Re: What do you do for work?

[Guest guest]

Yes, I understand this completely. We live on a farm and I am

accustomed to doing a lot of moving and lifting, and I just can't

keep up, so we are selling before the place deteriorates any more.

I am also a critical care RN, which I do part time now, but I have

difficulty putting in IVs, working with arterial lines and doing fine

motor things as my hands aren't as limber as they once were. You

would think that with all my experience that strength and manual

dexterity would be less of an issue, but they are not.

I have given some consideration to being a Nurse Practitioner as

the day to day work.....stethoscope use, writing and patient

evaluation would be less arduous than critical care, but honestly, I

feel as if there will be another joint area which will preclude this

also. I don't know whether I am being realistic or whether I am

being fatalistic. It's hard to know what is the truth, and what

concerns are simply my fears.

Jane

>

>

> Hi I learned this summer that the symptoms I have had for two years

is rheumatoid. All

> my life I have worked in jobs that require standing, hand strength

and lifting....now I am to

> the point where I just can't do that stuff. Also...How do you go

to work when you are so

> dang tired? I can hardly get up and get my morning tea much less

go to work. I feel ok

> for a while, a few weeks then whammo! it's a struggle just to

function, is that just how it

> is? I loved my old job but I just could not do it anymore. It

takes me 3x as long to do

> stuff around the house as well- so frustrating. Part of my problem

is I just cant seem to

> get my mind around the idea that I can't do stuff. I am one of

those -never take sick

> days- kind of people and now I have no choice. I would like to

know how others have

> learned to adjust to these things. When I push myself to get

things done, I am so sorry

> the next day and sometimes for several days. Just cleaning house

and a trip to the market

> can really kick my a** . I really find it difficult to rest when I

have a million things to do.

> Yesterday I planted my bulbs for spring and today I feel like I got

run over by a bus. Do

> others expirience this ?

[Guest guest]

Thanks for sharing your stories. It does help to know that I'm not alone in my

expiriences.

I guess I just have to work on letting stuff go and not stressing over it. I am

on meds and

they do help, I guess it is finally starting to sink in that I'm not going to be

" all better " . I

am looking around to see what other kinds of work that there may be for me. I

am

learning to take breaks and when to just call it a day. I have to get used to

not looking at

those dusty shelves so hard...ha ha! I'm glad that I know what is going on a

least, at first I

was begining to think I was losin it. I was so tired for no reason and my hands

just seem

to swell up for no reason...Now on to the next phase and trying to deal with the

changes.

[Guest guest]

Hi Bunny:

Welcome to our world. I've been an ICU nurse for 10 years. I've

been out of work since July. I've FINALLY come to the realization

that I just can't do the same things I did before. You have to learn

to pace yourself and rest when your body says do it. I'm bad about

overdoing it on the days I feel good and then paying for it later.

Sound familiar. You have to save up for special occasions. And let

the house be a little messy sometimes. And you don't have to wash

and fix your hair everyday, or put on makeup, or cook every night.

I'm now trying to learn what others are doing to combat the fatigue.

Have gotten some helpful suggestions here. Good Luck.

Ginger Leonard