Let's talk employment!

I went back to school for a new career in Phlebotomy (drawing blood) and just last Friday finished with my class room work. I was also diagnosed with Fibromyalgia on Thursday of last week. The onset was very quick and I was already in school when this happened. So, the next step in my learning is my clinicals which are supposed to start on 1/18. I already know that I cannot physically do what is required of the training or the job. My goal was to finish with my schooling and attempt a job at a hospital working 3-12 hours shifts.

I've thought about other job options but even computer/typing at this point is limited as it just brings on too much pain in the hands, arms, fingers, neck and shoulder area.

Being new to Fibro I don't know what to expect with how the medication will work, how limited I will be and what will trigger a flare up. Is phlebotomy something that can be accomplished with a person having fibro?

If you wouldn't mind to share, I'd like to hear about your work environment and how you cope with having this nasty fibro.

Thanks in advance,

Ann

You can do almost anything. It's just learning how to manage it.

For me, sleep becomes important. Pain management matters, as does eating well, and making good choices. Do what you can. Many people can manage full-time jobs; others cannot. If I don't have sleep and exercise, my ability to work becomes more difficult.

Well I was hoping to get on at the hospital after clinical. My feet are one of the harder areas "hit" with pain at the moment. I also am having tremors in my hands which would definitely make things difficult. I'm dealing with peoples health and I know mistakes on my part could harm them.

Since this is all so new to me, I'm not sure how the medication (Cymbalta) is going to work, since I've only been on this since Friday. I'm really at a loss of what to do.

Sorry, I wanted to say I can handle the pain, it is the fatigue and often feeling light headed that drives my crazy. I could crawl under my desk some days and just sleep. My ears are giving me serious problems such as being blocked, feeling full and popping.

Janine

By the way, if you look around Healing Well, there are pay per click ads. That's what allows us to use the site free. So I try to remember to click the links that interest me, because that helps the site.

I work full time & am the single mother of two small children. I take A leAve of absence from my job every year in Jan & Feb. I curremtly hAve an EEOC complaint pending against my job. my doctor has said the longer you are able to keep working do so b/c when you stop working depression sets in
I would encourAge you to study FMLA & reasonable accomadAtions. Go to the school's affimative action dept. If all you need is a stool to sit on or periodic breaks, there's no reason to throw your education away. Lastly, hospitals tend to be very accomdating to ADA requests, esp, large hospitals or government run hospitals. best wishes

I work 40 hours a week and I plan to keep working as long as I can, until retirement age at least. I find that on the days I don't work that I tend to sit around more and I'm actually in MORE pain than on the days that I work.

I work for a large corporation and they are very accommodating. I agree that if I wasn't working I'd have more issues with depression and with my health in general.

If I were you I'd contact your schools department for students with disabilities. I'd try to be hired by a large hospital so they'd have more room to accommodate you.

Plus, you have the opportunity to feel better in the future now that you know what you are dealing with. I take Savella and it took three months for me to have the full dose built up in my system. I also worked my way up with Malic Acid (I was warned that there could be digestive issues if I went to the full dose too quickly) over a month. I also started an exercise program...very very slowly working my way up. Three months after I was diagnosed I felt a lot better than I had felt when I was diagnosed.

I work a 40+ hour job and I am on my feet about 50% of the time. I set at the computor the other 50%. I take my rice sock (bed buddy) and heat it up to use on painful areas. I also have a tens unit I will use while walking. I too take cymbalta. I was started off on 30mg and it started working within a few days. After two months I reached a plateau and my doctor took it up to 60. Sleep is a very big issue. The doctor tried me on lyrica for sleep but I had a bad reaction so he put me on amitriptylin. It will need increased as time goes on. I hear that when they dial you in on the right amount your pain level goes way down. When I had my very first flare and symptoms it was the worst pain I have ever had. I have given birth to 3 children and had two surgeries. That is saying alot! The flare lasted for several months. I too didn't want to wake up being afraid of the morning pain. My husband had to help me dress myself. I was sleeping but the not realy. Going to work takes alot out of me but my husband is retired and he understands so he pretty much takes care of everything else. He knows when I get home from work that is pretty much it. I set down after dinner and watch a little TV and I am usually asleep by 9. I have to be up at 6 so that is 8-9 hours sleep. I still wake up once or twice a night but it is getting better. I beleive as time goes on and the normal ageing process takes its toll it will get worse but once you get past this initial flair with the help of your doctors if they listen to you, you will learn to manage it. Don't give up on your dreams. So many people work and are very effective in their jobs that have medical issues or dissabilities. If you were drawing my blood and I knew you had the same problems I had I would feel good about it since you know how bad my pain can be you would be extra gentle. :)

I also have alot of the same questions as first post. I have been in food service for 15 ys. A very physically demanding job, I am taking hydro 750 soma and aleve. I was on cymbalta for 3 months and it did help but the cost was just too much. No health insurance means no meds and no dr. appts to discuss problem. I had to quit my job, I simply cannot carry a coffee cup let alone a pot of coffe. I am in the middle of a flare and I honestly feel like I am dying, (not that I know what that feels like) but seriously it feels like I dying inside. Can a person get disability for fibro? Most days are bad but this week is the doozy! I can no longer just go shopping with a friend, go out for lunch, run errands etc. will it always be like this? Not too sure that I can deal. Why are my eyes so sensitive? anyone else have this? blurred vision, pain in eyes? Only one life and I try to stay positive but this is cruel! I would love to experiment with meds, vitamins, herbs etc but am selling my belongings to pay rent and pretty soon there will be nothing left to sell, how to manage this beast????

 

Try to get through your clinicals. mak sure you get plenty of rest and vitamin D. See if your Dr. can give you samples of cymbalta untill you get through clinicals sometimes the company makng cymbalta will give them coupons so you can use them for 5.00 a month. Thn see if you can get on with a Dr. instead of working for the hospital 8 hour shifts with lots of rest time in between patients Good luck.

Having read probably everything on this website, I seem to be the oldest FMS and this makes me feel even worse. It indicates to me that it is some thing I will take to my grave. Am I??

56; Female; suffering 13 years
Meds: Aropax (SSRI); Omega 3; Magnesium (other meds not related to FMS)
Janine

That's kind of where I am now with work.  I quit my full-time job almost a year ago.  It was way to much stress way to much time lifting heavy boxes and files, way to much time behind the computer and it just added up to headaches, a ton of pain, and a lot of fatigue.  I have enjoyed the much needed break but I know it will have to come to an end sometime or another.  I know I can't do full-time work it's just to much for me on top of trying to manage things at home.  I'm  looking for part-time cust service work.  Maybe no more than 25-30 hrs a week.  I do have a lead on something that i'm going to follow up on.  So we'll see what plays out.  I can't handle being behind the computer for to long I get extreme shoulder and neck pain and headaches from the glare on the computer and eye strain.  I couldn't imagine trying to do a 12 hour shift to job no way no for me.  I've been trying to come up with something I can do from home, but haven't thought of any good idea as of yet.  I think maybe cutting my hours/days back will help me  a lot and still make me feel like i'm contributing to our income.

I did follow up on my part-time possibility and it sounds really promising.  I go for my interview tomorrow.  It could be 3 or 4 days a week which would be perfect for me answering phones and doing some filing.  I think I could handle that.  I'll probably start with three days a week and see how that goes.  I'm pretty excited about it.  Its the first lead i've had on a job in months.  So, I'm at least going to check it out.  Wish me luck