Able to still work?

[EarthMother]

As I read the posts it amazes me how much each of us have survived and how much we continue to face these challanged and just "keep on keeping on."

Up until this past August I considered my relapses brief (a few months every few years when it is really bad) but for the most part if I paced myself I could still manage to work. But I am simply not recovering from this last bout -- five months now and counting.

My question is how many people had to stop working, or lost their jobs? What about disability claims and POTS? If we find it hard to find a doctor who understands how to the insurance companies view this as a disability?

EarthMother

[futurehope]

EarthMother,

I had to give up my career (been working since I was 21, I'm now 52) this past April. I, too, was waiting for my problems to go away. I waited a year and they didn't. I am in the process of applying for Social Security disability. That is a whole different issue which I'm just learning about from reading stuff on these forums (see archives), and joining a Yahoo group called disinissue (disability insurance issues), and emailing people in my area (from the support groups) to find a good lawyer. The first part of the process is you just apply. I'm at the second stage, where I've already been denied. I'm now looking for a neuropsychologist and person to do a functional capacity exam in my area, Baltimore.

[ethansmom]

I had to stop working before I was diagnosed, and I haven't worked full time since then (2 years ago). I worked 20 hours per week for a few months while I was pregnant and feeling good, but I've been at home with the baby since he was born. I have not applied for disability because I feel that it will be a lost cause, and my boyfriend just got a promotion, so I'm hopeful that our money problems will improve once he starts the new job...it's so hard!! I figure that if I had to work, I probably could in order to put food on the table, and in fact my POTS doc has offered me a job, and I am supposed to start 3 days per week next month- so we'll see how it goes.

[Michelle Sawicki]

I was out of work for a year after becoming ill. Now (almost 5 years later) I am working 3 days a week outside of the home. I do believe I now have the energy to work full-time outside the home once again...if I wanted to.

Michelle

[Goblin]

Hello. I am attempting to work as much as possible right now. I work 1-2 days a week at my job, and 2-3 days a week at my internship for grad school. It is really wearing me down though. Is anybody else actually able to work normal hours? I feel o.k. for a while, but I really struggle hard to make it through an 8hr day. By the end of the day I am feeling very fatigued, light-headed, and my heart rate jumps up. -Stacey

[JacobyD]

I have been doing SOME work from home. I am lucky enough to be in a profession that will allow this. Working for long periods of time wipes me out and I don't see myself headed back to the office for 10-12 hour days any time soon...

-Dan

[MightyMouse]

I work F/T and go to grad school at night, working on my Ph.D. I've had times when I've not been able to work.

Nina

[MomtoGiuliana]

I developed POTS during pregnancy and had to stop working completely (from a 40-hour week) at 7 months. I didn't improve, in fact, got worse, post-partum until I was unable to walk at all and at times felt completely unable to move. (Thankfully my mom stayed with us during this time). After going on beta-blocker and prozac (minimum dosages) I very slowly improved until I was able to go back to work in August. I am back part-time. In general I continue to improve very slowly, but still have relapses of symptoms. And I do wonder if I will ever be able to go off the meds. I still have to take it easy. I do yoga and I walk nearly every day, but I don't seem to have the tolerance for anything more aerobic. I have to rest and avoid stress when at all possible.