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Frustrated-pain is worse since starting work

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Posted Yesterday 2:35 PM (GMT 0)
My pain has been a lot worse for a while now, pretty much since I started working again. I wake up in massive pain that may or may not get a little better as I get up and start moving. I usually feel pretty good by 4:00 if I take my meds when I need them. At least four days out of seven for the last few weeks I've needed to take my pain meds every four hours to stay on top of my pain. The pain will usually start creeping back after 2-3 hours but I refuse to take my meds any more often than 4 hours because the Tylenol wrecks my stomach if I do. The other days I might be able to go 5-6 hours between doses. It's very hard to stay on top of my meds at work because I generally work 5-6 hour shifts and only get one break. We only get one if we're scheduled 4.0 to 7.0 hours. In my opinion six hours or longer is an inhumanly long amount of time to work with only one break, but I digress. I never know exactly when I'll get that break and if we're too busy for me to go to break then I can't get away to just take my meds. We aren't allowed to have food or drink up front and I have to have water to get my meds down so it doesn't work to keep them in my pocket. I'm battling fasciitis and achille's tendon pain with being on my feet for work the entire time. No matter what my other pain is like my heels and ankles will be absolutely howling by 2 pm without fail. I don't take pain meds if it's just my feet/ankles hurting because it doesn't help that pain very much but it's like I'm walking on a bed of needles sometimes.

I guess I have several different problems. I think I'm going to have to tell someone about needing to take the meds and ask if I can keep a bottle of water up front somewhere specifically for taking them if I can't get away. I suppose I could fix the break issue by having my doc write a note that I need to be able to sit down for a bit every so many hours but I hate the idea of doing that. I don't want to be treated that much differently and I don't want to have to tell anyone why I need to sit. As far as the overall increase in pain, I'm trying to be optimistic that it'll get better as I get used to being on my feet that much but I'm losing that optimism fast as it just keeps getting worse. Help?
Posted Yesterday 6:04 PM (GMT 0)
I would mention the need to take your meds to your boss. If you keep the water capped, it should be okay. I imagine that they don't want anything spilled. So talk to them and try to work something out.

You may need a stronger med now that you are working. I did. And it helped. And I worked the afternoon shift, so I would always make sure I took my meds before going in. My afternoon dose that is.

I hope you can work something out so you can continue to be productive. Keep us posted.

Hugs, Karen
Posted Yesterday 8:57 PM (GMT 0)
Evenkeel,

That does sound rough. What kind of work do you do?

My daughters worked at Home Depot and Loew's, and both complained about having to stand for hours...it seems absolutely ridiculous to me that they can't put a little stool behind the register so the cashiers can sit now and then, when it's slow. My feet would kill me, too!

As far as water, that's just as bad. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but it just burns me.

I sure hope you can get your employer to listen to reason. Of course you don't want to be treated differently, but sometimes it's worth it to get the relief you need.

Debbie
Posted Today 5:55 AM (GMT 0)
Seven hours is way too long to go with only one break! I'm not sure where you work but in the states I've lived you had to have one break and a lunch break (unpaid) if you worked more than six hours. I totally understand not wanting to be treated differently, but you have the right to any reasonable adjustments needed to enable you to work. I'd explore it further with your boss and your doctor.
Posted Today 6:14 AM (GMT 0)
When I was working I had FMLA filled out to cover me. I was very blessed to work for big corporations that followed the disability laws well. I understand your concern on the long hrs. I could never go back to nursing. I actually didn't renew my licence. I have numerous health conditions that caused me to stop work. I sometimes wish I could work. Less time for your mind to wonder.
Posted Today 10:21 PM (GMT 0)
I am also a nurse and had to stop even a paperwork position. I feel bad for you. My life came down to..if I had to work then I went to bed the second I got home and never scheduled 2 days in a row. Motrin every four hours barely got me through the shift. Now, 3 years later and not working, I still have great limitations

but through some unfortunate events, BP spikes and tachycardic episodes I was put on xanax and that actually allows me to sleep without hideous pain and somehow relaxes my muscles to a point that I am no longer in pain even at rest. Activity, exacerbates the pain but resting pain has diminished a ton! A tiny, tiny dose .125mg helped immmediately. You must work with your doctor closely if you go this route though. It sure beat lyrica and neurontin for me as far as side effects. Goodluck!

 

Posted 12/6/2011 12:36 AM (GMT 0)
evenkeel....that is rough. I also work, I had to cut back to 3/4 time. I am very lucky I work for the health care system and I am protected by the union. They make all kinds of accommidations for me. Never feel bad if you get different treatment...you have a health condition so you should. I think it is better that they make accomidations then have to pay for you to sit at home. This is also better for my mental state I would become very depressed if I had to sit at home and think about my health problems. I think you should talk to your boss or have your doctor write that note, be proud of yourself it is not always easy to drag yourself to work when you are in a lot of pain. Look after number 1 don't worry what others think.

Take care, Amy
Posted 12/6/2011 3:58 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for your input! I work for a big-box retailer that is very strict about their "corporate" image. Thus, no drinks up front and no one sits unless a doctor writes a note that they need to do so (as I've recently found out). I'm part-time 20-25 hours a week and I've only worked that many hours per week so far. I was actually scheduled for 35+ hours Thanksgiving week but I had to call in on that Saturday because I was in far too much pain. I overdid it between Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping combined with lots of hours in a few days. One thing I remembered is when I sit on a stool my feet and groin tend to go numb. Weird but true. I would have to ask for a chair, which might still work. I unfortunately don't have the FMLA fallback because I just started there and so I can't use that. I will have to ask about keeping the bottle of water up front for meds. Today I excused myself to "use the restroom" when I needed to take my meds but that won't work if we're super busy. Is this going to get better? I know no one can really answer that question but I sure hope so because I can't do this long-term if it doesn't.

Pumpkin11-I might have to try something like that. I did try trazodone and another antidepressant whose name escapes me right now but neither helped at all. Neither was as strong as Xanax, though. It's not an option for me to cut my hours any further right now so if that would help I might need to do it.

Namian-I had to look up rest break laws because I know from working in MN there are some laws there that say your employer has to give you certain breaks. FLSA says employers don't have to provide any rest/meal breaks and Iowa state law doesn't require any either. All they have to do is allow you access to a restroom when you need it per OSHA. This is really odd because our GM made a huge deal about having to take lunch breaks if you're scheduled for 7.0 hours or more just in case you go over some "consecutive hours worked" threshold OSHA supposedly requires for taking a lunch break. The GM also said something during training to the effect of if you work between 4 and 7 hours you get one break and possibly another "if staffing and traffic allow". No one's ever offered me a second break no matter how slow it was. We're also a small store that's running on the lean side for staffing. *sigh* I guess either my doctor needs to step in or I can ask to only be scheduled a maximum of five hours, or both. I think that might be a fair compromise, saying if they're going to schedule me for more than five hours I need to be able to take another break if I need one.
Posted 12/6/2011 4:31 AM (GMT 0)
Wow, I didn't realize until I looked it up that very few states have laws regarding rest breaks. I've just been lucky enough to live in those states. I think it is a good idea to ask to be limited to 5 hours and to try to get a doctor's note for a chair.

I'm right there with you, it is hard to ask for special considerations, even if they are necessary to do the job. I keep thinking that if i were in a wheel chair it'd be reasonable, but since I "look fine" then people will resent it if I get anything they don't get.
Posted 12/6/2011 4:40 AM (GMT 0)
evenkeel - if your brain really needs the GABA levels to increase the xanax helps and you (I) don't get a drugged feeling at all. It actually clears my head from that fibro fog(fuzz). BUT people who don't need it may have sedation difficulties with the med. Goodluck...I hope you can find a solution soon!

 

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