Do you work?

To answer your first question - do I get shooting pain down one of my legs -, no I don’t
But I do have pain in different locations - specifically my fingers (when I first wake up ) - they are stiff and sore - I’m thinking arthritis maybe...
Also have upper back pain and foot pain (foot pain is pretty much only upon waking and goes away)

I finally went back to work after about 6 years off (due to lyme) and the first job was too much - plus I had a hostile Manager. Some of the shifts started at 5;30 am and some ended at 10;00 pm. Those hours weren’t good for me.
I then posted into a job in the kitchen at an elderly care home and it was a good decision.
I took a cut in pay of a few dollars per hour but it was still a good decision.
My shifts are just 5 hours long. I work an average of 3-4 shifts per week which is enough for me. I can pick up more shifts to cover sickness as well.

Keep looking for something that suits your needs better, CalmLittleBudha - there are jobs out there.

I am in US and retired under disability retirement (not Soc Sec disability). I only had to be unable to perform my current position or one at a similar level.

I already had a disability from hearing impairment prior to the start of my Lyme symptoms. That was actually how I got a job in the agency I retired from. I was unemployed years ago and needed hearing aids. I was told that my state’s vocational rehabilitation services could pay for hearing aids, as I was unemployed. The rehab office did pay for my hearing aids and got me an interview for a position in the agency. One of the best things that ever happened to me. God is good!!!

Your state should have some kind of agency like that. They can help you either get a job you are better able to do or coordinate with your employer to provide disability accommodations needed. You would have to have medical documentation of the disability and limitations and a supportive doctor.

Based on what I've heard, trying to get disability for Lyme is definitely not worth your time if you have other qualifying disorders - your chronic back pain most of all, but possibly depression and chronic fatigue (if you have a CFS diagnosis). I've heard for CFS that you should expect to be denied disability at least once and should expect to keep reapplying for a while. My sister is on disability for depression, and that has been a very easy process. I have not tried to get on disability myself, so these are just my impressions from folks I know....

Before I got sick, I was homeschooling my child, so I wasn't doing any work for pay anyway, and did not try for disability income, but there's no way I could have worked for years. Focusing for hours, being around lots of activity, needing to be reliable when my body wasn't, having to be upright when I had POTS, etc. - for so many reasons, there's just no way I could have held a regular job. I thought about finding something I could do from a computer while lying down, but sometimes neuropathy in my hands would be an issue, so that didn't seem all that wise, either.... Just sharing this to say that I (and I believe many others) find this disease quite disabling!

It's great that you have gone back to work, even if it ends up being too much for you. It's great that you gave it a chance, especially if you are the kind of person who thrives when you have a job.

Is your shooting pain sciatica? Wish I had more ideas for you there. New symptoms are the last thing anyone needs!

Thank you both for the replys! I will look into sciatica, I bet that's it! I am glad that I am at least giving work another chance. I am thinking of going back to physical therapy so hopefully that will help. Thanks again for the help.

Do you need the money? Or can you manage with your current job?

Also - are you able to try it out for a week or two ?

My job is quite physical.
I’m hoping to work for a few more years and retire early.
I’d like to work til I’m 65 but I think it would be too much to handle as I get older.

Hey I’m not sure if you’re still in the same job, but in addition to good shoes, I’ve heard standing on a mat with some give is helpful. I think Costco did some study and added these nice mats for their checkout people to stand on and it dramatically decreased back pain.

As far as Lyme disability from what I hear if you apply for disability using Lyme you will almost certainly be rejected the first time then need to hire a lawyer and appear before a judge to push it through. Not sure how many times you get rejected, but it’s like standard to need the lawyer and to appear in court.