Fibromyalgia and work Part 1

[EmmaLVee]

I think about quitting all the time - I'm 28 and work a desk job - but I have no idea what I would do...I work a 9-5 job and by 1-2pm, I am exhausted and done. Does anyone else reach a point every day where they are just "done" ? It happens to me literally every day at work. My body just shuts down...my wrists even start hurting, so i can barely type anymore...from head to toe. My boss wants me to try Transcendental Meditation - has anyone done it before?

I feel lost a lot of the time when it comes to working - because I feel like there is no way out really. My sister makes tons of money, is really successful, and I'm just sort of the black sheep...sick, in pain, going nowhere quickly.

 

[diamond]

Hi Emma I am sure your not a black sheep at all...fighting like you are to keep working in pain and exhausted makes you a hero.

You are very young..is there any way you could afford to reduce your hours so that you only worked half days.

 

[DK_engineer]

I know what you mean, my best time of day is usually between 10am and 2pm. I try to get as much I can done during my "good" time. I usually take a late lunch so I can rest a little when my symptoms start to come on stronger.

I have alot of hand and wrist pain too. It has really helped me to get a modified keyboard and mouse. I also use voice recognition software. The keyboard I use is made by a company called "lightio" - you don't even have to touch it to register a keystoke, you just interrupt some light beams. It is a little slower for me because you have to be a little more precise as to where your fingers hit. But the pain reduction I get from using it is completely worth it. For a mouse I use a mouse pad that I can tap lightly to click. The voice recognitionssoftware is best for longer dictation or repetitive commands. It takes some practice to learn to use new tools on the computer, but I don't think I could get my work done without them.

Everyone has different kinds of struggle in their lives. You can't compare yourself to your sister. You are different people with different problems and blessings. You may be sick, but you are also strong in ways many people don't understand.

 

[EmmaLVee]

Thank you both, that means a lot.

I have thought about working only four days a week instead of five, but someone just recently quit (I work in a small office), so it screwed over my chances of cutting back right now. I also have a problem with taking time for myself, which I really need to work on.

Yeah, the wrist pain is new for me - the Lightio sounds very interesting! I'll have to look into that. I also try to get things done and then sort of glaze over for a while. My other problem is that my co-worker has long, fake nails and her typing drives me crazy...I literally have to plug my ears. I have a real problem with certain noises and that one makes me tense up, it's terrible.

 

[DK_engineer]

If you are ok with droning background noise, a small fan at your desk might help. I also bought myself noise canceling headphones - a little expensive (about $50), but I really like them

 

[Trellum]

Sometimes employers aren't up to the task of doing this, though. If an employer has to make accommodations for their employees, they're less likely to keep those people on with them. I have chronic back pan, have tried every otc pain medicine and physical therapy, but none of it helped and my employers weren't so kind to me about it so I got an easier job. My boyfriend's aunt who has fibromyalgia works in landscaping and housekeeping, so she's constantly having to climb roofs and things of that nature. Luckily she works on a team with several men, so when she needs a break they're able to let her have one and take up the workload for her.

Yeah, sadly things don't work like this in today's economy. Employees actually avoid hiring people they need to make accommodation for... because, well, it's way more easy. So what the OP is suggesting is kind of risky... I'd not dare to tell my employer about my chronic pain issues... worst thing to mention during a job interview....

 

[FenWoFon]

IT somehow happens to me mostly when I work on my PC, it is kinda painful when I finally spend more than 10 hours on the PC non stop and then go to school, I know I should start changing those habits and believe me, I have been trying to, I sincerely dont try hard enough but nothing is impossible.