The reason I am wondering is there is no way I could work with what has gone on for the last year and a half. And I've wondered how in the world people can do it. Lyme isn't like having a cold. It's horrible.
Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
I don't. I lost my job because of this disease.
It's really hard on the finances though... we are running very low on funds and it's just.... extremely hard.
I too give huge props to the people who work while sick with this disease.
Posted by Lymeorsomething (Member # 16359) on :
It's brutal but I feel that I have to keep my job to maintain good insurance. Plus even though it's tough I feel that routine can be somewhat good for the mood.
Fatigue is my worst issue though. I'm basically living to work right now whereas before I was very social and involved in sports. Now I come home from work and am done for the day....
Posted by Kiwikid (Member # 12974) on :
I wonder, also, if I'd feel better if I could work. This last year I have become almost a hermit. It's really hard for people to understand Lyme that don't have it. I've lost friends over it. Guess I'm too much of a drag. Heck, I know that.
I also, admire anyone that can hang in there and work. Best wishes to all you fellow sufferers.
Posted by kelmo (Member # 8797) on :
I work part time as a crossing guard/office assistant at an elementary school. In the summer it's brutal. In a month, it will be the best job in the world.
It's low stress, I've been doing it for almost ten years...much longer than I anticipated.
It affords me time off during the day to take care of my daughter, who has been much more ill than I.
It's strained me to my physical limit, lately, though.
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
I had to quit 5 months into this illness, 2 years before I got my Lyme diagnosis.
Posted by MysteryGirl44 (Member # 10201) on :
I have to go to school full-time. It is horribly exhausting and I wish I could rest more. 7 hours of trying to stay awake and alert at school and then when I come home I have to do homework which I'm normally unable to finish.
People don't understand how sick I am and they over-work me. I hate to let people down, so I am constantly trying to do what a normal person does, even though it is killing me.
And people think I'm lazy.
Posted by luvs2ride (Member # 8090) on :
I work fulltime now. Initially, I had to quit work for 5 mths.
Early on, I worked with a doctor who practices integratively and focused on healing my body by identifying food sensitivities, clearing toxins and building up my body nutritionally.
The majority of my symptoms were arthritis. I dodged the fatigue bullet pretty much although I certainly had a drop in energy.
When I was first sick 13 yrs ago, chronic fatigue was my main symptom and I drug myself to work then straight to bed at the end of the day. No life outside of work. I know the fatigue can be debilitating. Trust me, so can arthritis. This second bout with lyme I had arthritis and I had it in every joint.
Where I had been able to push through the fatigue, there was no pushing through arthritis. I could not stand more than 5 mins. I could not open doors, jars, drive a car, brush my hair or teeth, etc.
Healing my body gave me back functionality and I gained it within 5 mths of treatment. I didn't go from total disability to total healing in 5 mths. I am 3 yrs and still treating but basically not exhibiting any symptoms anymore.
The progress was gradual and in the beginning it was one step forward and two back. But with time and persistence it became step forward, step forward. Today, progress is not obvious because I am basically asymptomatic. Still, we aren't finished yet.
I still have positive test results for lyme, babs, mycoplasmas and c. pneumoniae. H. Pylori is gone as is yeast. So our work is not over.
I can't stress enough how important detox and nutritional therapy are to getting well. It is as important as the drugs which are also needed to help destroy the bacteria.
You can't self treat these things. Please find a doctor trained in healing the body to work with you at the same time your LLMD works to kill the bacteria/parasites. www.acam.org is a good place to start.
Many LLMDs are getting up to snuff in this area as well.
Posted by lymie_in_md (Member # 14197) on :
I've had symptoms now for the past 2 years. I've been able to work fulltime. I'm an oracle database administrator. My expertise has saved me from disability, I'm now much much better. I'm almost fully functional again.
Posted by kelmo (Member # 8797) on :
merrygirl. I'm sorry you have to carry a full load. My daughter can only manage at the most three classes. It takes all her energy to do it.
Posted by Curley911 (Member # 2205) on :
For years I put one foot in front of the other and worked hard because I was raised that way.
I am a hairdresser, it was VERY, VERY hard. I had a salon and had to close it, it was only 3 chairs but very upscale and I owned the commercial space. It was truly a loss.
I continued to work somewhere else paying booth rental. I didn't realize I was sick. Then I got bit by another tick that was a new version of WICKED. I think I got babs from that one.
From there I really sank and within 6 mo. was told I had Lupus. WRONG. The brain fog set in, depression ruled and my husband did all of the chores.
I am certain I would not be working now if I had continued mis-diagnosed. Early onset Alzhiemer's would have been my next diagnoses.
I am extremely fortunate that I could get treatment and claw my way back up even while I was working.
I work w/people doing hair, many changed hairdressers because I wasn't up to par. Now I have re-grown my clientele and am very happy.
I wanted to share this because although I shouldn't have been working, I didn't have the sense to quit since I didn't know I was so sick. I was too foggy to make that judgement call.
My point is that you can get better too. I have been on abx since 2002. Each year gets better. Nothing like a great LLMD.
I wish the best for you. It is incredibly difficult to work thru this disease and some are not able to. I was fortunate to do so and fortunate to get well.
Posted by kam (Member # 3410) on :
I haven't been able to work since this hit.
At first, I was not able to get dressed and wore the same thing around the clock for several days.
Then, I started being able to talk myself through each step of getting dressed.
Now, I am able to do a couple loads of laundry...once a week...but not usually able to put them away.
I wear the same thing for a few days in a row now, but at least I am able to get up and get dressed.
Posted by lymednva (Member # 9098) on :
I had to quit work 7 years ago, due to fatigue and dysautonomia. I was able to improve slightly with treatment for dysautonomia, but not enough to work.
I was finally dx'd with Lyme in 2006, Prior to that it was "CFS and FM." I've been in tx for 28 months now, and while I have improved some, my dysautonomia, which had improved a lot, has now begun to act up again.
I now rely on SSDI, LTD, a meager teacher's retirement due to the state insisting I can still teach school, and county retirement. The county's determination was much more reasonable than the state's.
While I worked most of my adult life, I only worked full-time for 12 years, so my pension is low and so is my SSDI.