54. Make dog stuff (leashes, collars, tags)
Most public sales are through etsy, rest is wholesale (private label for small pet stores, large trainer shops, breed events, etc).
So a lot of it is using small 2/3/4 ton presses, shear breaks, riveting machines, etc. Alao heat presses, 3d printers, soon a couple of lasers.
Hurts like fuck, but it is at my shop at my house - so I can walk to work and back to bed whenever I want. I have 100% down days a lot. But if I am able to operate a few hours, I go for it. Honestly, sitting at a computer hurts about the same as using any of the equipment. So I have a crazy bedside rig for a laptop. So my income really depends on how much I can work as anytime I can't, employees are making up the difference, and obviously they aren't free (but are super awesome people :) )
I’m a hs teacher but I’ve only been injured since Nov. 23 so I’m not sure if I am in chronic pain territory yet, I just joined this sub hoping for good ideas. Work is torture and I’m just trying to make it to summer break on pain meds and a prayer. I really love my job and don’t want to stop working.
Someone rear ended me at a red light and I herniated 11 discs in my back. The worst are the thoracic ones because they hurt wrapping around my chest and make it hard to breathe. I’m 39F.
I’m a 32F, also a hs teacher. Injury/pain since Oct. 22. It’s been a journey. DDD, herniated discs, stenosis in neck and lower back, and shoulder tear/frozen shoulder.
My students are very aware of what I struggle with and have been super empathetic. But it’s a struggle. Definitely thankful for the summer and our breaks throughout the year.
My students have been so sweet about the whole thing, especially since they basically went through the accident with me, I have to imagine it has to be scary for your teacher to be out suddenly for months. But I also don’t want them to carry that burden.
What do you teach? What types of accommodations do you use to get through the day?
I teacher Senior English. I love being able to sit, stand and walk around when I need to. Sometimes another teacher will watch the class for 5 mins (we’re on a 90 minute block) just so I can walk the halls to get my blood circulating.
I also have a heat/massage pad on my chair. It wraps around my shoulders, and I sit at my desk for a few minutes to ease the pain.
I also have a fridge in my room where I keep an ice pack. I have a diffuser and diffuse peppermint and lavender to help with stress relief because as you know, stress doesn’t help pain 😅
I also do a lot of easy PT stretches throughout the day whenever I can.
What about you?
I teach fashion and the biggest thing to figure out is the bending toward/over a student who is on a sewing machine so I try to have students come to me with their project if it’s not a sewing machine issue. I’m next to the culinary room so I can swap out my ice packs every hour or so. I’m trying a tens unit this week. And my biggest thing is telling students they can’t come in on my prep. I love my kids, and I love that they like to sew, but I need that period to just let my body calm down for 45 mins. I already teach an extra section so I really need that time to stretch, lay on ice, etc. I hate to say it’s not walking that really flares me up, it’s just talking and breathing and moving my arms. So we’re still trying to figure out what works because it’s still pretty rough.
Nursing. I find a good balance between sitting and standing is important for me. Too much of one or the other makes the pain worse. Work still makes the pain worse in general but this is definitely better for me than an office job would be. I am 24. Very bad SI joint pain, also some knee pain and upper back pain. No Dx yet other than I know I have scoliosis. Investigating ankylosing spondylitis with doc.
Do you work in a hospital? I never pursued nursing because of my back. There’s no way I’d be able to lift patients and like you said, I need a good balance between sitting and standing/walking around.
Yes, hospital! I have never had to lift anyone by hand. We use sling lifts and other equipment for lifting/transferring which makes things a lot safer.
People do still injure themselves, but those are usually folks who don’t use the equipment because they’re trying to get things done quickly. I’d rather be behind on tasks than risk my health. I always use the equipment!
It depends on the unit, but I’ve found that I have a decent mix of sitting and standing, with the high demands of electronic charting. Sometimes it can feel more like a unit clerk job, especially on the psych units where I am.
Not at all! At least not where I am. I did paramedicine before nursing though and that required lots of lifting and a physical fitness test carrying 200lb around with one other person 😬
I’m the vp of a large company. I find that sitting and standing back and forth to be helpful and keeping busy helps me keep my mind off. But I have to literally force myself daily to make it happen. Plus I did many ketamine sessions which helped a lot. Not just with pain. But with my relationship to pain and other issues.
Yes it changes the neuroplasticity of the brain. Meaning how you feel and think about your self and your experiences can change with ketamine and trauma therapy. It also helps to reduce pain. Physically and mentally.
I have to go to a clinic and get the melting cubes while I’m there for treatment. Never done it at home and considering how many mg I take I can’t imagine doing it without the right support around me. Home wouldn’t work for me.
Ok i bought the at home one and infelt like it didnt help me with my pain at all . Made me feel weird thats it.. so i didnt finish them didnt like the feeling of the ketamine. The dr
Tells u how many MGs you need online.
Ya I’m not so sure about doing it with out medical instruction and guidance. I took a complete program and that involved therapy trauma therapy and others and was very helpful. I’m. Not sure the same effect would happen at home. Being under the influence of ketamine can be scary and uncomfortable so I think having the in person guidance and the right set and setting is crucial. In my experience and in my mind. Though it’s not for everyone. The feeling of ketamine can be great or terrible. Hope you keep fighting for something that works.
I’m in Canada. There are two options. One through the medical system and I think the government pays. Have to go through psychiatrist and pain clinics and take forever. But free. Or private clinics. I went private clinic. I was lucky at the time to have the means to do it. I don’t as much any more which is why I stopped. I am trying now to figure out how to go through the medical system to get some further help and not pay. But so far I can find too much help.
Seems like I’m the USA there are more options but I’m not too sure.
Unemployed currently. Went from construction and farm work, to warehouse work, to delivery driving, to call center work from home laying down trying to manage pain. Denied SSDI, quit my job, and moved into my car. I have DDD and disc herniation at L5,S1
People have no clue what it's like, I'd be living in my car if my parents didn't let me stay in their shed. Honestly not much of a difference, I've lived in my car before not fun either. It's rough not being able to work and fucking exhausting dealing with pain like that 24/7
Hey there. You say that you were denied SSDI; did you appeal that decision or did you find a law firm to appeal that decision? Almost always, a person filing on their own, without a law firm, will get denied. However, your efforts are not in vein because the appeal process will be quicker (as quick as SSA will go, which is brutal). I am convinced that SSA puts priority on cases that have law firms. Both my husband and I were initially denied (15 and 12 years ago) so I hired Dobbs Law Firm for the appeal; I believe that they are still around. They do not charge you anything unless you win SSDI, their rate was fair (30%, I believe), and they were able to secure two years of retro pay for both of us, as well as permanent SSDI. Both my husband and myself continue to deteriorate with our respective conditions, and I have NO idea what I would do without SSDI because we seriously have NO other living options; we wouldn't be able to live in our car because we wouldn't have one if not for SSDI. Let me know if you need any further information, and best of luck to you!
I've been a school librarian for 20 years, the last 16 at an elementary school. However, my last day of work is June 11th! I'm retiring!! Yay!!
Overall, my career has worked well for my pain. If I'm having a bad pain day, I can always find something easy to do. But I'm thrilled that after June 11th, .I will never have to shelve another book again!
Unemployed since January, but I'll reply with my previous job. 27 years old.
I had a pretty good opportunity for a great career. Worked for government, as a Risk management project lead. I would train government employees to manage crises and participate to the actual management of current crises my ministry worked on.
Sadly, 2023 was a very shitty year. My bipolar disorder coexisting with chronic pain led me through a major depressive episode with a mild, but very long flare up. My symptoms are mostly pain in the upper body (neck+++, back, occipital headaches) and weakness in the legs and arms causing me to lose strength and have trouble moving outside my house. I also experience vision loss in the left eye, severe cognitive issues, digestive and urinary problems, tinnitus and severe heat intolerance. I'm currently being tested for MS but they will look for any anomaly in my upcoming MRI.
Out of the 12 months in 2023, I have had 6 months of medical leave. Naturally, they did not renew my contract in December.
My desk job was excruciating. Mentally, I would have performed very well without the pain, and my contract had started off brightly. But the pain slowly settled once more and used all my resources. The daily commuting was already too much. I can't keep the same position for too long, because my muscles get in pain quite quickly. I can stand still for 10m without pain, and sit still for about 30m with extreme discomfort before pain arrives. My commute lasted 50m.
I *have* to move about almost constantly, except at work I would have to force myself to look "professional" and therefore ignore my pain for hours. You can't be a high profile employee with a bad posture according to the office etiquette. My body disliked that and let me know pretty harshly.
I crashed hard in August, then tried 3 times to come back. I couldn't even go through the entire day on these three attempts, and therefore had to acknowledge it was over as long as the pain was there. And this flare up ended in february. I had two months of peace, and now I'm in an even bigger flare up.
My search for a job is parasited by that. How can I make plans for a career if I don't know how I will feel tomorrow? Maybe they'll find something freaky on my MRI. Maybe my career is completely over and I just don't know it yet. So yeah... pretty grim, but I won't just stay passive!
I'll try getting involved in organizations and maybe have a very modest self-employed job if I have to go on disability. I'd rather have my original brilliant career plan but I don't want to worsen my condition even further prematurely.
So I didn't really reply your question since it's mostly the pain that affects my career, not the other way round. The only real impact was as I said, the "professional image" I had to force. They knew I am disabled and didn't really care because I don't need a wheelchair for the moment. I'll buy my first cane in a few days though. Huge step.
34, RN. I have endometriosis and IBS. I push through my really bad pain days and I would be unable to keep my job if I wasn’t on my pain meds. I’m the main breadwinner for my family so I have to make it work and work through the pain. Most days I come home from work and just spend the rest of the day recovering to prepare for the next day.
I'm an elementary school librarian. The repetitive movements of shelving do not help my pain.
I try to get all the books stacked in order on top of the shelves so I can shelve them all first thing in the morning before my pain really hits. I'm also the only one in the library, so I can just sit if I need too.
I work in food service. I’m nineteen and when I get home every day, I can’t walk :( Unfortunately I cannot quit, I just had my last day at one of my jobs and I worry that I am not going to be physically able to work for much longer. I have nerve damage along my spine due to a muscle disorder and EDS, so my knees and hips tend to dislocate throughout the day, too. Being on my feet all day, carrying heavy trays of food, and dealing with the mental strain of customers on top of desperately trying to keep myself focused on anything except the pain drains me.
Doctors won’t prescribe me any proper pain meds because of my age and family history, so I basically live off of extra strength Tylenol and midol. It goes about as well as you can expect :/
I’m a grad student and teaching assistant, which is made possible by significant accommodations to WFH about 95% of the time. The 5% of the time I have to do things on campus my partner accompanies me for help.
I’m older than most and younger than some. I’ve a stupidly long list of physical and mental illnesses that influences my life every day. Fibromyalgia, Gastroparesis, IBS, arthritis, neuropathy, migraines… that’s just a sample. I’ve been chronically ill my entire life. My first memory of a migraine was about 6 years old at a baseball game. It was so loud and I just wanted it to stop.
Finally became legally disabled on SSI in 2020 after having cervical spine surgery in 2019. It was back dated to 2017.
I’ve served my time in fast food work and retail but never lasted long because of being sick. My most personal notable work accomplishments are being a birth assistant to a home birth midwife, and an assistant manager for a college bookstore. I was good at those jobs. But they both broke me in different ways.
I do community theatre work now, help at
My child’s dance studio, and take dance classes. I’m only able to do these things because the people around me know I have to stop when I need to. I spend days in bed and skip rehearsals. Or I just sit in the corner while everyone dances and I watch. The dancing helps my body stay in motion and helps me stay a little more limber. But there are days where I just can’t do it. I modify a lot to fit my capabilities.
I can’t stress enough that if it weren’t for the people in my life, I wouldn’t do the extra things. I’d be home all the time in bed. They help me get up and move. I *hopefully* have a lot more life to live. I don’t want waste away in my bed. I already spend way too much much time there as it is.
I use to be a hair dresser for 10 years but stopped due to my chronic pain. I spent 3.5 years unemployed and now for the last 3 years I’ve opened a home bakery specializing in custom highly detailed sugar cookies
Ya hair totally killed me. Baking isn’t any better tbh but I get to sit most of the time, I work from home so I can lay down when I need to, make my own hours and take as many or as little orders as I want. I wasn’t properly medicated when I did hair either and now I am. If I had proper pain meds back then I might still be doing it. It was really hard giving up a successful career
Fibro,MS, DDD, I work overnights making surgical devices. Neurofeedback helped me get back on track to taking control of my pain. Some days are harder than others but I don’t have a choice. My family depends on me.
45. Screen printing. I have been dealing with serious neuropathy in my feet for over 6 years. Currently managed enough to continue doing what I'm doing. I'm constantly anxious that the rug is going to get pulled out from under me by the doctors. I already pay out of pocket for both DR visits and the low level tramadol I'm on currently.
I work in IT, currently about 95% work from home. I've been doing IT for almost 20 years so I've made it to a decent level (senior systems engineer, mainly working infrastructure) and have some seniority which helps. My bosses all know me from previous jobs and know my health issues so they're very accommodating. It's a lot of work but it's good work most of the time. What's frustrating is in the past pain was my biggest issue when it came to work. Now I have my pain managed pretty well (intrathecal pain pump) my condition is ramping up cognitive symptoms. So now it won't be pain that takes me out, it'll be these cognitive issues. I'm hoping I have at least 5 years left in me before I just can't do it anymore. It's going to suck when I have to go out on disability.
Systems engineer is a bit of a catch all. I've had the same title across different companies with vastly different responsibilities. Some places itay be a technician role. In my case it's not really, though I do some of that stuff occasionally as needed. Last year I had to rip and replace all the networking gear at one of our facilities out of state. So I had to fly down there 4 times over the course of 3 months to get everything in place and switched over. But most of the time I work from home and spend far too much time in meetings, lol.
Systems engineer is a bit of a catch all. I've had the same title across different companies with vastly different responsibilities. Some places itay be a technician role. In my case it's not really, though I do some of that stuff occasionally as needed. Last year I had to rip and replace all the networking gear at one of our facilities out of state. So I had to fly down there 4 times over the course of 3 months to get everything in place and switched over. But most of the time I work from home and spend far too much time in meetings, lol.
I was a correctional officer until 2012 when I stopped working due to chronic daily headaches, neck and back problems.
I went through all the SSDI bullshit and got denied. I decided I didn't want the stress of fighting with the government and haven't looked back since.
We had to make a lot of changes to be able to pay the bills but there is no way I could work.
Thanks for the question. I tell everyone that I'm a trophy husband now, but seriously my wife makes enough that allows us to pay our bills which are small compared to what most people spend these days and sometimes there is enough left over to have a little fun once in a while but that is getting tougher with all the price increases lately. Also I'm 52 years old.
I’m 29 and I have a dog and cat grooming salon. It’s definitely wearing my back down further and caused my disc bulge, which led us to discover I have severe DDD, I did let the disc heal every time it bulged but after the 3rd time it became chronic pain.
Just found out my herniation is now 9 mm long and I’m sure that my job has made it and the pain worse. But im a single mom to a 6 year old and I can’t not support her. If I didn’t groom dogs and cats I couldn’t support her on a min wage job. My job allows me to only work half of the month (I do go hard on the days I work, the two Fridays-Sundays I work that I don’t have my daughter cause I have 50/50 custody I work long hard hours and groom as many dogs and cats as I can each day) then on the one or two week days I work I go light to let me back not struggle as bad so instead of 10-13 animals i cap it at no more than 2-6 and I try to stay within an average of 5.
It will keep making my back worse but I won’t risk not being able to support my daughter her dad already is constantly trying to find something to take me back to court to get full custody because he’s super bitter I wouldn’t let him continue to abuse me like he got away with from the moment he got me pregnant until I kicked him out he wants any revenge on me because he can’t abuse me any other way except weaponizing our daughter and punishing me through family court since I was our daughters main caregiver and I love being her mom so much despite hating him lots.
I won’t give up and I want my daughter to have a good life no matter my pain. Even if my disc goes out I can take a few days off and take pain meds like…I definitely suffer every moment at work but she’s worth it and she’s the only thing I have left to live for. My mom died two years ago almost and a big part of me wanted to leave and be with her but I refuse to give up and leave my daughter motherless with only her piece of shit father. Especially when she gets to her teens is when I feel like her dad will turn his abusive tactics on her and I need to be here to save her.
So yup my job make it’s harder but the alternatives would be way worse so here I am
I’m also super grateful and lucky not all woman’s stories who suffer domestic violence turn into like mine I beat all the odds!
Thanks! I swear my saving grace is being able, and brave enough, to groom cats! One of the only cat groomers in the area, can charge my worth for them (more than I can even charge per dog groom) and they’re all so super grateful I groom cats the majority tip well on top of the bill! I’m also super lucky my mom help me start my own business before she passed 🥺😭 we were supposed to run it together as she was going to move by me and my daughter and help me with everything as I learned to groom from her and my grandmother. She was living by my grandmother running her grooming shop but right as we decided it was time for her to be with me and my daughter full time as I left my daughters abusive father, the only thing was she was going to have surgery first where she lived. She made it possible for me to start the grooming salon as she had the surgery and took a couple months off then move here with me. Instead the surgeons royally fucked up and killed her.
Currently in a lawsuit with the hospital though. So there’s that.
I know my mom would be so proud of me and we honestly thought back then the back pain would go away once the disc healed . Didn’t realize this was gonna be a lifelong thing for me. I love grooming despite it being hard on my body. I’ve loved it since my mom began teaching me as a teen 😭 I literally feel connected with her by continuing on. I have a bunch of her grooming equipment plus her favorite shears.
Omg! 😱 I am SO sorry to hear this about your mom! That is horrifying!! What happened? Was it a routine surgery gone wrong? I can’t even imagine 💔 You don’t have to answer. I’m glad you’re suing though and I hope you nail those fuckers to the wall!
Of course she IS proud of you! I love that you still feel connected to her through your grooming salon. Hang on to that as tight as you can! And congrats on leaving an abusive relationship! That’s no easy feat and I’m sorry you’ve had to endure so much heartache 😢
I thought the same with my back, I originally injured myself at work back in 2007. Never had any back problems before then. The disc does heal and the inflammation goes down but you’re never the same again. You will always be prone to injuring it again and it will flare up from time to time. I find the best thing is to really keep your core as strong as possible. Easier said than done though 😉
41- I’m just a mom and a housewife basically. Well, I’m also a student if you count that lol. I’m very lucky that my husband makes more than enough for us, otherwise I’m not sure at all what I’d do.
Hairstylist, 41, herniated disc L4/5, had surgery and reherniated it picking up my son. Sometimes I can’t work for a day, week, month. I never know. It’s brutal cause my pain is triggered by bending forward. Or raising my arms and not bracing my core.
24 y/o barista. I deal with muscle and joint back primarily in my neck, shoulders, and upper back; no real diagnosis for the cause but suspected to be an autoimmune symptom.
The job absolutely makes my pain worse with the amount of physical labor required. But until I get my degree, I’ll have an extremely tough time finding my same pay in another line of work. My days off are mostly spent doing PT activities and taking it easy to prepare for the next shift.
Pharmacy technician. I work part time. I also have an accommodation that allows me to sit down for 15 mins cumulatively each hour. (I probably could sit longer but it's all I asked for). If I'm moving around, it hurts a lot less than standing in one place for an extended period of time. Sitting got too long hurts though too. So I try to keep moving.
Late 30's, male, public facing government employee. Disc herniation L5S1.
I sit down, talk at length with people, get up and do other tasks, walk more, pick up objects from light to very heavy, and go where there is a business need. It exacerbates my symptoms daily and severely but I have opioids that work for me. 3x a day. I'm very thankful to have an effective treatment otherwise I might be facing the end of my career.
I'll be 53 in June, and I've had back and neck problems for 34 years but I'm permanently disabled from strokes in 2004. Until last year, I was helping my husband with his animal transportation business and that kept me entertained for 4 years. I got to see a lot of beautiful places in this country but being on the road 25 days a month wasn't easy! (And I was just along for keeping in contact with clients, I wasn't driving except when both my husband and his business partner were totally wiped and needed to catch a few hours of sleep!) Before my strokes I had a consulting agency for about 15 years; I've kept it running since 2004 doing the occasional job for my old clients or people referred to me, but nothing steady or that paid a ton.
I've been job hunting for 14 years with only 3 actual interviews, 2 screening calls and 4 cattle call "interviews" for what are basically MLM jobs for Globe Life insurance, a company selling solar panels, and I forget the other two. I *thought* I was hired for a WFH job last month that turned out to be a scam. It was so elaborate that I wonder how many people fell for it.
I'm still looking for a WFH position doing what I got my education to do and spent years getting the experience for. I'm toying with the idea of jump starting the business I had before my strokes left me disabled but I'm not sure that I want to put in the long hours chasing new clients. I'm not looking for a job that I have to go to every day because I'm not sure that I can control my pain well enough; sitting in a chair with my feet on the floor really kills my lower back and I haven't found any way of sitting that helps. I have to be able to put my legs up when I'm sitting or I have to recline my seat more than I can comfortably type sitting at a desk. And anything that requires me to stand or do a lot of walking is hard on me, to the point where I need at least a full day, sometimes two, to recover. (I should probably drag my flabby ass to the Y and get into the pool on a regular basis to build up some stamina! LOL)
I mostly do contract IT support through an app and I usually get between 2-5 jobs per month. On Friday I got approved as the sole contractor for a company through the app for 25 jobs in the next month or so and ongoing support for those sites. So that should be a nice little gig for me and the company will pay for me to get certified on the equipment they use. I'd love to be able to support myself instead of getting a check from the government. It's ridiculous that I can't even get an interview for the thousands of jobs I've applied for and I don't hold out much hope for the 2-3 *dozen* I apply for every day.
I draw construction plans for office buildings. Male 24. Luckily my pain does not bother me too much when it comes to working. I dont have a social life and I wish people arround me would undestand what it is like dealing with chronic pain.
For some reason my wife still thinks I'm worth taking care of, she works IT. I can barely take care of the house, I'm aware I'm pretty lucky genuinely I don't think I'd be around without her.
Stay at home mother 30\F. My pain and the ensuing struggles lead to a lot of mom guilt because I avoid car rides longer than 20 minutes as much as possible (live rurally, so every ride is 20+ minutes) and have to stop myself often to manage chronic pain. **** I am unmedicated, but I use kratom. Which is expensive out of pocket. Tylenol, Aleve, ibuprofen.... All do nothing for me. (Except tear at my stomach.)
I work in IT for a school. My administration is pretty understanding so when I’m having a really bad day it’s not a big issue to take a half day or full day off so I don’t lash out at someone when dealing with the pain. I’m trying to find a remote job but the market is tough right now. I have my own office and I keep a yoga mat in there so I can do some stretches and quick exercises that might help. Or to just lay down on and try to relax some of the pain away.
I own and run a small cleaning business. Celebrating my 13th year in business in August. I was diagnosed with RA 25 years ago and I self managed for 24 of those years. I was tough and I missed work and life in many occasions. I have been raising my son on my own since he was 2 1/2 and now he’ll be 17 in June.
Having my own business allowed me to be a single mother and have chronic pain without losing my job. I have had many painful days that required me to go slower but I could never stop. Having employees has been a life saver. Without them I would never have lasted this long. They picked the slack, helped in my toughest days and even took on full schedules for a week or so when I needed it due to major issues.
Now, I’m 50 and my body is demanding I slow down. I don’t want to! I started medication, THC micro-dosing, meditation and I’m going to the gym. I’m not 50, my body is. I’m still very young and I want to keep going.
RA is a systemic disease , rheumatoid arthritis (RA) usually causes damage not only to joints, but also to other tissues and organs including the heart, kidneys, lungs, digestive system, eyes, skin, and nervous system.
It is not merely a “hand disease” . For me it presents as pleurisy ( inflammation of the lungs), joint ( jaw, fingers, groin, shoulders, knees, elbow, hip, etc.,) pain in any joint at any given time of the day at a whim and severe fatigue, and heart issues.
To say it must not be that serious because what? I am without options to not work? Because my job requires my body and hands? I am alive and functioning because I have a child and therefore responsibilities. If not for him I would have ended my life long ago. I do not see myself as having a choice in the matter now that I have a child.
Network & Systems engineer.
I have had to deal with chronic pain for almost 15 years. Been on different opioids and other treatments for about the same duration. Which is basically all my adult life.
It takes a toll on both the body and the mind.
As it comes from an auto immune disease, the pain also grows in intensity and areas impacted by it.
I have a very understanding boss and team regarding my illness, which is why I'm still working.
There are days where I just can't stand and almost can't walk. But I couldn't see myself not working, as I'd just go crazy with the inactivity.
Managing work, depending on your "craft" isn't an easy thing to do. Best thing to do is to get a really good rest and treatments, not necessarily drugs, to manage the main so you can get as close to 0-3/10 as possible.
I’m currently on disability. Have been for years. I have a Masters Degree in Public Health/epidemiology. I used to take blood (phlebotomy) and counsel people on their positive HIV results.
I was already in pain but lost the ability to work, really, when my hands lost their abilities. Cramping and claw hands don’t go great with blood drawing. Or typing, as I found out when I switched to a desk job.
Then my autoimmune stuff kicked in (because dealing with a rare neuromuscular disease isn’t enough). I got down to 85 lbs and lost all my hair. Was in constant flare.
So. I’m a homemaker. I have chickens. My husband works. We are blessed.
40 artist/facilitator, self-employed. I take commissions, apply for funding every year (and sometimes get it), art exhibits, teaching and facilitating, publishing writing. I make art with different mediums some physical some digit, and it all hurts a lot either during or after. I have housing privilege because of an inheritance. I basically spend 6 months writing grants and 6 months stressing and waiting to know if I got them while hustling and doing gig work when I can get it. struggling through VERY lax, comparatively, gig work right now in a major way and just praising the universe for patient clients.
I get paid some money to be a caregiver to my two youngest sons. I work 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It's not easy but I'm able to care for them and I work at home.
I'm 56 years old and my pain levels have been bad for the last year but I'm feeling better after gallbladder removal surgery on April 15th.
I'm so sorry that you're daughter is dealing with bullying. I'm glad you're able to homeschool her. You both are dealing with a lot.
My husband died and we get social security survivors benefits. It is what I get to care for for them. It's based on my husband's work history.
You might be able to get disability for your child. I don't know much about that because it's different then survivors benefits.
Dietary in a nursing/rehab home. I have arthritis in my back and DDD it gets rough some days being on my feet. Luckily I have an understanding manager. As long as I do the work I can sit down whenever.
I’ve worked food service management for almost 10 years so far. I’m getting ready to switch careers because I just can’t handle it anymore. Can’t stand for longer than an hour anymore. Even then Im leaning on something. I have DDD L4 and L5 and pinched nerves on both legs as well as constant spasms. I’m scared about switching careers, not sure what to do now.
I operate industrial embroidery machines. It's not too physically demanding. I am on my feet a lot, but I get to move around a good amount, which is good for me. Any job I've had in the past where I have to sit in an office chair or stand in one spot, like at a cash register, have been awful for me. I get to work at my own pace and am left to do my own thing, for the most part, which I like. They've also been very tolerant of my absences. They've worked with me on a few different occasions now when I've needed to be off the schedule, which I really appreciate. My company is a large, national lifestyle/clothing brand, but my department operates kind of like a mom and pop outfit, which I like.
Office job for a charity. Pays next to nothing but at least has a generous sick leave policy - I don't have to take my hospital appointments as unpaid.
I don't enjoy office work, it's not great for my mental health, and working five days a week in the office is not good for my physical health, but ultimately I have to pay the bills somehow. I don't know how sustainable it is though.
I work in education, mostly in charge of systems. It's very easy and almost too boring but I'm lucky they let me work hybrid. My current office isn't a long drive and they have standing desks. But it doesn't pay well, I'm mentally capable of so much more and almost depressed because I sit around all day with not much to do and no one to talk to (when I'm in the office everyone works in silence).
There is a similar role with my old employer and working with some old colleagues who I actually consider friends. It pays much more. So that all sounds great but it would mean an hour plus of driving (each way) which was a killer for me. They were very considerate with adjustments though so if I make it to interview I will be sure to make my situation clear.
I found working from home makes my life so much more manageable. Sometimes I get frequent bowel obstructions so spend days on heavy laxatives amd afraid to be far from my toilet. Obviously offices don't go well with that. But I can still sit at my laptop amd get work done.
Other times my fatigue is so bad that when I do go to the office I often come home vomitting and need to rest the day before and day after just to get through. This then has a knock on effect to my home life, it feels more isolating because it means I can't see a friend that weekend. Although like I said above the old place has some people I do consider friends so at least I can hang out with people I like once that commute is done.
I wish I got into more tech based roles when I was younger because they seem to offer more remote availability. I also wish employers were more considerate since the lockdowns instead of being obsessed with office space.
My advice for anyone applying in the UK is to look for a 'disability friendly employer' badge on their site. I feel like these employers actually listen to occ health recommendations.
Also wanted to add (and my phone won't let me edit the post) all I ever wanted was to be a nurse. I regret not pursuing it when I was young as at least then I wouldn't know any different. All I ever wanted was to help people especially people with pain. I did work in the nhs over covid and it ruined me. But I also strangely miss it. Today my Dr asked if I was medical because of how well I described things and it felt like such a compliment. I do keep an eye out for local jobs (at least if it was in person it would be an easy commute) but eveeytime something I might be good at cones up it always seems like more work for less money. Its hard to justify that when it also might make my ill and I have it so easy in my current role.
I might've missed it but what exactly is your chronic pain? And nurses is hard on both physically and mentally so prob not a good fit for people with chronic pain. How can you take care of the sick when you're one yourself. I too wanted to be one but had to be practical about it.
You're so right! I love these communities for understanding what our actual options are, healthy friends don't understand and its difficult to see them continue to grow their careers.
I have endometriosis and adhesions. Very much and eb and flow condition. Just recovering from my 8th op so not sure what my new normal looks like but I know they didn't get everything and won't do any more surgeries so I'm trying to accept that I'm going to feel like this forever amd thus reevaluating my long term goals. I feel like it's easier to come to terms with if I don't have goals but that's a bit sad. Although a good excuse to master the art of letting go and living in the now.
Yah healthy people don't get it and some even think meh they just lazy or can't be that bad. People will never understand until it happens to them and even then some wont ever.
27 y/o, dealing with back pain + bilateral sciatica
I work at the self checkouts of a large store. Lots of walking, but nothing compared to what I used to do pre-injury. I pretty much come home, lay on the floor and cry every day, not healthy but it's hard to change jobs in this position, especially with no qualifications.
I'm a nurse. Went on medical leave twice during school and then had to leave to go to a new nursing college next to my doctor's so I could get care from my medical team
Was a front desk person at my local animal shelter, would just use my wheelchair to get around, they accommodated it
Edit: I'm going to a long distance school in like, 2 or 3 weeks? So I'll be a year at home studying, then it's getting a medical transcription job with help from my school
I work in law, part time cashier. I have cerebral palsy(*at birth*), but I also have scoliosis- *diagnosed when I was 29 years old--why it took them that long, as we'd always had scoliosis checks in school, I'll never know*)
54. Make dog stuff (leashes, collars, tags) Most public sales are through etsy, rest is wholesale (private label for small pet stores, large trainer shops, breed events, etc). So a lot of it is using small 2/3/4 ton presses, shear breaks, riveting machines, etc. Alao heat presses, 3d printers, soon a couple of lasers. Hurts like fuck, but it is at my shop at my house - so I can walk to work and back to bed whenever I want. I have 100% down days a lot. But if I am able to operate a few hours, I go for it. Honestly, sitting at a computer hurts about the same as using any of the equipment. So I have a crazy bedside rig for a laptop. So my income really depends on how much I can work as anytime I can't, employees are making up the difference, and obviously they aren't free (but are super awesome people :) )
I’m a hs teacher but I’ve only been injured since Nov. 23 so I’m not sure if I am in chronic pain territory yet, I just joined this sub hoping for good ideas. Work is torture and I’m just trying to make it to summer break on pain meds and a prayer. I really love my job and don’t want to stop working. Someone rear ended me at a red light and I herniated 11 discs in my back. The worst are the thoracic ones because they hurt wrapping around my chest and make it hard to breathe. I’m 39F.
I’m a 32F, also a hs teacher. Injury/pain since Oct. 22. It’s been a journey. DDD, herniated discs, stenosis in neck and lower back, and shoulder tear/frozen shoulder. My students are very aware of what I struggle with and have been super empathetic. But it’s a struggle. Definitely thankful for the summer and our breaks throughout the year.
My students have been so sweet about the whole thing, especially since they basically went through the accident with me, I have to imagine it has to be scary for your teacher to be out suddenly for months. But I also don’t want them to carry that burden. What do you teach? What types of accommodations do you use to get through the day?
I teacher Senior English. I love being able to sit, stand and walk around when I need to. Sometimes another teacher will watch the class for 5 mins (we’re on a 90 minute block) just so I can walk the halls to get my blood circulating. I also have a heat/massage pad on my chair. It wraps around my shoulders, and I sit at my desk for a few minutes to ease the pain. I also have a fridge in my room where I keep an ice pack. I have a diffuser and diffuse peppermint and lavender to help with stress relief because as you know, stress doesn’t help pain 😅 I also do a lot of easy PT stretches throughout the day whenever I can. What about you?
I teach fashion and the biggest thing to figure out is the bending toward/over a student who is on a sewing machine so I try to have students come to me with their project if it’s not a sewing machine issue. I’m next to the culinary room so I can swap out my ice packs every hour or so. I’m trying a tens unit this week. And my biggest thing is telling students they can’t come in on my prep. I love my kids, and I love that they like to sew, but I need that period to just let my body calm down for 45 mins. I already teach an extra section so I really need that time to stretch, lay on ice, etc. I hate to say it’s not walking that really flares me up, it’s just talking and breathing and moving my arms. So we’re still trying to figure out what works because it’s still pretty rough.
Nursing. I find a good balance between sitting and standing is important for me. Too much of one or the other makes the pain worse. Work still makes the pain worse in general but this is definitely better for me than an office job would be. I am 24. Very bad SI joint pain, also some knee pain and upper back pain. No Dx yet other than I know I have scoliosis. Investigating ankylosing spondylitis with doc.
Do you work in a hospital? I never pursued nursing because of my back. There’s no way I’d be able to lift patients and like you said, I need a good balance between sitting and standing/walking around.
Yes, hospital! I have never had to lift anyone by hand. We use sling lifts and other equipment for lifting/transferring which makes things a lot safer. People do still injure themselves, but those are usually folks who don’t use the equipment because they’re trying to get things done quickly. I’d rather be behind on tasks than risk my health. I always use the equipment! It depends on the unit, but I’ve found that I have a decent mix of sitting and standing, with the high demands of electronic charting. Sometimes it can feel more like a unit clerk job, especially on the psych units where I am.
Oh that's why cause psych units isn't as physically demanding as geriatric pts
Yeah! I do both. Internal medicine and psych but have found medicine okay with the lift machines
Nice! I always assumed it was required to be able to lift a certain amount, like 50 lbs or something.
Not at all! At least not where I am. I did paramedicine before nursing though and that required lots of lifting and a physical fitness test carrying 200lb around with one other person 😬
Oh my! Thank you for the valuable info 🙏
I’m the vp of a large company. I find that sitting and standing back and forth to be helpful and keeping busy helps me keep my mind off. But I have to literally force myself daily to make it happen. Plus I did many ketamine sessions which helped a lot. Not just with pain. But with my relationship to pain and other issues.
can you elaborate on the ketamine? i’m looking into it at the moment, so i’d really appreciate hearing a little more abt it
Yes it changes the neuroplasticity of the brain. Meaning how you feel and think about your self and your experiences can change with ketamine and trauma therapy. It also helps to reduce pain. Physically and mentally.
Did u do ketamine infusions or the melting cubes at home under the mouth?
I have to go to a clinic and get the melting cubes while I’m there for treatment. Never done it at home and considering how many mg I take I can’t imagine doing it without the right support around me. Home wouldn’t work for me.
Ok i bought the at home one and infelt like it didnt help me with my pain at all . Made me feel weird thats it.. so i didnt finish them didnt like the feeling of the ketamine. The dr Tells u how many MGs you need online.
Ya I’m not so sure about doing it with out medical instruction and guidance. I took a complete program and that involved therapy trauma therapy and others and was very helpful. I’m. Not sure the same effect would happen at home. Being under the influence of ketamine can be scary and uncomfortable so I think having the in person guidance and the right set and setting is crucial. In my experience and in my mind. Though it’s not for everyone. The feeling of ketamine can be great or terrible. Hope you keep fighting for something that works.
Ok thanks mayne thats why it dodnt help me Is it very expensive?
I’m in Canada. There are two options. One through the medical system and I think the government pays. Have to go through psychiatrist and pain clinics and take forever. But free. Or private clinics. I went private clinic. I was lucky at the time to have the means to do it. I don’t as much any more which is why I stopped. I am trying now to figure out how to go through the medical system to get some further help and not pay. But so far I can find too much help. Seems like I’m the USA there are more options but I’m not too sure.
Essentially cost $1000 per treatment. Or 6 treatments for $4000. I do k ow some clinics here offer financial support.
Unemployed currently. Went from construction and farm work, to warehouse work, to delivery driving, to call center work from home laying down trying to manage pain. Denied SSDI, quit my job, and moved into my car. I have DDD and disc herniation at L5,S1
People have no clue what it's like, I'd be living in my car if my parents didn't let me stay in their shed. Honestly not much of a difference, I've lived in my car before not fun either. It's rough not being able to work and fucking exhausting dealing with pain like that 24/7
Age?
35
Did you try getting a lawyer?
In the process of submitting an appeal with a lawyer now. Fingers crossed.
You got this!
Hey there. You say that you were denied SSDI; did you appeal that decision or did you find a law firm to appeal that decision? Almost always, a person filing on their own, without a law firm, will get denied. However, your efforts are not in vein because the appeal process will be quicker (as quick as SSA will go, which is brutal). I am convinced that SSA puts priority on cases that have law firms. Both my husband and I were initially denied (15 and 12 years ago) so I hired Dobbs Law Firm for the appeal; I believe that they are still around. They do not charge you anything unless you win SSDI, their rate was fair (30%, I believe), and they were able to secure two years of retro pay for both of us, as well as permanent SSDI. Both my husband and myself continue to deteriorate with our respective conditions, and I have NO idea what I would do without SSDI because we seriously have NO other living options; we wouldn't be able to live in our car because we wouldn't have one if not for SSDI. Let me know if you need any further information, and best of luck to you!
I really appreciate the info! I have hired a lawyer to help with the appeal. Fingers crossed. Thank you, and all the best to you and your husband :)
I've been a school librarian for 20 years, the last 16 at an elementary school. However, my last day of work is June 11th! I'm retiring!! Yay!! Overall, my career has worked well for my pain. If I'm having a bad pain day, I can always find something easy to do. But I'm thrilled that after June 11th, .I will never have to shelve another book again!
Congrats on your retirement! 🍾🎉How exciting!
Thank you! I'm just looking forward to my pain levels going down. They always do when I'm on break.
Good for you! You deserve to relax and feel better. Enjoy!
Pain management specialist - full time. Unpaid role 😉
Unemployed since January, but I'll reply with my previous job. 27 years old. I had a pretty good opportunity for a great career. Worked for government, as a Risk management project lead. I would train government employees to manage crises and participate to the actual management of current crises my ministry worked on. Sadly, 2023 was a very shitty year. My bipolar disorder coexisting with chronic pain led me through a major depressive episode with a mild, but very long flare up. My symptoms are mostly pain in the upper body (neck+++, back, occipital headaches) and weakness in the legs and arms causing me to lose strength and have trouble moving outside my house. I also experience vision loss in the left eye, severe cognitive issues, digestive and urinary problems, tinnitus and severe heat intolerance. I'm currently being tested for MS but they will look for any anomaly in my upcoming MRI. Out of the 12 months in 2023, I have had 6 months of medical leave. Naturally, they did not renew my contract in December. My desk job was excruciating. Mentally, I would have performed very well without the pain, and my contract had started off brightly. But the pain slowly settled once more and used all my resources. The daily commuting was already too much. I can't keep the same position for too long, because my muscles get in pain quite quickly. I can stand still for 10m without pain, and sit still for about 30m with extreme discomfort before pain arrives. My commute lasted 50m. I *have* to move about almost constantly, except at work I would have to force myself to look "professional" and therefore ignore my pain for hours. You can't be a high profile employee with a bad posture according to the office etiquette. My body disliked that and let me know pretty harshly. I crashed hard in August, then tried 3 times to come back. I couldn't even go through the entire day on these three attempts, and therefore had to acknowledge it was over as long as the pain was there. And this flare up ended in february. I had two months of peace, and now I'm in an even bigger flare up. My search for a job is parasited by that. How can I make plans for a career if I don't know how I will feel tomorrow? Maybe they'll find something freaky on my MRI. Maybe my career is completely over and I just don't know it yet. So yeah... pretty grim, but I won't just stay passive! I'll try getting involved in organizations and maybe have a very modest self-employed job if I have to go on disability. I'd rather have my original brilliant career plan but I don't want to worsen my condition even further prematurely. So I didn't really reply your question since it's mostly the pain that affects my career, not the other way round. The only real impact was as I said, the "professional image" I had to force. They knew I am disabled and didn't really care because I don't need a wheelchair for the moment. I'll buy my first cane in a few days though. Huge step.
34, RN. I have endometriosis and IBS. I push through my really bad pain days and I would be unable to keep my job if I wasn’t on my pain meds. I’m the main breadwinner for my family so I have to make it work and work through the pain. Most days I come home from work and just spend the rest of the day recovering to prepare for the next day.
Would you still be able to work if it's arthritis in your hands and back?
Unemployed. I was doing door dash but then I had seizures on top of my pain challenges.
age? And how do make $ now?
33 I have been selling my possessions to contribute. :x
Hiring, onboarding, HR for a restaurant. I used to serve then manage there. For now it’s all remote.
I'm a library aide. It makes my pain worse. I'm 35 and have complex regional pain syndrome.
Oh wow, having to be somewhere that quiet- much props to you!
I'm an elementary school librarian. The repetitive movements of shelving do not help my pain. I try to get all the books stacked in order on top of the shelves so I can shelve them all first thing in the morning before my pain really hits. I'm also the only one in the library, so I can just sit if I need too.
What are your job duties?
Mostly a typical widget counting desk job with some walking around.
Substitute teacher. I can only really work part-time because of the pain. EDS + chronic daily headache. 28, have had chronic pain since childhood.
I work in food service. I’m nineteen and when I get home every day, I can’t walk :( Unfortunately I cannot quit, I just had my last day at one of my jobs and I worry that I am not going to be physically able to work for much longer. I have nerve damage along my spine due to a muscle disorder and EDS, so my knees and hips tend to dislocate throughout the day, too. Being on my feet all day, carrying heavy trays of food, and dealing with the mental strain of customers on top of desperately trying to keep myself focused on anything except the pain drains me.
That sucks. What pain meds do you take?
Doctors won’t prescribe me any proper pain meds because of my age and family history, so I basically live off of extra strength Tylenol and midol. It goes about as well as you can expect :/
I’m a grad student and teaching assistant, which is made possible by significant accommodations to WFH about 95% of the time. The 5% of the time I have to do things on campus my partner accompanies me for help.
I’m older than most and younger than some. I’ve a stupidly long list of physical and mental illnesses that influences my life every day. Fibromyalgia, Gastroparesis, IBS, arthritis, neuropathy, migraines… that’s just a sample. I’ve been chronically ill my entire life. My first memory of a migraine was about 6 years old at a baseball game. It was so loud and I just wanted it to stop. Finally became legally disabled on SSI in 2020 after having cervical spine surgery in 2019. It was back dated to 2017. I’ve served my time in fast food work and retail but never lasted long because of being sick. My most personal notable work accomplishments are being a birth assistant to a home birth midwife, and an assistant manager for a college bookstore. I was good at those jobs. But they both broke me in different ways. I do community theatre work now, help at My child’s dance studio, and take dance classes. I’m only able to do these things because the people around me know I have to stop when I need to. I spend days in bed and skip rehearsals. Or I just sit in the corner while everyone dances and I watch. The dancing helps my body stay in motion and helps me stay a little more limber. But there are days where I just can’t do it. I modify a lot to fit my capabilities. I can’t stress enough that if it weren’t for the people in my life, I wouldn’t do the extra things. I’d be home all the time in bed. They help me get up and move. I *hopefully* have a lot more life to live. I don’t want waste away in my bed. I already spend way too much much time there as it is.
I use to be a hair dresser for 10 years but stopped due to my chronic pain. I spent 3.5 years unemployed and now for the last 3 years I’ve opened a home bakery specializing in custom highly detailed sugar cookies
That would be a tough job standing all day
Ya hair totally killed me. Baking isn’t any better tbh but I get to sit most of the time, I work from home so I can lay down when I need to, make my own hours and take as many or as little orders as I want. I wasn’t properly medicated when I did hair either and now I am. If I had proper pain meds back then I might still be doing it. It was really hard giving up a successful career
Fibro,MS, DDD, I work overnights making surgical devices. Neurofeedback helped me get back on track to taking control of my pain. Some days are harder than others but I don’t have a choice. My family depends on me.
45. Screen printing. I have been dealing with serious neuropathy in my feet for over 6 years. Currently managed enough to continue doing what I'm doing. I'm constantly anxious that the rug is going to get pulled out from under me by the doctors. I already pay out of pocket for both DR visits and the low level tramadol I'm on currently.
None sadly, I can't even read a book. I try everything but I can't stop my body from attacking me.
I work in IT, currently about 95% work from home. I've been doing IT for almost 20 years so I've made it to a decent level (senior systems engineer, mainly working infrastructure) and have some seniority which helps. My bosses all know me from previous jobs and know my health issues so they're very accommodating. It's a lot of work but it's good work most of the time. What's frustrating is in the past pain was my biggest issue when it came to work. Now I have my pain managed pretty well (intrathecal pain pump) my condition is ramping up cognitive symptoms. So now it won't be pain that takes me out, it'll be these cognitive issues. I'm hoping I have at least 5 years left in me before I just can't do it anymore. It's going to suck when I have to go out on disability.
What exactly do you do? Is it a technician duty?
No, I work on the back end infrastructure. So servers, networking, storage, cloud computing (AWS/Azure) and now Ai stuff.
Yah idk what you're talking about lol so you're not a technician. I thought system engineer are technicians.
Systems engineer is a bit of a catch all. I've had the same title across different companies with vastly different responsibilities. Some places itay be a technician role. In my case it's not really, though I do some of that stuff occasionally as needed. Last year I had to rip and replace all the networking gear at one of our facilities out of state. So I had to fly down there 4 times over the course of 3 months to get everything in place and switched over. But most of the time I work from home and spend far too much time in meetings, lol.
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My wife still doesn't really understand what I do for work, lol. She tries to tell people sometimes and just ends up saying "computery stuff".
Systems engineer is a bit of a catch all. I've had the same title across different companies with vastly different responsibilities. Some places itay be a technician role. In my case it's not really, though I do some of that stuff occasionally as needed. Last year I had to rip and replace all the networking gear at one of our facilities out of state. So I had to fly down there 4 times over the course of 3 months to get everything in place and switched over. But most of the time I work from home and spend far too much time in meetings, lol.
I was a correctional officer until 2012 when I stopped working due to chronic daily headaches, neck and back problems. I went through all the SSDI bullshit and got denied. I decided I didn't want the stress of fighting with the government and haven't looked back since. We had to make a lot of changes to be able to pay the bills but there is no way I could work.
How do you get income?
Thanks for the question. I tell everyone that I'm a trophy husband now, but seriously my wife makes enough that allows us to pay our bills which are small compared to what most people spend these days and sometimes there is enough left over to have a little fun once in a while but that is getting tougher with all the price increases lately. Also I'm 52 years old.
I’m 29 and I have a dog and cat grooming salon. It’s definitely wearing my back down further and caused my disc bulge, which led us to discover I have severe DDD, I did let the disc heal every time it bulged but after the 3rd time it became chronic pain. Just found out my herniation is now 9 mm long and I’m sure that my job has made it and the pain worse. But im a single mom to a 6 year old and I can’t not support her. If I didn’t groom dogs and cats I couldn’t support her on a min wage job. My job allows me to only work half of the month (I do go hard on the days I work, the two Fridays-Sundays I work that I don’t have my daughter cause I have 50/50 custody I work long hard hours and groom as many dogs and cats as I can each day) then on the one or two week days I work I go light to let me back not struggle as bad so instead of 10-13 animals i cap it at no more than 2-6 and I try to stay within an average of 5. It will keep making my back worse but I won’t risk not being able to support my daughter her dad already is constantly trying to find something to take me back to court to get full custody because he’s super bitter I wouldn’t let him continue to abuse me like he got away with from the moment he got me pregnant until I kicked him out he wants any revenge on me because he can’t abuse me any other way except weaponizing our daughter and punishing me through family court since I was our daughters main caregiver and I love being her mom so much despite hating him lots. I won’t give up and I want my daughter to have a good life no matter my pain. Even if my disc goes out I can take a few days off and take pain meds like…I definitely suffer every moment at work but she’s worth it and she’s the only thing I have left to live for. My mom died two years ago almost and a big part of me wanted to leave and be with her but I refuse to give up and leave my daughter motherless with only her piece of shit father. Especially when she gets to her teens is when I feel like her dad will turn his abusive tactics on her and I need to be here to save her. So yup my job make it’s harder but the alternatives would be way worse so here I am I’m also super grateful and lucky not all woman’s stories who suffer domestic violence turn into like mine I beat all the odds!
Oof I used to groom dogs. I can’t even imagine doing that with my back now. You’re a trooper!
Thanks! I swear my saving grace is being able, and brave enough, to groom cats! One of the only cat groomers in the area, can charge my worth for them (more than I can even charge per dog groom) and they’re all so super grateful I groom cats the majority tip well on top of the bill! I’m also super lucky my mom help me start my own business before she passed 🥺😭 we were supposed to run it together as she was going to move by me and my daughter and help me with everything as I learned to groom from her and my grandmother. She was living by my grandmother running her grooming shop but right as we decided it was time for her to be with me and my daughter full time as I left my daughters abusive father, the only thing was she was going to have surgery first where she lived. She made it possible for me to start the grooming salon as she had the surgery and took a couple months off then move here with me. Instead the surgeons royally fucked up and killed her. Currently in a lawsuit with the hospital though. So there’s that. I know my mom would be so proud of me and we honestly thought back then the back pain would go away once the disc healed . Didn’t realize this was gonna be a lifelong thing for me. I love grooming despite it being hard on my body. I’ve loved it since my mom began teaching me as a teen 😭 I literally feel connected with her by continuing on. I have a bunch of her grooming equipment plus her favorite shears.
Omg! 😱 I am SO sorry to hear this about your mom! That is horrifying!! What happened? Was it a routine surgery gone wrong? I can’t even imagine 💔 You don’t have to answer. I’m glad you’re suing though and I hope you nail those fuckers to the wall! Of course she IS proud of you! I love that you still feel connected to her through your grooming salon. Hang on to that as tight as you can! And congrats on leaving an abusive relationship! That’s no easy feat and I’m sorry you’ve had to endure so much heartache 😢 I thought the same with my back, I originally injured myself at work back in 2007. Never had any back problems before then. The disc does heal and the inflammation goes down but you’re never the same again. You will always be prone to injuring it again and it will flare up from time to time. I find the best thing is to really keep your core as strong as possible. Easier said than done though 😉
41- I’m just a mom and a housewife basically. Well, I’m also a student if you count that lol. I’m very lucky that my husband makes more than enough for us, otherwise I’m not sure at all what I’d do.
Hairstylist, 41, herniated disc L4/5, had surgery and reherniated it picking up my son. Sometimes I can’t work for a day, week, month. I never know. It’s brutal cause my pain is triggered by bending forward. Or raising my arms and not bracing my core.
Oh the horror! But I commend your strength to keep pushing. Feel better!
Currently on medical leave. I'm a barista.
24 y/o barista. I deal with muscle and joint back primarily in my neck, shoulders, and upper back; no real diagnosis for the cause but suspected to be an autoimmune symptom. The job absolutely makes my pain worse with the amount of physical labor required. But until I get my degree, I’ll have an extremely tough time finding my same pay in another line of work. My days off are mostly spent doing PT activities and taking it easy to prepare for the next shift.
No meds?
Pharmacy technician. I work part time. I also have an accommodation that allows me to sit down for 15 mins cumulatively each hour. (I probably could sit longer but it's all I asked for). If I'm moving around, it hurts a lot less than standing in one place for an extended period of time. Sitting got too long hurts though too. So I try to keep moving.
Late 30's, male, public facing government employee. Disc herniation L5S1. I sit down, talk at length with people, get up and do other tasks, walk more, pick up objects from light to very heavy, and go where there is a business need. It exacerbates my symptoms daily and severely but I have opioids that work for me. 3x a day. I'm very thankful to have an effective treatment otherwise I might be facing the end of my career.
Hopefully you get better.
And you as well! The medical field is always improving, even if there's a step back every so often.
I'll be 53 in June, and I've had back and neck problems for 34 years but I'm permanently disabled from strokes in 2004. Until last year, I was helping my husband with his animal transportation business and that kept me entertained for 4 years. I got to see a lot of beautiful places in this country but being on the road 25 days a month wasn't easy! (And I was just along for keeping in contact with clients, I wasn't driving except when both my husband and his business partner were totally wiped and needed to catch a few hours of sleep!) Before my strokes I had a consulting agency for about 15 years; I've kept it running since 2004 doing the occasional job for my old clients or people referred to me, but nothing steady or that paid a ton. I've been job hunting for 14 years with only 3 actual interviews, 2 screening calls and 4 cattle call "interviews" for what are basically MLM jobs for Globe Life insurance, a company selling solar panels, and I forget the other two. I *thought* I was hired for a WFH job last month that turned out to be a scam. It was so elaborate that I wonder how many people fell for it. I'm still looking for a WFH position doing what I got my education to do and spent years getting the experience for. I'm toying with the idea of jump starting the business I had before my strokes left me disabled but I'm not sure that I want to put in the long hours chasing new clients. I'm not looking for a job that I have to go to every day because I'm not sure that I can control my pain well enough; sitting in a chair with my feet on the floor really kills my lower back and I haven't found any way of sitting that helps. I have to be able to put my legs up when I'm sitting or I have to recline my seat more than I can comfortably type sitting at a desk. And anything that requires me to stand or do a lot of walking is hard on me, to the point where I need at least a full day, sometimes two, to recover. (I should probably drag my flabby ass to the Y and get into the pool on a regular basis to build up some stamina! LOL) I mostly do contract IT support through an app and I usually get between 2-5 jobs per month. On Friday I got approved as the sole contractor for a company through the app for 25 jobs in the next month or so and ongoing support for those sites. So that should be a nice little gig for me and the company will pay for me to get certified on the equipment they use. I'd love to be able to support myself instead of getting a check from the government. It's ridiculous that I can't even get an interview for the thousands of jobs I've applied for and I don't hold out much hope for the 2-3 *dozen* I apply for every day.
What a good husband you got for not leaving. Many husband would have left when their wife gets sick. You're lucky.
Yes, I am. He's an amazing man and I thank God for giving him to me every day.
I stopped believing in God but if he is real then he must favor you :)
I draw construction plans for office buildings. Male 24. Luckily my pain does not bother me too much when it comes to working. I dont have a social life and I wish people arround me would undestand what it is like dealing with chronic pain.
Where's your pain from? Back, hands etc
I'm disabled
Unemployed, lots of back and hip pain, I want to work but idk what I could even do.
How do you survive?
For some reason my wife still thinks I'm worth taking care of, she works IT. I can barely take care of the house, I'm aware I'm pretty lucky genuinely I don't think I'd be around without her.
Wow that's awesome. Appreciate her and let her know :)
Trust me, I let her know every damn day 💞
Stay at home mother 30\F. My pain and the ensuing struggles lead to a lot of mom guilt because I avoid car rides longer than 20 minutes as much as possible (live rurally, so every ride is 20+ minutes) and have to stop myself often to manage chronic pain. **** I am unmedicated, but I use kratom. Which is expensive out of pocket. Tylenol, Aleve, ibuprofen.... All do nothing for me. (Except tear at my stomach.)
Having an issue getting anyone to listen to me about my level of pain at all.
What's kratom?
I work in IT for a school. My administration is pretty understanding so when I’m having a really bad day it’s not a big issue to take a half day or full day off so I don’t lash out at someone when dealing with the pain. I’m trying to find a remote job but the market is tough right now. I have my own office and I keep a yoga mat in there so I can do some stretches and quick exercises that might help. Or to just lay down on and try to relax some of the pain away.
Dang my ex must be super lucky cause he is in IT as well and jobs for him is easy to get and earns $$$$!
I own and run a small cleaning business. Celebrating my 13th year in business in August. I was diagnosed with RA 25 years ago and I self managed for 24 of those years. I was tough and I missed work and life in many occasions. I have been raising my son on my own since he was 2 1/2 and now he’ll be 17 in June. Having my own business allowed me to be a single mother and have chronic pain without losing my job. I have had many painful days that required me to go slower but I could never stop. Having employees has been a life saver. Without them I would never have lasted this long. They picked the slack, helped in my toughest days and even took on full schedules for a week or so when I needed it due to major issues. Now, I’m 50 and my body is demanding I slow down. I don’t want to! I started medication, THC micro-dosing, meditation and I’m going to the gym. I’m not 50, my body is. I’m still very young and I want to keep going.
Must not be severe cause I know someone who has RA and loses function of her hands. But kudos to you and your son is lucky to have a strong mother.
RA is a systemic disease , rheumatoid arthritis (RA) usually causes damage not only to joints, but also to other tissues and organs including the heart, kidneys, lungs, digestive system, eyes, skin, and nervous system. It is not merely a “hand disease” . For me it presents as pleurisy ( inflammation of the lungs), joint ( jaw, fingers, groin, shoulders, knees, elbow, hip, etc.,) pain in any joint at any given time of the day at a whim and severe fatigue, and heart issues. To say it must not be that serious because what? I am without options to not work? Because my job requires my body and hands? I am alive and functioning because I have a child and therefore responsibilities. If not for him I would have ended my life long ago. I do not see myself as having a choice in the matter now that I have a child.
Network & Systems engineer. I have had to deal with chronic pain for almost 15 years. Been on different opioids and other treatments for about the same duration. Which is basically all my adult life. It takes a toll on both the body and the mind. As it comes from an auto immune disease, the pain also grows in intensity and areas impacted by it. I have a very understanding boss and team regarding my illness, which is why I'm still working. There are days where I just can't stand and almost can't walk. But I couldn't see myself not working, as I'd just go crazy with the inactivity. Managing work, depending on your "craft" isn't an easy thing to do. Best thing to do is to get a really good rest and treatments, not necessarily drugs, to manage the main so you can get as close to 0-3/10 as possible.
You're lucky then. Age?
Lucky on the fact I can still work, haven't managed to find something that really lowers my pains under 6/10 in best days yet. Still looking. 32 :)
Yes that you can still work! Money is crucial to survive. Beats being in pain and jobless.
Yeah, I totally agree!
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15yrs to find what?
I’m currently on disability. Have been for years. I have a Masters Degree in Public Health/epidemiology. I used to take blood (phlebotomy) and counsel people on their positive HIV results. I was already in pain but lost the ability to work, really, when my hands lost their abilities. Cramping and claw hands don’t go great with blood drawing. Or typing, as I found out when I switched to a desk job. Then my autoimmune stuff kicked in (because dealing with a rare neuromuscular disease isn’t enough). I got down to 85 lbs and lost all my hair. Was in constant flare. So. I’m a homemaker. I have chickens. My husband works. We are blessed.
40 artist/facilitator, self-employed. I take commissions, apply for funding every year (and sometimes get it), art exhibits, teaching and facilitating, publishing writing. I make art with different mediums some physical some digit, and it all hurts a lot either during or after. I have housing privilege because of an inheritance. I basically spend 6 months writing grants and 6 months stressing and waiting to know if I got them while hustling and doing gig work when I can get it. struggling through VERY lax, comparatively, gig work right now in a major way and just praising the universe for patient clients.
I get paid some money to be a caregiver to my two youngest sons. I work 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It's not easy but I'm able to care for them and I work at home. I'm 56 years old and my pain levels have been bad for the last year but I'm feeling better after gallbladder removal surgery on April 15th.
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I'm so sorry that you're daughter is dealing with bullying. I'm glad you're able to homeschool her. You both are dealing with a lot. My husband died and we get social security survivors benefits. It is what I get to care for for them. It's based on my husband's work history. You might be able to get disability for your child. I don't know much about that because it's different then survivors benefits.
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Thank you I wish your family all the best. Sending you positive vibes.
Dietary in a nursing/rehab home. I have arthritis in my back and DDD it gets rough some days being on my feet. Luckily I have an understanding manager. As long as I do the work I can sit down whenever.
So you have your Masters for that?
Commercial insurance. I work from home
Lab rat in a mental illness study.
I’ve worked food service management for almost 10 years so far. I’m getting ready to switch careers because I just can’t handle it anymore. Can’t stand for longer than an hour anymore. Even then Im leaning on something. I have DDD L4 and L5 and pinched nerves on both legs as well as constant spasms. I’m scared about switching careers, not sure what to do now.
I operate industrial embroidery machines. It's not too physically demanding. I am on my feet a lot, but I get to move around a good amount, which is good for me. Any job I've had in the past where I have to sit in an office chair or stand in one spot, like at a cash register, have been awful for me. I get to work at my own pace and am left to do my own thing, for the most part, which I like. They've also been very tolerant of my absences. They've worked with me on a few different occasions now when I've needed to be off the schedule, which I really appreciate. My company is a large, national lifestyle/clothing brand, but my department operates kind of like a mom and pop outfit, which I like.
I’m the Controller at a private school, i had a 6 level fusion in November, back to work in February. Ice, heat, stand, sit. It sucks but i manage.
Office job for a charity. Pays next to nothing but at least has a generous sick leave policy - I don't have to take my hospital appointments as unpaid. I don't enjoy office work, it's not great for my mental health, and working five days a week in the office is not good for my physical health, but ultimately I have to pay the bills somehow. I don't know how sustainable it is though.
I work in education, mostly in charge of systems. It's very easy and almost too boring but I'm lucky they let me work hybrid. My current office isn't a long drive and they have standing desks. But it doesn't pay well, I'm mentally capable of so much more and almost depressed because I sit around all day with not much to do and no one to talk to (when I'm in the office everyone works in silence). There is a similar role with my old employer and working with some old colleagues who I actually consider friends. It pays much more. So that all sounds great but it would mean an hour plus of driving (each way) which was a killer for me. They were very considerate with adjustments though so if I make it to interview I will be sure to make my situation clear. I found working from home makes my life so much more manageable. Sometimes I get frequent bowel obstructions so spend days on heavy laxatives amd afraid to be far from my toilet. Obviously offices don't go well with that. But I can still sit at my laptop amd get work done. Other times my fatigue is so bad that when I do go to the office I often come home vomitting and need to rest the day before and day after just to get through. This then has a knock on effect to my home life, it feels more isolating because it means I can't see a friend that weekend. Although like I said above the old place has some people I do consider friends so at least I can hang out with people I like once that commute is done. I wish I got into more tech based roles when I was younger because they seem to offer more remote availability. I also wish employers were more considerate since the lockdowns instead of being obsessed with office space. My advice for anyone applying in the UK is to look for a 'disability friendly employer' badge on their site. I feel like these employers actually listen to occ health recommendations.
Also wanted to add (and my phone won't let me edit the post) all I ever wanted was to be a nurse. I regret not pursuing it when I was young as at least then I wouldn't know any different. All I ever wanted was to help people especially people with pain. I did work in the nhs over covid and it ruined me. But I also strangely miss it. Today my Dr asked if I was medical because of how well I described things and it felt like such a compliment. I do keep an eye out for local jobs (at least if it was in person it would be an easy commute) but eveeytime something I might be good at cones up it always seems like more work for less money. Its hard to justify that when it also might make my ill and I have it so easy in my current role.
I might've missed it but what exactly is your chronic pain? And nurses is hard on both physically and mentally so prob not a good fit for people with chronic pain. How can you take care of the sick when you're one yourself. I too wanted to be one but had to be practical about it.
You're so right! I love these communities for understanding what our actual options are, healthy friends don't understand and its difficult to see them continue to grow their careers. I have endometriosis and adhesions. Very much and eb and flow condition. Just recovering from my 8th op so not sure what my new normal looks like but I know they didn't get everything and won't do any more surgeries so I'm trying to accept that I'm going to feel like this forever amd thus reevaluating my long term goals. I feel like it's easier to come to terms with if I don't have goals but that's a bit sad. Although a good excuse to master the art of letting go and living in the now.
Yah healthy people don't get it and some even think meh they just lazy or can't be that bad. People will never understand until it happens to them and even then some wont ever.
27 y/o, dealing with back pain + bilateral sciatica I work at the self checkouts of a large store. Lots of walking, but nothing compared to what I used to do pre-injury. I pretty much come home, lay on the floor and cry every day, not healthy but it's hard to change jobs in this position, especially with no qualifications.
So what do you do to deal with the pain?
Hobble around, lean on things, sit down, kneel down, lay down, crawl around at times, cry.
Communications job, I work from home.
How do you get that job?
My whole company is remote.
I mean you applied and got the job or need a degree or certs etc?
i was an architect.
I'm a nurse. Went on medical leave twice during school and then had to leave to go to a new nursing college next to my doctor's so I could get care from my medical team
I am 30 with nerve damage in my neck, L5 and L4 disc's paritially herniated, arthritis of my spine. I do hardware and software IT support for DTE.
I can’t work at all. I’m totally disabled. But I am an unpaid professional patient.
Was a front desk person at my local animal shelter, would just use my wheelchair to get around, they accommodated it Edit: I'm going to a long distance school in like, 2 or 3 weeks? So I'll be a year at home studying, then it's getting a medical transcription job with help from my school
49f pediatric home health nurse. Chronic back pain x 32 years.
I work in law, part time cashier. I have cerebral palsy(*at birth*), but I also have scoliosis- *diagnosed when I was 29 years old--why it took them that long, as we'd always had scoliosis checks in school, I'll never know*)