HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

For those of you who hold a professional job with lyme, need advice pls????

Support Forums
>
Lyme Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 5/19/2015 4:42 AM (GMT 0)
To make a long story short, if I don't work, I can't pay for treatment ..

Plus, to my surprise I feel MUCH MUCH better when I go outside the house.
When I am in and alone, my anxiety is UNCONTROLLED, where I end up crying most times trying to figure out what is wrong with me and how is my future going to be.

Should I go on and work ? Is it doable ? How is your experience ? I am still functional SO FAR, but I am just holding back cause I am scared to start and get worse..but I can't pay a penny to llmd if I don't work.. And I want to take advantage from whatever is left from my health hoping that I will get better with treatment.

Again, going out and being productive so far is doing good for me.

Ps: please I don't want to hear very negative stories because I just can't handle these right now ..I am already overwhelmed ..
Posted 5/19/2015 5:27 AM (GMT 0)
If you feel better working, then go for it. I wish I could.

And some of us have to work to pay our bills including the expensive Dr's bills.
Posted 5/19/2015 5:36 AM (GMT 0)
If you can work, and feel better when you are out of the house, do what you can to make it happen. Can you take a few weeks leave of absence if needed? I was less anxious when out with people than home alone. But I did take some days off when really ill.

Post Edited (Lighterbeing) : 5/18/2015 11:39:16 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/19/2015 11:33 AM (GMT 0)
I find if stay home my anxiety hits the roof. Working is very hard for me as well as I am in upper mgmt and have a lot of expectations placed on me however, I am extremly lucky as my director is very understanding I have shared with her what's going on and I am lucky that she gets it and allows for some concessions. I work nine or ten hours a day but leave if I start getting to fatigued or feeling unwell.

It can be done. I tell myself I can do it daily. For me attitudes is everything, I must stay positive or I will drown in my own tears

You can do it. Sending you hugs and strength my friend. 💚
Posted 5/19/2015 12:46 PM (GMT 0)
Initially I negotiated a reduced work schedule down to 4 days a week. The extra day off helped with arranging Dr visits and lab work, and I also got an extra day of rest. I went back full time, and full pay after a year and a half.

I do mostly desk work, with some site survey work for job estimates spending about 20% on local driving. Job stress did cause some neuro flares time to time.
Posted 5/19/2015 2:24 PM (GMT 0)
My situation is similar to SailorKims....

I work in a very stressful and demanding industry in upper management, on some days...I could barely walk into my office but somehow I was determined to not stay home because I knew I would feel worse there. Even though the rest is good, I get into my own thoughts when it's quiet and I'm alone so I felt that work was actually a welcomed distraction from my health. Some days I didn't even get up more than once a day to use the bathroom....some days I had meltdowns in the privacy of my own office - but still, I was able to keep it together and have only missed 2 days in the last year. I also felt a little better in case anything happened, because there are a few nurses always here should I need some help.

Whats funny is that the owner and I are really close, and she's supportive in whatever I do, and tells me to take all the time I need; however, I really do find that being at work was not only necessary financially, but emotionally.

If you feel better when you're out of the house, I'd definitely try start working. If it doesn't work, you can always change directions, you'll never know until you try right?
Posted 5/19/2015 2:37 PM (GMT 0)
I am still teaching part time - no work, no money, right! I live in the middle of nowhere and would go stark raving bonkers at home 24/7 and not even neighbours to talk to.

You can but try, and if it helps you then why not.
Posted 5/19/2015 2:38 PM (GMT 0)
When I first got sick in Jan/Feb I was still able to work full time. However, as my symptoms have progressed I have cut my hours to part time. Initially 5 days a week now down to 4. If I don't work, I can't pay for treatment, so I have no choice.

I am in upper management as well, but my head manager and hr are VERY understanding. I've been with my company a long time and they've seen my struggle so they've been very accomodating (which I feel lucky and blessed about).

If I'm in the house too long, I end up in the ER or in a complete state of panic. I was off work on friday, saturday and ended up in the ER on sunday because I was researching all 48 hours and psyching myself out. I feel comfort being around my coworkers and clients. Even tho it can be VERY hard to get through the day.

Funny story, (kind of) one of my clients found out about my health struggles and was constantly asking me if I found out what was going on yet.. For months I told her, they don't know they can't figure it out. But when I finally got my diagnosis, I told her and she (to my surprise) said, I had lyme too!!!! HAD being the key word. She's my inspiration at 83 years old she's as strong as a bull. So we can do it too! Abenewhere1 - you can do it, just fight this. The only way lyme will win is if you let it! You got this!!!
Posted 5/19/2015 7:49 PM (GMT 0)
Work if you can. I had to "fake it" until I started feeling better. For me it was a struggle but even on the worst days I would go to work and leave early if I had to, or lie down on my office floor, take a nap in my car whatever to get by.

I echo what others say, staying at home you can lose your sense of self and we all lose so much with this illness. Luckily for me my boss was understanding and knew if I said I had to go home I could.

Alka seltzer gold, ginger tea and OTC migraine medicine got me through on a lot of days. (and occasional anxiety meds in the beginning). Now I am past the worst, still trying to get rid of stubborn Babesia symptoms but they only slow me down once in a while. Good luck!
Posted 5/19/2015 8:19 PM (GMT 0)
my fatigue and energy is so bad i had to stop working back in march because i work construction if i had an office job I feel like i could still be working and try and fight through this brain fog and memory issues because i need the money my parents are trying to help me out as much as possible but the bills are adding up , I wish i could work to help ease my stress on all this money
Posted 5/19/2015 9:02 PM (GMT 0)
LOL! That's how I got started and have stuck with Moderating! I couldn't work outside the home, so I found other "work"!! Once I had some brain function, I had to find something to do.

If you can do some type of work that will allow you flexibility, I think that's huge. Long lunches if you need a nap, breaks, understanding bosses for when you have dr's appts that run over, and other things that others are saying.

And if anyone starts getting negative on this thread, just let me know and I'll take care of it for you.
Posted 5/20/2015 3:52 PM (GMT 0)
I've always sought after jobs with flexable work hours- for most of my whole adult life. I've had variations of this illness for 25 years. Turned down a lot of opportunities that had rigid schedules. Lunch naps in my car used to be my norm!
Posted 5/20/2015 3:58 PM (GMT 0)
i have worked full time since before i even got diagnosed.

I missed 1 1/2 days of work in 2 years because of lyme. The half day is when it hit out of nowhere and i ended up in the ER. the full day is during the first week of treatment when i herxed and felt pretty yucky.

that's it.

i do think it depends on the type of work. i'm an accountant so i sit at a desk all day so it's not much stress on my body. My mind, yes, but not my body.

but i DO feel better getting out of the house and working and not just sitting home feeling sorry for myself that i have this stupid disease.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply