Comments on: Working and Rheumatoid Arthritis

By: Michelle Meadows

Michelle Meadows — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:27:54 +0000

I am a 40 yr old mother of two. I have been dealing with a flare for six months now that has affected my ability to work full time. I am an office worker and type reports for 8 hrs. I am very fortunate that my employer values me and my work, & has pulled me aside several times to reassure me that no matter how much time I need off not to worry about my job. That its me who matters. I know this is not the norm and that I’m extremely fortunate but wanted to give others hope that there are still great employers. I do struggle with the financial hardship that come alongside this disease as well as the inner conflicts of fearing letting my family down, & pushing myself to hard many days.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:17:00 +0000

After being a stay at home mom for 15 years I went to school for CNA. 2 years later I got my diagnosis for RA. I worked as long as I could, but the pain, fatigue etc. not to mention being a danger to my patients because I couldn’t lift them anymore., forced me to go on disability. I was proud of myself for graduating second in my class. I was good at my job and enjoyed it. Now I’m the one who needs help. We are in deep financial trouble now as I can’t find work. I had to let my license go. There was no use n keeping it. My unemployment is about to run out and I still can’t work. I doubt that I will ever be able to work again. I’m only 46. Because I stayed home for so many years raising my 4 kids, Social Security says I dont’t have enough credits to be eligable. What now. Bless my husband, he is patient and kind and loving. He deserves better than this. I have to have faith something will work out right?

By: Kelly Young

Kelly Young — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:16:53 +0000

Hi Rosanne. I’m sorry people are not being understanding. That happens to a lot of us because people can’t “see” the symptoms and don’t realize how severe they are. But it does make it even harder. I hope you’re able to gradually find more supportive people to be around you. Sometimes family members can learn a lot by spending some time on the website reading articles and comments from others. There is an envelope button for that below each article.

By: roseanne manton

roseanne manton — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 23:38:01 +0000

hi,my name is roseanne. im 27 years old and have had r.a. for two years now and fibromyalgia. please excuse my lack of capitals and poor spacing. im typing with a bad flare in my wrists and fingers. i gave up my job 15 months ago when i was signed off by my doctor. i worked in a creche and as my r.a. was only newly diagnosed the medication i was started on hadnt kicked in. i was made lift children who were quite large,im short and have a slight build. i was made clean and scrub rooms.
when i was signed out i was relieved because i was permanently exhausted. but at the same time my dignity was gone,i couldnt wash my hair or brush my teeth. when i left my former employers were so rude to me. i felt like a piece of crap.
for over a year then i got very ill and depressed. friends dropped me because i couldnt do as much as i used to,i was seen as an inconvenience and they didnt understand my condition.my ex boyfriend dumped me for a party lifestyle.he was tired of me saying i was tired!! i slept for months.
Last march i improved,went out again,was more optimistic and had more energy. Then I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. since christmas 2011 i have gotten quite sick. my arthritis is back with a vengence the last two months and they have increased my meds.
I watched those people in the video tonight here in bed with a splint on my arm. i cried and cried,im so tired of people thinking im lazy and faking an illness. just because i dont look sick ,doesnt mean im not!!!
when i explain to people why im not working they look at me like im a hypochondriac,even members of my own family!!
i feel bad enough already without that crap heaped on me.
thank u so much for making me feel supported tonight everyone. best wishes to you all.

By: Catherine

Catherine — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 03:43:41 +0000

I have been truly blessed in my current job. My job just prior to this one was pretty rigid. I can pretty much set the hours I work and how much I take on at a time. My boss lets me work from home. I end up working at night a lot because that’s when clients can meet, but then I can choose those times and take off the next day to make up for it. There’s no possible way I could do a “normal job” with the fatigue and inability to stand up very long. I think accomodations should be more common for this and other conditions. Working while miserable does NOT mean getting more done and some employers understand this.

By: Carol Britton

Carol Britton — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:17:27 +0000

I still work full-time. Luckily I can work at home when I need to and have a great group of people who seem to “get it.” Plus my wonderful husband takes on a lot at home because work wears me out. I have an office job that’s mainly mental but sometimes the RA fog makes critical thinking really hard. I do love what I do so that makes a big difference. The one thing I don’t do as much these days is travel for work.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 23:41:17 +0000

Oh boy, where to begin? What can I say that hasn’t all ready been said. I’ll tell you about me I guess. Perhaps it will be cathartic in some way. I am a 39 year old male. I was diagnosed with RA in 2011 at the age of 38. I am sure that I had it for much longer. Like Ruth up above, I delivered the mail. Not for the postal service, but for one of those major corporate haulers. I had done this type of work for 13 years. The last 2 were pure hell. I spent many a day and night, like the rest of you RA’rs, not understanding what was wrong with me. I would tell my wife “I don’t know how much longer I can do this”. At the time I had hoped it was just the stress of the job both mentally and physically. It wasn’t. I quit that job based on how I felt and the advice of the only Dr. I could see at the time. The Dr. at a free clinic. He didn’t want to run any tests or really get into what my complaints were. The only thing he did was give me one piece of advice … “lifestyle change”. I moved with my wife and children to another state. I had hoped that a few weeks off would make all the difference in the world. It didn’t. I was now on state assistance and for the first time in my life as an adult, I went to a real Doctor. I began to describe my problems and symptoms. He got it. He ran blood tests and x-rays that day. The results we all know. Happy…Not so much. “What do I do now?” I ask him. “Go to a Rheumatologist” he says. I almost wish I had stopped there. See, like many have stated, my rheumy was less than helpful. His treatment consists mainly of a vegan diet. He is reluctant to treat me aggressively. “All of these RA drugs have nasty side effects” he says. True, but so does RA when it’s not treated. So, to make a long story longer, I am here in pain, on a minimal treatment of plaquenil(from the rheumy) and pain meds from my Primary Dr.(the only one who seems to have a clue), jobless, unable to do the work I once did(physical labor), only a high school diploma, and denied disability(I am appealing with a lawyer). My wife suffers from her own set of autoimmune diseases and is unable to work. We are drawing state and federal money, and are now being forced to attend “job training” and “job search” classes at the local work center. I have a clear set of work restrictions and necessities that I received from my Primary Dr. for use in my disability appeal that the state and feds are disregarding. As all RA’rs know, it is very difficult to sit for hours at the computer without movement. I am being required to for 36 hours, with no concessions. According to them I am apparently “available for all types of work without restrictions”, because my disease is invisible. I know and you know that I can’t do the physical labor. What then am I supposed to do? I have no qualifications for sedentary work. It’s hard enough to get work today with qualifications. I have this disability that will affect my work no matter what that work is. I have to disclose it to any potential employer. What to do? My family could always depend on me, but now what. How do I support them with this horrible disease? I went from “the man” to worthless in a very short time. This disease has taken what abilities I had from me, and left me with nothing. I know you all understand. I appreciate you all letting me rant(especially you Kelly). Perhaps in the future there will be a cure, but I doubt it. There’s too much money to be made from the suffering of others. I hope that I am wrong, for everyone’s sake.

By: cherish

cherish — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 04:32:37 +0000

This is an emotional one for me. Just this school year, I reduced my schedule to teaching kindergarten just half-time. RA has made me feel like I was totally inadequate. By the time my afternoon class was starting I was in so much pain I couldn’t think straight, much less TEACH 25 5 year-old-busy-children. It broke my heart. So, I went half time. My husband is furious. My children don’t get new clothes for school. It sucks. But I am much more productive and successful at school and at home. It’s worth the money-loss. But sad that it came to this.

By: laura

laura — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:29:27 +0000

I am currently 21 years old i was diagnosed a year ago…. I work at a restaurant and I know I won’t be able to do it for much longer. There are days were I leave crying because of the pain in my feet or knees or elbows and hands. Besides the side affects I get from the meds are really bad. There is nothing i love to do more than be in the kitchen…..

By: Donna

Donna — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:21:59 +0000

I can so relate to the people on the video. I am a nurse and changed jobs, and reduced my hours and am considering how much longer I can keep going. I actually just stumbled on this website yesterday when I googled Depression and RA. This is a very helpful blog and I will be following closley! Thanks for the information.