people for the rest of his life now. Not that your back will get that bad, but it won't get any better with your job duties.

I'm so sorry you're going through this, I worked for several months before finally being sent home, in the shop of a wind farm, just rebuilding parts that I had no business lifting, and building my own designed part to reinforce failing wind turbine blades on the older turbines, which I welded out of solid steel, and weighed almost 75lbs each when completed; I know what it's like to have a boss that's demanding too much of you.

I hope you will be able to find some kind of solution to this mess, please don't let my stories lead you to doing something that could jeopardize your career, or your level of care, I think you still need to get that 2nd opinion from a board certified surgeon, there may be other routes than surgery that would allow you to heal, and perhaps you might even be a candidate for something like a microdiscectomy, my mom has had two, and has no problems with those levels now.

Take care of yourself, and make sure your doctors are fully aware of your job duties, and how much pain you are caused by them, so they can treat you accordingly. Good luck, and God Bless.

I taught middle school science for 11yrs. Since the jaw replacement, I've been unable to return. Muscles lock down if I talk or an extended period of time. I miss it every day.

It was incredibly hard to reach full time and return home to my own little one. Taking off or leaving early could be wy more trouble than it was worth. Hated trying to figure out sub plans.

I was pretty upfront with my administration. I had to take off a few days each month for infusions. I did take pain meds while teaching. I fought it for a while, but it became a necessity. Being middle schoolers, the kids could tell if I wasn't feeling so hot. I didn't tell them my whole medical history, but I told them if it was a rough day. Instead of going to them when a hand was raised, they would come to me. I also had a TENS unit that I could use as well.

I'm sorry you are having such a hard time. No matter how much you love teaching, it drains you. I hope you are able to find a way to make it thru the day.

I'm lucky too, Shell, in that I teach High School kids. I visited my youngest's third grade class last year and was completely worn out after 10 minutes... And that was just watching them all!! The kids I have this year and next, I have known for a couple of years, so they do know that I have 'back problems'. I am very fortunate with this group, as I can ask them to come to me with questions, etc.

I have paid thru the nose for short-term disability, but, as Matt said, it's different for teachers in that if we don't have the days to cover all of our time off, we actually have to pay if we are out. I would end up paying them should I need to be off work longer than I have time to cover.

The fact that I started teaching late, as a second career after staying home for a little while with my babies, coupled with the time I have had to take off means I'm not sitting on a bounty of time, should I need it.

I have tried an endless number of creams, lotions and potions. Right now, I am using a compounded topical that I have to come home at plan to have my husband apply (I can't reach my own back!). I don't know how much it actually helps physically or if it's in my head. I can't always hop home on my plan, either.

I do have a TENS and have used it at school. However, lately, it causes more pain than it relieves. Too bad I can't just send it to you, SE, but I don't even think I've paid for mine, yet!

I did have a full-time para last year, but due to cuts, I only have her one hour this year. Anyway, I am still responsible for the teaching, and since the kids are good at coming to me when I need them too, I don't know if that would help.

I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, if it seems I'm shooting down everyone's ideas. I really appreciate the suggestions, ideas and input!! Short of finding an amazing work from home scheme, I think I am pretty much stuck!

 Hey Sicntired. Hoping you get things worked out. Im not familiar with all of your back problems but I have issues with mine among many other things. I think I can give my 2 cents in confidence unless your already aware of it but alot of back problems can be reduced through good shoes and high qualty insoles especially if your on your feet allday. In my case I have to wear prescribed custom orthotics and can testify that having a good fondation is something that most people overlook because they are focused on their back pain so much. Like I said its not going to fix you but if it can just help you a little it may be worth it.

  Good luck and I hope the best for you!!!