Hi yall
I haven’t been on this site much in the last several years bc, as Lamb would say, I’ve been out livin life.
I know there’s a lot of posts about disability. I’m facing going “there” or possibly losing my job. I haven’t been able to keep up and I’ve been written up a couple times in the past 2 years. Not fun at all. Now I’m also in a position where I have been “over reacting” to situations and not being professional.
I know, you all are surprised bc I handled the diagnosis so well in the beginning (sarcasm intended).
HR said I should make it a priority to see the doc about this. I asked for a referral to a doc in Occupational Medicine at my local Hospital.
I don’t really have questions, just here for support. I need to read up on the posts about other’s experiences, in my spare time. Home right now getting over the flu.
Good to “see” some familiar “faces” on this site! Cheryl
When I finally went out on disability my boss told me to quit!
I could barely walk. I did not listen because I had disability insurance and there is a family leave act in the US. My doctor finally took me out of work, i was pig headed.
That was 6 years ago and I am now on disability. Just a lot of paper work and doctors but was worth it.
I’m fairly newly diagnosed myself and have struggled to varying degrees to come to terms with it since Feb. It came to a spectacular head three weeks ago when my GP (whom I have a great relationship with) suddenly asked me how I was coping. A floodgate opened and I suddenly realised that I’m not coping at all. I am in fact totally traumatised and scared. I’m facing a whole new reality that I’m simply not ready for. Talking/getting angry/crying and generally being sad are all 100% necessary with this thing. Doing it in a safe environment is also 100% necessary…so not at work then. I am also dealing with surgery that I’m apparently never recovering from (that’s a joke, it’s just taking ages & a major bereavement. All in all this year has been 50 shades of pants
I’m hard headed too Krim. But, sometimes i think i need to do this. other times i think, its okay i can keep going. the big thing is that my employers are not going to put up with me not meeting deadlines or over reacting to stress. i’d much rather go on disability than get fired. it’s just humiliating. But when i’m doing well, I remind myself that as soon as i can’t perform, im going to get written up again. Right now, all i want to do is lay down. trying to get ready to leave tomorrow for an art show. i dont know how im going to stay awake!
Su26, I can relate. i am not newly diagnosed but i am not coping well with this these days. Thanks for sharing. i just can relate to a lot of what you said. Thanks
I’m starting to think too much about taking disability. 18 months ago I took some offered long term disability at work. It’s expensive, but it will pay me 63% of my income tax-free. I have to wait until after the first of the year because of the pre-existing condition. I have to be making less than 80% of my normal salary due to missing work before I quality. Last week I looked back over my calendar for the year and realized I had missed almost one day a week of work for the last year. That’s 80%.
I hate to think what would happen sitting around all day if I end up on disability, But I am at the point all I do is struggle to get up in the morning and go to work, then come home and collapse on the sofa.
I didn’t go to work today because my knees hurt so bad yesterday I was exhausted and couldn’t sleep last night because of the pain. I am too old now to try and operate on no sleep.
I hope the Cosentyx begins to work better soon, or I am going to consider throwing in the towel after the first of the year. It doesn’t make sense to burn up all my energy and life just to get up and go to work everyday.
Sorry, I needed to vent.
The situation is certainly difficult, am afraid I identify with both your posts. Unfortunately in Italy psa is not guaranteed automatic invalidity, unlike rheumatoid arthritis, for example, so things are further complicated that end. It is certainly an existential question, do we live to go to work or work to live? At the moment am embarking on fasts in an attempt to knock off the weight which burdens our joints and to create conditions which kill inflammation in the body, must say the response is incredible.
Tamac I can sooooo relate to what you shared. Did you mean that you paid for disability insurance at work?
Letizia, I think it’s similar in USA for PsA compared to Rhuematoid Arthritis. I am doing low carb/keto diet for the same reasons you listed. Life can be too short to live to work. I just had a childhood friend pass away this week. Life is too short
Thank you ever so much for info. Workplace just reported must not go back until fully recovered from hip operation, so expect to have quite some time to think about things in general, as am only just hopping on one leg with crutches, and its the arthritic one…, after a little standing up makes me faint, so have to sit down again, guess hr may have been right after all not wanting me back . Am just realizing how professional tempos deadlines etc condition everything from heartrate tension etc, slowing down to heal has its benefits, so does fasting, think illness is a way to have one s mind stimulated while the body is at rest. Restructuring our plans is the issue at the moment. A colllective hello and thank you for all your contributions, which mean so much and are of such help
Yes. It pays much more than SSDI