teacher and love my job! I just finished my holiday
concert and man I'm exhausted! My question is
should I keep plugging away or take time off and get
better. Will it help me if I stay home? I'm
sore and tired but able to keep going. Any advice is apprecaitedA
Thanks
Amy
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
Amy,
It's difficult to give you an answer. We all have different symptoms and different limits.
I push myself harder than most healthy people. It's how I function best. I did discover I need to learn to know when to cut back though.
Try to listen to what your body is telling you. If you think it's saying you need rest, then take rest.
Any chance you can cut back on hours? I know teaching doesn't allow for much flexibility.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
hi teach!
i worked 29 years after i became infected, and was misdiagnosed until 2.5 yrs. ago.
i left work 8 yrs. ago 12-31-98 with NO benefits after working almost 31 years! my only sister, 40, was dying of breast cancer in liver.
i'd been thru 6-7 immediate family deaths since 89; i couldn't take it anymore and wanted out.
are on you abx meds? supplements?
i wasn't on abx then.
as someone else said above, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY AND DO WHAT IT SAYS; not what your mind says ok!
if you're a newbie, you've received my links/advise and 14+ pages on filing for SSDI, social security disability insurance benefits IF you qualify. good luck! Posted by Travlr1 (Member # 9681) on :
cm,
It is my personal opinion that if you are financially able to not work for awhile, it will greatly benefit your battle with lyme. It is only logical that with the increase in rest that your body will by able to devote more of it's metabolic demands to it's fight with lyme.
This is just an opinion(and we all know the saying about those)
Take care and good luck,
Travlr1
Posted by Travlr1 (Member # 9681) on :
cm,
It is my personal opinion that if you are financially able to not work for awhile, it will greatly benefit your battle with lyme. It is only logical that with the increase in rest that your body will by able to devote more of it's metabolic demands to it's fight with lyme.
This is just an opinion(and we all know the saying about those)
Take care and good luck,
Travlr1
Posted by char (Member # 8315) on :
Do you have one or two kiddos with lyme? Please forgive my bad memory.
Char
Posted by MagicAcorn (Member # 8786) on :
I'm slowy becoming a fossil here at home. I work part time but I wish to go back to full time. This week I am working on making that a reality.
Everyone is different so it is an individual decision. Personally, I haven't gotten better or worse at home. My doctor helps me stay the course so to speak.
I need the mental boost I think working will give me right now.
Good luck with whatever you choose.
Posted by lymednva (Member # 9098) on :
I pushed myself to remain in the classroom for years beyond what I should have. I didn't have a dx at all at the time. I finally left when my body literally gave out.
I tried to go back part-time. I loved teaching, and I don't think I would have stopped without knowing I couldn't even work part-time.
Now I realize I will probably never be able to teach in the public schools again. My certification has expired and with my severe cognitive problems there's no way I can take the required coursework to keep up to date in that respect.
I have found other part-time things I can do from home, when I am up to it, but that is not anything regular.
I am among the lucky in that I do have SSDI and LTD benefits. The state concluded I can still teach school ( I'm not certain how), so they denied my disability retirement, which has cost me about $1,000 a month for the remainder of my life. The county, though is in the process of approving it.
Those who have said to listen to your body are giving you the best advice. If there's a way you can take some time off, try it.
Perhaps you can take off FMLA time with a letter from your doctor. They can't do anything with your job during that time, so it would be a good trial.
Then you will have a better feel for what being home can do for you. As long as you really do take the time off and don't fill it with other things.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
my lyme started 1-70; i worked fulltime until 12-98 when i left/QUIT work after working 30 yrs., 7 months with NO BENEFITS.
hubby retired w/benefits 1 yr. earlier so i was lucky to get spouse insurance as family plan!
i never knew what i had.
having gone thru 20 months of pulsed antibiotics, 3 days on 1; 2 days off; 3 days on another; 2 days off .... i would NOT have wanted to fight working too with ALL THE HERXING GOING ON.
i would have taken time off; financially we could do that since we've scrimped away $$ for years.
do what your body says to do. Posted by concerned mother (Member # 8128) on :
I'm doing ok and still working. I come home and take a nap each day after work. My best time is the early day and thats when I'm the most active at work. I was out with the flu a week but now able to return to my students. They are my inspiration to beat this and get better!
Amy
Posted by Andie333 (Member # 7370) on :
When I was first dx, I was self-employed. Although I never completely stopped working, I did cut WAAAAYYYY back especially in those first tough few months after starting abx.
Now after being in treatment for 18 months, I have just started back to work -- full time and in an office.
So far, it's only been a week, so it's too soon to tell how it's going to be over the long haul. But in my case, my disease is really excacerbated by stress.
And for me, the stress of not having a good income ended up trumping the potential stress I'd encounter in an office.
I do what I can there to keep my stress as minimal as possible, thanks to some great suggestions from folks here.
I think it helped me to have flexible months, but now I think it's also going to really help me to be at work.
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