LymeNet Flash: Need work advice

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Posted by Andie333 (Member # 7370) on :

I had a really nasty case of Lyme (undx for 9 years), plus two co-infections.

After being on abx for about 14 months, I'm a lot better -- actually functional almost all the time. I still have some residual symptoms, but they're all at a very minimal level, except during periodic herxes.

Anyway, I'm continuing on antibiotics and have just started work on a contract basis. I've told the boss I've got Lyme, and yesterday, she brought me into her office to ask me about coming on fulltime.

One of her concerns is the possibility I might relapse. I was fairly vague when she asked me about that -- said basically that I limit vacations now to big cities and my walks to sidewalks.

Anyway, I'm a pretty straightforward person not inclined to mislead anyone in any way. I'm wondering if any old timers out there can give me thoughts about how to respond to this.

Should I press forward for fulltime employment, acting as if this is all now pretty manageable (my illness, that is) or would it be best to simply back down here and continue on a contract basis...with the risk that the work will only be sporadic.

I'd really like to hear from anyone who has some thoughts about this.

As always, I appreciate the collective experience and wisdom of the people here more than i can ever say.

You're all the best!

Andie

Posted by NP40 (Member # 6711) on :

Hi Andie,

I may be able to shed some light here. My son was very ill with lyme and babs and underwent a year of treatment. He had a year of very good health and just recently relapsed because his immune system was so depressed from catching mono.

However, being aware of what to look for and treating the relapse immediately definitely stops it from becoming as debilitating as the first go around. My son has some leg, arm and neck pain but nowhere near what happened the first time around.

We've certainly arrested any progression the 2nd time around and his symptom are mild compared to the first go around as well. He's still attending school where the first infection he could not.

Hope this helps.

Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :

Well, Congratulations, Andie!

That is so awesome! I have no idea what to tell you. It depends upon how strong you are. It will have to be your decision here.

Sorry I couldn't offer much!!

Posted by painted turtle (Member # 7801) on :

Hi Andie,

One thing I've noticed about you is your positive attidude and the way in which you have progressed through recovering to the point where you're at right now using everything at your disposal and most importantly listening to yourself and trusting yourself with all of the decisions you have made in your lyme treatment.

Personally, I think one of the hardest things for some of us is actually trusting ourselves and this, I think, is due to the climate with drs thinking hypochondria, etc..

What I would say is that you would need to really be honest with yourself. Decide if this is something that you actually really want to do. If it is something you truly want...perhaps it can also be part of your recovery in some way. On the other hand, if it is not truly what you want ... it may not be helpful to your overall picture and could make things harder.

All that said, of course there are always the unknowns...esp. with the biology of Lyme. Nothing is ever guaranteed and every day is a fluctuation we must learn to move with.

Hope this is somehow helpful.

I am personally not working at all right now and do not have any sense of when I will be able to return but I do know when I am well enough, I will need to be sure I feel that I won't relapse...even if I do. Some things are in our hands and some things are not!

Good luck.

Posted by Andie333 (Member # 7370) on :

It's so good to hear other people's insights and experiences (and encouragement...can't forget that! [Big Grin]

)

NP, I really appreciated you letting me know about your son. I year of pretty good health is nothing to sneer at, and I think you're right about the severity of relapse: if I just know what I'm looking for, I can do everything I can to ward off anything.

Too, aawww....thanks so much for the cheer and the encouragment; you know how much that means!

Turtle, your point about what I really want is great, especially since stress plays such a huge part in this disease and in recovery.

And, of course, I'm really the only one who can decide that.

The thing is: I'm enjoying being back in "life" again (even if it is corporate life) -- just feeling productive, contributing, thinking and creating. I had 18 months of almost complete collapse, so this is has been a good experience so far.

I'm a lot more zen about most things work-related, primarily because I have been so sick. I just can't afford to get too freaked out over much. I do the best I can, and, well, there you go.

The biggest challenge has been memory. I'm making some people really nuts, because my memory is still a bit shaky at best. I've just made a joke of it; what else are you gonna do?

So, turtle, I'll take that time you mentioned and think this through then go from there.

With all that the past two years have held, this isn't a bad problem to have. I know that.

Again, thanks everyone!

Andie

Posted by hopeful123 (Member # 3244) on :

andie,

wow! that's so exciting. if you want to work full time, then go for it!! just keep in mind, you will probably need more rest than your average person, and so you might not be able to EVERYTHING. employers take chances all the time with employees. how about women who get pregnant or men who move out of the region for a personal reason. don't worry about them, just do what you think you can with reasonable certainty.

for me, i have to crash a lot when not working. also, i don't have the expectations for myself while at work I used to have. be known to make a lot of jokes about memory. write stuff down. stuff you would have never written down in the past.

best of luck. you go girl!! [woohoo]

Posted by DR. Wiseass (Member # 6777) on :

Andie -

I'm really excited for you - with the possibilities that lie ahead. I know your line of work and I know that you may have opportunities to make a difference for the Lyme community...when the time is right.

My best & only insight into this is about you keeping that 'zen' like state of mind.

What I have come to understand about me is that my body can not differentiate between positive stress & negative stress. To my body - it is just stress.

I can be happily writing a colum or planning a party - but both have deadlines and that is stressful, even though I find the activities usually fun.

I have to be very careful with those because, again, my immune system doesn't seem to care if I'm having fun with my stress or not.

Just my two cents.

I wish you all the best and know you will make a wise decision.

Hugs & [kiss]

Posted by shazdancer (Member # 1436) on :

I work full time also (at 3 different jobs, plus grad school), have better days and lesser days, and am not the hypernut I once was, but still very productive.

Having said that, I find that one thing that helps me is having a midday break. I can eat, rest if I need to, and regroup. Can you get a 1-2-hour break to help keep yourself on an even keel?

My brain works best in the morning. I have a desk job in the morning. In the afternoon, I teach gymnastics. Having the physical activity is helpful, although I wish I had a little more control over how much I'm getting! Can you plan some exercise into your full-time schedule?

Perhaps, since your boss knows you have Lyme but likes your work so much that she wants to hire you, you can negotiate something that will keep you stress-free, healthy, AND working!

Congrats,
Shaz

Posted by Andie333 (Member # 7370) on :

I had another day on-site and don't go back into the office until next Monday. My boss mentioned something again about my coming on sometime after Thanksgiving.

In a way, I'm looking forward to this week, because I think it will really help me get some perspective. I've been working on-site for the past three weeks (only exception flying to Denver for a conference the other weekend).

I know how it's felt to show up at work and to be there for a full day, and now I'll get to see how it feels to sit here for a few days. It's going to be interesting for me to see how stressful both situations feel.

hopeful, I do love your encouragement. I grinned the whole time I read your post...and wise...thanks for what you wrote. I would so like to go in the direction you mentioned, but I still don't feel anywhere near ready to do that. Other people have mentioned it too, and I guess I just have to see what the future holds and try and sense a good direction.

osp, your post inspired me to sit down in the next few days and make a list -- well, a couple of lists. And just see how it all adds up. I have an appointment with my LLMD tomorrow and will get some bloodwork back. I'll also run this past her.

shaz, I'm still trying to figure out how you're managing to do everything...and I'm impressed. Like the idea of the midday break but don't see that happening in this co. Still, I can at least manage to take myself out of the office for awhile, stretch and breathe. I think that would break up the day.

Of course, I actually don't yet have a firm offer, which may be the actual deciding fact.

Thanks everyone and a big hug!

Andie