Fibro and working full time +

[coffee99bean]

I work full time in a high stress, mentally demanding and sometimes physically demanding job. I work with profoundly autistic high school students ages ranging 14-21.
I also provide respite for a teen with profound autism on occasional evenings and weekends as well as tutor math a couple evenings a week. I have to do this to supplement my income.
I have 3 kids, 2 in university living away from home who i try to help financially when i can, and a teenage daughter. I am a single parent. I have a mortgage to pay.

It frightens me to think what will happen if i cant work any longer. It is so hard to get myself up in the mornings and get to work. I fight through the pain. I have to hide it as much as i can.
Goverment disability is 60% of your income. I only make 24k a year plus my side jobs for cash. I couldnt support myself on disability.

Is anyone successfully staying at their jobs? What the heck am i going to do if i cant work any more??

 

[CorgisRule]

Hi coffee99bean,

It sounds like you are dealing with an incredible amount of stress in your daily life along with a lot of physical demands. I don't have children but am questioning whether I will be able to continue working or not myself. I try to take it a day at a time, get as much rest as I can and use strategies to reduce the daily stress (that I can). If you were to reduce or eliminate the outside jobs, could you get by financially?

 

[coffee99bean]

I scrape by if i dont do the extra work. Just barely.

 

[CorgisRule]

It sounds like you're between a rock and a hard place. I'm sorry you're having to carry such a heavy load. Any possibility of getting a raise if you asked for one?

I met with my HR person at work and found out I would one get about 60% of what Social Security would give me if I retire now at 60 if I can't hang in until 62 (the earliest I can collect Social Security). So, I'm trying to hang in there. But if I can't keep up with this, I'll sell my house and see what I can get instead.

Hang in there coffee bean!

 

[coffee99bean]

We have raises built into our union agreement but it isnt anything spectacular. Im 38. I have a long way to go until retirement.

 

[links56]

I wasn't able to keep working, I also was in very high stress work with a 3 hour commute every day. I had to completely revamp my lifestyle. I sold everything I could and started renting my house out, when I got rid of a good chunk of stress I felt better in general. My wife and I grow a huge garden and have a few livestock animals, we can most of the stuff from the garden. The savings are amazing, then I occasionally get some work (if I'm feeling up to it) for neighbors or here and there to make some money to pay for things I can't barter for or grow or make.

I remember when I had to quit, I thought it was the end of the world and "what was I going to do" and trust me it did suck for awhile but now I'm so glad I did it because there is so much less stress.