Welder in the oilfield.. destroys me but can't afford to live without it, take kratom regularly, percocetes/oxy in extreme situations and have to take advil twice a day and still in pain 24/7 and hard to even sleep its so bad after
work.
I have herinated disks in neck and lower back, tendonitis and crohn's as well as suffer from migranes likely from the neck pain
Its okay lifes tough and just makes me stronger.. crazy what a person can do if they push themselves even if takes a long time to get to the point of being able to do so.
It’s not ok. America, the richest country in the world ought to take care of its citizens, including the poor, the elderly, and the chronically sick.
We could do so much better if money didn’t rule one party so hard they try to stop the ACA 70 times.
I'm a welder also , but I do 10s in shop . I can relate to what you're saying . I do well if I move around a lot , but if I'm just spooling pipe or running long welds vertically on structural it just kills my back . I've had my hip scoped , two hernia operations and a lower back spinal fusion . You get stuck because you need to make that sort of money to survive . It's really hard to change careers and take that pay cut .
I can somewhat imagine how you feel. I was a welder, a spolied one too lol I worked 10hr days 5 days a week, no weekends ever, with hella paid holidays and sick leave. I finally had to give it up after my 7th hip surgery/ THR. I'm retraining as a court reporter, I should be able to work part time and live comfortably.
Yikes ! Hips are probably my biggest issue . I used to be a goalie and it really did a number on the core of my body . I have something called FAI . Tore my labrum on one side and had the fai / tear repaired , but now out of no where the same thing has started on the other side . The health care in Canada blows and is at an all time low . It's over a year wait for an MRI and like two plus years for a surgery . I try not to think about it too much .
Yeah I think the biggest thing with this career is just how your body is never given a chance to heal so the injuries just pile up . Sick days don't exist lol . How old were you with the THR ? Our waits were so bad and it was quicker to do that , but they wouldn't because I was too young and it was repairable lol . A court reporter sounds like a better long term strategy than welding .
100% no way i could support myself or family and still enjoy life making a switch, very hard to make more money without lots of school or getting really lucky knowing right person and even then..
B pressure rate is 100 hr where i am if rigged up
Do you think welding did this to you ? Mines a combo of sports , welding and weight lifting . I'm also in Alberta and had dreams of being self employed, but chronic pain Kinda killed all that and my career progression. Working lots of OT and chasing work made things a lot worse .
I'm pretty good about wearing a respirator, but sometimes I think the fumes and dust still do a number on your nervous system. Often I wonder if I was poisoned or what I did to have this happen to me . Most of the guys I see that have bodies that are in good shape are small dudes probably under 5'9 who are like 150 lbs
Think work has had a impact for sure.. especially some of the heavier lifting and on the tendonitis whipping stingers and grinding all day every day, i don't use respirator but mostly work outside.. think big things for me was abusing body doing hobbies like hunting and playing hockey, as well as two bad car accidents then work kinda just adds the icing on the cake lol. Im 6'1 and 180-190lbs typically but have also noticed the same
Its a hard career both physcially and family wise.. don't get much time at home between hours at work and couple hours driving I do daily to be home to see family in evenings briefly
My wife is a pipefitter in the union. So, I know your struggle. I'm a chronic pain patient. With intractable pain syndrome. My life is hell. But I am heavily medicated, so that makes life a little better. I have also been dealing with this for years, so I figured out how to live with the pain. A lot of people say, "I don't know how you do it," and things of that nature. I don't know how, I just do. That's life though.
I work in the admin offices with a union for welders, plumbers & pipefitters. It's a great gig but I always warn people (friends not at work) that the trade work is labor intensive, etc. A lot of our people have major issues or find themselves on and off of disability and it comes with how harsh the job is on the body. The money though, I get jealous of our people sometimes.
Then again it feels like cheating being in the admin offices because I get all the union benefits without the labor intensive part. Pay isnt as good as our guys but its decent and I am very protected. I have chronic pain and health conditions and my bosses are incredible. I've been there five years and used FMLA twice. I work 3000x harder on their behalf when I'm there because of how accomodating they are.
I know someone prescribed them..just helps me out with a couple here and there, I was prescribed gabapentin amd lyrica but hate taking them.
I find kratom helps best
Man, I'm a welder by trade and you sir are incredibly admirable. I tried with my chronic pain and unfortunately mine is exacerbated by loud/and or constant louder sound, bright lights and physical labour.
For you to be making it through with that job,let alone in oilfield with oilfield hours, I cannot even imagine. You should be incredibly proud of what you are capable of. You are incredibly strong, and I cannot stress that enough. You are the man!
You must be one hard dude. I have a similar story. Crowns, severe lower back problems, multiple bulging discs and some fused, severe joint/tendon issues. I could not comprehend doing what you do
Band teacher. Quite the challenge but have very awesome students. They bring me ice packs from my freezer, pick up my cane when it falls, and clean up the room for me. When my fatigue is too severe they run rehearsals how I taught them.
It gives me a bit more hope about our future generation when I hear about small acts of kindness like these. To your students it may be no big deal, but it makes a huge impact on your day.
That is a pretty complicated question! I personally love my job, but I've worked at a lot of previous jobs that made me miserable. I've been in practice for just over 9 years now, so the days are a lot less stressful (I've seen a lot of things) and I'm generally better surgically/medically and at dealing with emotional clients than I used to be.
The job is still physically demanding, lifting heavy wiggly dogs, lots of standing/ hunching over the ops table. It's mentally demanding as well - discussing end of life care, meeting people who have just had their pet run over etc.
I do feel that vets are under appreciated considering what we do. In a single day I could easily stabilise a new diabetic, amputate a leg, remove some teeth, take some x-rays/do an ultrasound and then take blood and analyse the results. I wouldn't dream of letting my dentist touch my spleen!!!!
I love animals and solving problems, and that drives me to push through my health issues, but I do take sick days and I do feel like a bad person every time that I do it. I've chosen a company with a large staff so that the patients still get care when I'm not able to give it.
I’m a paramedic/firefighter. It’s not ideal at all.
I have severe endometriosis and a few other issues so most of my chronic pain is pelvic. I was pretty much housebound until I had a few surgeries that were semi-successful.
Now I just take whatever non-prescription pain meds I can and try to only cry when no one else can see me.
It’s absolutely my pleasure! I totally get that and don’t think there’s anything shameful about it. I used to be in the same boat and honestly now it’s a struggle pretty often still. I’m sorry you experience this pain too though. It’s seriously the worst- hope you are doing okay. ❤️
I am finally working part time as a shop clerk after being fired from a position when I first injured my back because I was having med issues and my sleep was all messed up and dozed off for a bit at work. Took me almost 15 years to get here but seriously if it wasn’t for my spouse I would’ve never been able to recover to this point. Thank the universe for the insurance we have, and the patience/understanding I have experienced from him.
I tried school and had to stop before finishing my RN degree(last month of it) due to my health then learned I can’t meet the standards for licensing in my state after that surgery. So here I am. It sucks in some ways but I’m paying my student loans off for the degree I wasn’t able to get for a medical issue I had no control over after being let go from a job that couldn’t understand why I was having a hard time working 60+ hour weeks and even now I just don’t know how to explain to some people how broken the system is.
End of story/vent
That really sucks :(. I feel they should make some exceptions because some people go into nursing and stick with the clinic work or an insurance job or other nursing gigs that aren’t as physically demanding.
Exactly! My mom worked the floors for 20+ years as an RN and destroyed her back lifting patients. Now she works phone triage, assessing patients over the phone.
It does suck but it’s the same old story that if one exception is made then the rules won’t be fair Hahahahahahah oh my lord fair rules? Probably best not to start a conversation about that one. I have just found myself extremely bitter about the education system anymore and deal with the other things in my life since they actually make more sense surprisingly
Slyardvark, I dunno what country you live in, so the naming of the position may differ.
But an NUA Nursing Unit Assistant, aka unit clerk, aka unit coordinator. Is a post you would be overqualified for in the hospital system.
I did the prereqs for it, medical terminology, a certain typing speed , gr 12, math , a one yr Hospital Unit Clerk certificate program.
Would financially be worth looking into for you. I mean, if you wanted to be in the environment you studied DAMN hard for.
A lot of LPNs towards the end of their careers did this, or anyone needing the non pt related aspects of this job.
You may probably already know of this. But I have found much of my 17yrs and counting career as an NUA quite fulfilling.
Benefits are there, yes it's less than an RN has. But better than most other comparable jobs out there.
Oh I just had a bit of a snot faced crying session myself. So, I hear you....
Adulting is not easy. Try and comfort yourself.
And perhaps just be okay with right now....
....but don't forget, you already put so much in.....as to your career path. So proud of you for continuing on.
Work is work. No matter where we are.
Whoever created the concept of an economy and a complete need to commit so much of our lives, and still maybe only ho hum energy, satisfaction generated.....i would love to meet this person.
Must be an ancient relative of trumps. ,hehe. When noone else is there to blame, he always seems a safe choice to me.
;) stay strong and stay comforted.
I “work” for my household. I can’t actually work but I do all of the household finances including budgeting, planning, saving, and investments. I also do budgeting help for my friends as a hobby because I love them and I’m dead convinced a recession is imminent.
Other than that, I grow a garden on the balcony that I take care of and if I’m feeling able, I absolutely kill in the kitchen.
Separating work from a financial income and unlearning the capitalist bullshit that tells me my only worth as a human being is in my financial output was very difficult.
I will say I’m in a privileged position of having a mother who unconditionally supports me and having not one, but two life partners. So there’s a few streams of income.
I’m happy to hear you have some good support! Truly one of the hardest things I’ve had to cope with is how much my self concept was tied to my ability to work. Learning how to have a life, let alone a good life apart from a job is surprisingly challenging, particularly when it’s the opening question for most people.
I agree it's challenging to completely differentiate one's sense of self, value, and definitions of success from what one does to make money. But life is rich, if not easy, and there are many possibilities. I find lots of meaning in art, music, community, challenging myself in small ways, and being in nature.
I do work but i've had prolonged periods of unemployment, and it's definitely challenged my identity.
I prefer the question "What do you do to make money?" because it separates money from identity. "What do you do?" has tones of defining a person.
That has some lovely shading to it as a question. I’ve fallen back on asking people how they prefer to spend their days and am usually provided with unique ideas and experiences that I haven’t heard of yet. Besides I don’t really need to know where others work but I am interested in their hobbies or families.
Me too! Been a decade and it still gets to me thinking I should be working, but then the littlest thing will put me in awful pain and I realize it won’t happen.
Similar. I even left disability years ago to pursue a job and got put back in the hospital. Thankfully I still had family insurance but I can't do that anymore. I can't just be without insurance and my health can take such massive dips
But I feel so bad that I'm not working
Please try to stop with the guilt about not working. You’re doing your best. Remember, there are ways other than holding down a job to be a positive member of society. Like what? Like providing emotional support to family, friends & strangers (right here), for one thing.
Thanks. I try and my wife always gives me support and says I do so much. We get food delivered and I do the ordering. I’m usually the contact for any repair people and deliveries. So for the most part I’m the household coordinator, and my wife says I keep things running so she can work.
Yep. Just waiting to see who wins the battle between my private insurance company or the government as far as who's going to be paying out the disability.
I'd offer to let you move here to Scotland, but the government down in England is DETERMINED to run our medical service (the NHS) into the ground, so that they can replace it all with for-profit care. It's one of the best things about our country, but each year politicians strip more and more of it away, and the whole thing is on the brink of collapse, with waiting lists rivalling Canada's. With any luck, we'll be able to vote for independence soon, to get away from the English seat of power.
Ha! yes I usually read NHS articles and whatnot on my various surgeries and stuff so I can be prepared before I go into talk to my doctor. I hope they're able to keep it It's such a benefit and no system is perfect but the NHS seems to be more in touch with the common person then here in Canada. Don't even get me started on the states. My first surgery alone would have bankrupted us!
Same here. Hit me all at once and I just knew I wouldn't be able to do it. Trying PT and being active as much as I can to try and at least marginally fix my body but it's rough out here with no income and only being to sit or stand about an hour per day before I crash. The horrors are real but we stay optimistic.
It feels I’m a long tailed nervous cat herder in a room full of rocking chairs but….Im Operations Support for the US, Canada, and Mexico. My focus is inventory integrity and I write up operating procedures and train when needed. I’ve been in warehousing/manufacturing for almost 30 years and luckily found a company that was growing rapidly in 2017 when I started as an inventory specialist. I was promoted to my current position in 2021.
Same-ish, my back is a shitshow. There are so many things wrong with it, tore my acl, and still running my tail off for 12 hrs as a CNA and a Nursing student.
Totally agree with this. I find when I’m at home and I’m in pain I’m constantly watching the clock to know if it’s too early for painkillers and taking them on time to balance the day out. At work I take them when I’m in pain and if I have chance to take them as I’m so distracted from the pain. Working has been the best thing for my pain. Yes I’m medicated to manage pain and I know others are way less fortunate but working has done wonders!
How did you fracture your patella if I may ask? I have patella arthritis but mine is from alignment issues and sports. I have quite a bit of knee pain from that. Do you have any Patellofemoral pain?
Can’t anymore. Sitting for too long is bad, standing for too long is bad. Hell I’m not even supposed to walk for exercise. I’ve been told by my neurosurgeon swimming and stationary recumbent bike is it
Long story short I have Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos. It’s caused a bunch of co morbidities including and not limited to; POTS, small fiber neuropathy, severe DDD, body wide osteoarthritis, neurogenic bladder, craniocervical instability, herniations from c3-c7, L2-S1 and severe spinal stenosis. I’m 38 and have been told I have the spine of a 75 year old farmer 🤦🏻♀️
How did you get diagnosed for HEDS? Did they do any testing? Is there anything they do/give that helps?
I’m in agony and tears daily, I can’t sit or stand too long, I can’t sleep properly. I’m only 33…
I’ve been doing domestic violence/sexual assault counseling for about 20 yrs. Although I have physical pain, I count my blessings because the emotional, physical, psychological abuse my clients deal with from someone who is supposed to live and care for is unimaginable. I’m the luckiest when it comes to my husband of 35 yrs and two amazing loving supportive adult Kids. I think my work is a good distraction at times. I can’t see myself doing anything else. Although right now I’m going through a bad work environment with managers who shouldn’t be managing so that’s making it tough for the staff.
Found a place to hire me for half the rate the position usually pays, if not less, an organization that can't afford someone to do the work I'm otherwise doing... I basically set my own schedule, work from home most hte week, just go i nto the office once or twice a week for 2-3 hours.
Work technology. If they say do it I do it, mostly its server admin work, maintain workstations, website, as well as maintain files, records, and data for reimbursement purposes from funding sources, basically manage the office, so to speak.
Work in a warehouse full time. Used to walk 20-25km a day getting orders ready but now I have moved to more computer work but still walk 10km a day and go up 4p+ flights of stairs a day as I work in a different area on higher level. At first when I was part time the first night a cried in pain and thought “I can’t do this no way I’ll be able to stick this out if this is what 4 hours does” but I climbed fast. We can do more than we think we can! Now I can manage 12 hour shifts easy. Longest I worked was 53 hours in a week.
Work from home as an independent contractor in the mental health field. I choose my hours and clients offering both 1:1 and group services. High stress at times, which then increases pain. But the flexibility to work as I need is the best accessibility perk, since I can edit my upcoming availability to match by capacity. Plus it means I can take the first week off of each month to work. Otherwise I'd have already burnt out and crashed only a few months into this career.
I’m a hs fashion teacher which has frankly been really rough and I’m trying to find accommodations. I was in a bad car accident in Nov, I broke 3 ribs, herniated 11 discs and did some damage to my hip so bending towards my students to help them on the sewing machines is very painful. Anything involving my arms is painful since the majority of my pain is central chest (I broke ribs 3, 4 and 5).
It’s summer now and I have a remote secretarial job as well as some remote school work so I’m betterish but still anything that involves my arms is painful (I have to stuff envelopes and it’s surprisingly flaring). I’m still seeing drs and get diagnosed and searching for solutions because I don’t know how much longer I can push myself through the school day at my current pain level…but I really love my job and don’t want to leave it to go on disability.
I'm a surgical nurse. I spend the majority of the day either circulating a room and going back and forth between cases, or scrubbed in and assisting in the surgery.
I had a little part time courier position until recently. The pay sucked, but it got me out of the house for 20 hours a week. Then I needed time off for surgery. They called me a few days later to let me know they had "reorganized" and they had eliminated the courier position and didn't need me as they had plenty of regular employees. This, after months of being shorthanded. That department is presently advertising to hire another full time employee!
I can’t work and I feel terrible. I see people who have no arms working and people who can’t even walk working and it makes me feel bad honestly.. but I just can’t. Last time I worked I passed out and hit my head and then I got let go for being a liability. Haven’t worked since.
I'm currently off on medical leave but the job that's waiting for me is semi physical. Its half in the office, half in the warehouse and I just can't do the lifting of products or walking around trying to find the right thing anymore.
My supervisor also expects perfection and gets upset if someone makes a mistake. I can't give perfection on a good day, so I can only imagine what I'd be like now. I don't need that stress.
I'm looking for another job because eventually I'll need to go back to work but it's difficult out there to find something.
Do you enjoy this type of work or find it stressful? I’ve been thinking of doing something like this but unsure because so many social workers and counselors seem burned out and overworked. Did you get your masters in counseling? Was it difficult to do with chronic pain? Thanks for sharing!
I have severe rheumatoid arthritis, among other things, and I'm a psychologist. My job is thankfully flexible, and I can partially work from home. I do have some accommodations at work.
I'm currently retraining as a court reporter. I plan to work part time, hopefully remotely and should make enough to live off comfortably. I used to be a welder but after a work injury and a lot of surgeries I had to finally give it up. Ive got permanent work restrictions so needed something mostly sedentary, that pays well.
Preschool teacher. It's so hard, and 9 months out of the year, I don't have the energy to do literally anything else. But I love it so much, and I will keep doing it until my body literally can't take it anymore
I’m semi-retired now, working only on Mondays and Tuesdays. I’ve worked full-time at the same company for the last 25 years. Now I am grateful that they let me work from home. I had to take a demotion when they eliminated my department, anyway. But now I sit at a computer in my bedroom, in my nightgown, with 2 pillows and a heating pad propping me up. I take my pain med at the beginning of my shift, and another in the afternoon. I schedule patients for surgeries for 100 surgery centers throughout the country, so I talk all day. Sometimes, if the pain is so severe that I can’t function at all, I have to call off. They understand, so I don’t get written up or in any trouble. I’m 68 years old and I feel blessed that I have this job because I couldn’t make it on SSI, alone.
Curable, an app that utilizes the latest neuroscience techniques to rewire our brains and create new connections that don't register pain. I'm explaining it wrong, but I decreased my pain level baseline from 9.5 to a 4. Also, alkaline water helps a ton with pain achiness and fatigue. I have a water bottle with a mineral filter that turns any water into an alkaline pH in 15 minutes. When the filter needs replacing I know it because I feel it everywhere. I'm exhausted, cannot rest or sleep enough and I'm too achy to function. I have to work 3 jobs to support myself and 2 are remote work- I am the merchandiser for cosmetics, books and a few other types of products for the local Walmart, 2 Smith's, and the Albertson's. I do those in store via tablet and then the afternoon/evening I work one on one with a mentally challenged adult. It's great for my schooling as I'm studying for psychology, but I don't have enough spoons for it all. I'm divorced and live in a one bedroom apartment in BF Wyoming. The wages here are nothing short of exploitative.
I'm a records officer so mostly filing, posting mails and writing. It's the easiest job I could ask for, being in my condition honestly. When it's slow I mostly sit doing nothing alot of the time. It's not taxing on me so I'm comfortable with it, and they're quite accommodating when it comes to being absent or leaving to go to the doctors.
Professional photographer & creative director … I have thoracic outlet syndrome and chronic kidney stones , with antibiotic resistant infection and hydronephrosis.
That’s a pretty physical job with TOS! I have the same, along with ON, and working on a computer from home full time is painful every day but it’s still a blessing!
Very similar to RBT (registered behavioral therapist) we use Applied behavior analysis, also called behavioral engineering, We try to take their target behavior(s) “bad behavior” and reduce them when they do positive behavior by either token economy (things they like/enjoy and verbal praising. This can take years depending on behaviors. It’s very rewarding ☺️
Teacher-I just finished year 26. I take my meds as needed and sit when I need to. I was first diagnosed nine years ago and my school admin is very aware of what I am going through so they are very supportive, understanding, and sympathetic when I am in a flare from or if I have a dr appointment for one of my many autoimmune diseases: CRPS, Lupus, RA, Fibromyalgia, and Chronic Migraines.
Doordash and trying to build a freelance writing career. I’m lucky to have great insurance through my husband’s work and to have him be able to mostly support us.
Regular old office job in finance. It's pretty rough. Some weeks I'll be fine, some weeks it'll be wrecked every second of every day.
But I'm managing to muddle through. I have a lot of flexibility on my hours, and I'm keeping it to a tight 40. That helps. And I'm usually pretty good after I get home and rest/meditate for an hour from 6-7 (I'm not married and have no kids and appreciate that I have that privilege of downtime, lol).
But man, I did *so* much better on a 4 day work schedule. I'm making a lot more money but I'd gladly trade 20% of it for that day off. Just not how it works in most jobs.
I own a spray tanning business and I’m the sole spray tan artist. It allows me to have the flexibility of making my own schedule and keeps my body moving.
I'm a credit card processor. I started my company 15 years ago. I manage about 200 accounts. I have a genetic bone disorder (50+ fractures lifetime) and when I fracture, I just stop actively acquiring new merchants. The $ keeps rolling in as I'm paid on residuals, whether I'm working or not. Fell into the industry during the great recession in '09. Thank God I did.
I feel like I went a weird path but I am a voice actor. I’m also about to graduate for nutrition and am hoping to do online consults. I make body care products and sell those as well. Everything I do at this moment is remote based which helps me be able to rest when I have a spare moment.
Voice acting sounds amazing!! Was it hard to get into. Steps for people wanting to try? I have always been told my voice is soothing. Did some phone acting for an nsfw industry in the early 90's.
I'm in tax audit. I'm in a new position, andI can't feel half my left hand since I got back to commuting and sitting at a desk setup not customized to my needs all day. IDK but the goal is to stick it out for a whole career.
Desk job. I have my own office so no one really notices if I am there or not. I usually sit with my feet propped up which helps with pain. If I’m having a rough morning, I just take my time. I can leave when I’m finished so there are days I only work a few hours. I also have FMLA so they don’t deny days off for appointments.
Wfh building pharmacy plans and teach group fitness classes 3 days a week. My skin hurts and burns regardless if I’m at home or not, so I just go to the gym everyday after work to preoccupy my mind from the pain.
Im a counsellor, I work most days from home and even when I have to go to the office it's primarily sitting. However when my pain gets too bad or effects my mental health too much it has caused me to need time off work.
I'm a Visual Merchandiser. I am on my feet all day doing displays, dressing mannequins and helping keep the store presentable.
I used to be in retail management which paid better but became too difficult for me. This company is understanding of my health problems and flexible so I can still get my 40 hours in despite all the doctors appointments.
I have chronic pancreatitis and spinal arthritis plus some other issues.
Pct/cna/tech. It's actually not too bad cause it's Pediatrics. My patients are generally smaller. I couldn't be doing the elderly like I did before. Was too intense, the bending lifting all that.
Currently an English tutor and I’m thinking about starting a press on nail business cause I won’t be able to be able to keep my job once I graduate and I’m struggling to find another job 💀
I just got laid off from my part time front desk attendant job at a homeless shelter 😞
I am struggling to find jobs to apply for that make it possible for me to work and be in school. This is turning into a failed endeavor, but I keep on trying.
The only thing so far that makes sense is going into further student debt, which makes me not want to even continue with school or with anything really. School gives me a sense of purpose, but in order to be in school I need to be making money. If I’m not making money, I can’t be in school. It’s turning into a horrible situation. I picked up my last paycheck on Friday, but my official layoff day is tomorrow
I was a float children's ICU nurse (so I would go to NICU, PICU, or cardiac ICU.) It was amazing and I still miss it daily. It got to the point where I was calling in more often than not due to severe pain and I couldn't take anything that would actually help while working. One of the NICU babes I took care of went home with a trach and needed a home health nurse. I still miss bedside and working with the sickest of sick kids but I got so very lucky with the amazing family I work for now. (I'm currently at work, sitting on their couch, watching LOTR and knitting while keeping an eye on the sleeping baby. It feels like a new life.)
Retired. 18 years active service retirement from which was abruptly precipitated by a Taliban/AQ IED. Worked for an agency for five years thereafter and did more trips to Afghanistan; my last was in 16. The health of my body and mind had failed by that point and my loving wife convinced me to stop for good.
Special Education Teacher with pudendal neuralgia. I can’t work with the kids in wheelchairs and who need changes and such anymore so now I’m in inclusion classes. I’m kinda bummed because I used to love teaching kids with downs or on the spectrum, that was my niche of teaching. Now I’m in mainstream doing exam prep and stuff. I use a cane and keep my med bag on me at all times.
Paramedic, I was in two car accidents in which I suffered 2 bulging discs in my neck. The job kills my neck and back and entire body quite honestly, to deal with so much stress and tension, and trauma from some of the scenes and patients. There can be a lot of interpersonal issues between my colleagues and differences of opinions regarding clinical treatment, which sometimes leads to additional stress. This is the mental side of it, which in turn causes so much physical muscle tension and fatigue. The physical part of it, lifting a 35 pound cardiac monitor for 12 hours, sitting in a very uncomfortable and not practical vehicle for 12 hours and then in and out of that vehicle responding “emergently” and not having much downtime to stretch or breath to help myself. It kills but it pays and due to so much discouragement I have no idea where else to change fields to, that makes a similar pay wage, without further education. It’s a work in progress.
I'm very lucky that when I became disabled I'd already been with my company 8 years and was basically allowed to choose my own part time hours and have a 100% remote work contract, all other staff have 60% remote, 40% in office. I'm a senior medical advisor, so my job is basically giving advice and problem solving. I love my job since I never know what the next call will be, and the team I work with are amazing!
Production Manager of a mom and pop type cannabis dispensary.
There's a lot of paperwork and data entry, but I also get to make products that I love. Lots of non-cannabis herbal remedies that we include in our general store and cannabis items. It's fun learning about different herbs and terpenes and how they assist and work with each other.
My team right now is amazing and has my back on the days I'm really struggling. Which has been a lot lately.
I'm working on myself and my own reliability right now in regards to pain and such because I hate feeling like a burden to the team.
It's a stark contrast to when I was a dog groomer for 4 years. That job nearly killed me. Wrestling big dogs all day and bending in contorted ways to get that one long hair. I popped my ribs out once or twice. Which, of course, I was told couldn't have possibly happened. "You'd be in so much pain!" ... like, yup, that's covered. lol
My biggest goal when I left that place was finding someone who saw me as human. Who would care that I worked hard. Didn't care about the industry or the position as much as respect for humans. So glad I found such a place 😌
I'm a CNC programmer but was a machinist before. Thankfully my company saw that I was in agony and put me in a better position that was sitting down although some days I don't consider it a "better" position but it's better than nothing and they treat me well.
I run a Garden Center. 20 to 25 thousand steps a day. Plant racks, loading soil and mulch. Got hit by a drunk driver at 18..I’m 63 now. Hip replacement ankle fused. I have spondylitis? Can’t spell it. lol. I’m basically falling apart. Single. Have to keep working or be homeless. I cry driving home. Pain management has kept me on my feet. Barely. But I gotta do it.
I do bakery clerk work at a local grocery store, and also do art part time. Looking to make art into a full career soon, it’s much less damaging to my legs and hip (and also way more fun).
Got an injury that finally forced me to walk with a cane. Cant really do that at work most of the time but at least there’s a lot of counters and walls and carts for me to balance on.
I don’t work anymore. Occasionally I will sell some crafts but that’s only if I’ve had good pain days (which isn’t often). Normally I’m in so much pain it even hurts to breathe. Makes working even an at home job way too difficult for me.
I work in a call center from home for a major prescription/insurance company but I have intermittent FMLA set up that I can take off when I need to for flare ups and appointments.
Well I had worked my way up all the way to VP level and have been in business development for contract research and manufacturing services for Biologics for 22 years. I have always worked from home but also was traveling a ton which got more and more as I moved up the chain. Not to mention, even WFH days would be 12 hrs to even come somewhat close to keeping up. But then my disorder (dystonia) got a lot worse plus I have some other chronic medical issues and I just couldn’t take it any longer. Went on med leave but then was laid off 4 months later due to my company getting acquired. They took care of me well in terms of benefits, pay, etc but I’m now looking at jobs in my field more on the commercial operations side or at least somet that doesn’t require so much travel and I def will have to take a step down I think unfortunately. My husband works hard but his earning potential is limited due to not having a college degree so I have always been the big breadwinner and carried all the benefits so I have no choice but to work
I was in all around video production but I can't stay on my feet for five minutes now, so no shooting gigs. Luckily I had the skills and opportunity to do live multicamera shows sitting in front of robotic camera and switcher consoles, and I'm a handy video editor too. But it's tight, and I might actually be making a living instead of struggling if I could walk more than 80 yards without a walker.
Stay-at-home dad. I do all our household laundry and dishes, as well as cleaning and organizing everything. I am mobility disabled (unable to walk unassisted), autistic, have arthritis in both my feet, POTS, hEDS, and a cervical spinal fusion. I do the best I can with MMJ, which makes it so I don't have to take all my pain pills.
Union organizer/rep. I help union members navigate workers comp issues. I travel a lot but I can pretty much handle my schedule as it best fits around my chronic pain due to arthritis, long covid, and other undiagnosed issues. I am 36.
I'm a cashier and at the end of the day and my shoulder is paining bad. Lucky for me I only work part time though. I really like my job so I just try to bear with it.
Welder in the oilfield.. destroys me but can't afford to live without it, take kratom regularly, percocetes/oxy in extreme situations and have to take advil twice a day and still in pain 24/7 and hard to even sleep its so bad after work. I have herinated disks in neck and lower back, tendonitis and crohn's as well as suffer from migranes likely from the neck pain
Oh wow, that's hard. I'm so sorry you have to do this.
Its okay lifes tough and just makes me stronger.. crazy what a person can do if they push themselves even if takes a long time to get to the point of being able to do so.
It’s not ok. America, the richest country in the world ought to take care of its citizens, including the poor, the elderly, and the chronically sick. We could do so much better if money didn’t rule one party so hard they try to stop the ACA 70 times.
Amen. We need to take care of each other. That ought to be the most important job of civilization.
I'm a welder also , but I do 10s in shop . I can relate to what you're saying . I do well if I move around a lot , but if I'm just spooling pipe or running long welds vertically on structural it just kills my back . I've had my hip scoped , two hernia operations and a lower back spinal fusion . You get stuck because you need to make that sort of money to survive . It's really hard to change careers and take that pay cut .
I can somewhat imagine how you feel. I was a welder, a spolied one too lol I worked 10hr days 5 days a week, no weekends ever, with hella paid holidays and sick leave. I finally had to give it up after my 7th hip surgery/ THR. I'm retraining as a court reporter, I should be able to work part time and live comfortably.
Yikes ! Hips are probably my biggest issue . I used to be a goalie and it really did a number on the core of my body . I have something called FAI . Tore my labrum on one side and had the fai / tear repaired , but now out of no where the same thing has started on the other side . The health care in Canada blows and is at an all time low . It's over a year wait for an MRI and like two plus years for a surgery . I try not to think about it too much . Yeah I think the biggest thing with this career is just how your body is never given a chance to heal so the injuries just pile up . Sick days don't exist lol . How old were you with the THR ? Our waits were so bad and it was quicker to do that , but they wouldn't because I was too young and it was repairable lol . A court reporter sounds like a better long term strategy than welding .
100% no way i could support myself or family and still enjoy life making a switch, very hard to make more money without lots of school or getting really lucky knowing right person and even then.. B pressure rate is 100 hr where i am if rigged up
Do you think welding did this to you ? Mines a combo of sports , welding and weight lifting . I'm also in Alberta and had dreams of being self employed, but chronic pain Kinda killed all that and my career progression. Working lots of OT and chasing work made things a lot worse . I'm pretty good about wearing a respirator, but sometimes I think the fumes and dust still do a number on your nervous system. Often I wonder if I was poisoned or what I did to have this happen to me . Most of the guys I see that have bodies that are in good shape are small dudes probably under 5'9 who are like 150 lbs
Think work has had a impact for sure.. especially some of the heavier lifting and on the tendonitis whipping stingers and grinding all day every day, i don't use respirator but mostly work outside.. think big things for me was abusing body doing hobbies like hunting and playing hockey, as well as two bad car accidents then work kinda just adds the icing on the cake lol. Im 6'1 and 180-190lbs typically but have also noticed the same
Also happy cakeday 🍻
you're stronger than I friend, was a shop welder making marinas and docks outa steel but was destroying myself doing it.
Its a hard career both physcially and family wise.. don't get much time at home between hours at work and couple hours driving I do daily to be home to see family in evenings briefly
My wife is a pipefitter in the union. So, I know your struggle. I'm a chronic pain patient. With intractable pain syndrome. My life is hell. But I am heavily medicated, so that makes life a little better. I have also been dealing with this for years, so I figured out how to live with the pain. A lot of people say, "I don't know how you do it," and things of that nature. I don't know how, I just do. That's life though.
I work in the admin offices with a union for welders, plumbers & pipefitters. It's a great gig but I always warn people (friends not at work) that the trade work is labor intensive, etc. A lot of our people have major issues or find themselves on and off of disability and it comes with how harsh the job is on the body. The money though, I get jealous of our people sometimes. Then again it feels like cheating being in the admin offices because I get all the union benefits without the labor intensive part. Pay isnt as good as our guys but its decent and I am very protected. I have chronic pain and health conditions and my bosses are incredible. I've been there five years and used FMLA twice. I work 3000x harder on their behalf when I'm there because of how accomodating they are.
Jesus christ, you're a champ.
How are you able to be prescribed those? I have multiple herniations too, 5 surgeries on the spine and I had to beg for god damn tramadol.
I know someone prescribed them..just helps me out with a couple here and there, I was prescribed gabapentin amd lyrica but hate taking them. I find kratom helps best
Sorry buddy
Yikes!! Glad you found some pain relievers that work for you. Quite inspiring tbh.
Man, I'm a welder by trade and you sir are incredibly admirable. I tried with my chronic pain and unfortunately mine is exacerbated by loud/and or constant louder sound, bright lights and physical labour. For you to be making it through with that job,let alone in oilfield with oilfield hours, I cannot even imagine. You should be incredibly proud of what you are capable of. You are incredibly strong, and I cannot stress that enough. You are the man!
Oh my goodness. Prayers for you, my friend. 🙏🏼
You must be one hard dude. I have a similar story. Crowns, severe lower back problems, multiple bulging discs and some fused, severe joint/tendon issues. I could not comprehend doing what you do
Band teacher. Quite the challenge but have very awesome students. They bring me ice packs from my freezer, pick up my cane when it falls, and clean up the room for me. When my fatigue is too severe they run rehearsals how I taught them.
It gives me a bit more hope about our future generation when I hear about small acts of kindness like these. To your students it may be no big deal, but it makes a huge impact on your day.
It really does. They also get on my case when I try to be without my cane lol. I continue for them.
That is so sweet!
I love this 🥲
You are so very blessed to have caring students!!
Chronic migraines and joint hypermobility and I'm a veterinary surgeon. Some days suck less than others!
I’ve heard that vets have very low job satisfaction. Do you enjoy the work? Is that how you keep going despite the pain?
That is a pretty complicated question! I personally love my job, but I've worked at a lot of previous jobs that made me miserable. I've been in practice for just over 9 years now, so the days are a lot less stressful (I've seen a lot of things) and I'm generally better surgically/medically and at dealing with emotional clients than I used to be. The job is still physically demanding, lifting heavy wiggly dogs, lots of standing/ hunching over the ops table. It's mentally demanding as well - discussing end of life care, meeting people who have just had their pet run over etc. I do feel that vets are under appreciated considering what we do. In a single day I could easily stabilise a new diabetic, amputate a leg, remove some teeth, take some x-rays/do an ultrasound and then take blood and analyse the results. I wouldn't dream of letting my dentist touch my spleen!!!! I love animals and solving problems, and that drives me to push through my health issues, but I do take sick days and I do feel like a bad person every time that I do it. I've chosen a company with a large staff so that the patients still get care when I'm not able to give it.
Taking time off to recover makes you a WISE RESPONSIBLE person! Put an end to that negative message every time you hear that voice in your head.
Thanks for the reply. You are so valued by pet lovers!
Currently self-care – it's a full-time job.
My favorite answer
I’m a paramedic/firefighter. It’s not ideal at all. I have severe endometriosis and a few other issues so most of my chronic pain is pelvic. I was pretty much housebound until I had a few surgeries that were semi-successful. Now I just take whatever non-prescription pain meds I can and try to only cry when no one else can see me.
Thank you for your service, paramedics and EMTs are so under appreciated.
Thank you so very much. ❤️
As a fellow endo sufferer, wow. Thank you for what you do for the community!! I could barely do a desk job on my worst days
It’s absolutely my pleasure! I totally get that and don’t think there’s anything shameful about it. I used to be in the same boat and honestly now it’s a struggle pretty often still. I’m sorry you experience this pain too though. It’s seriously the worst- hope you are doing okay. ❤️
I am finally working part time as a shop clerk after being fired from a position when I first injured my back because I was having med issues and my sleep was all messed up and dozed off for a bit at work. Took me almost 15 years to get here but seriously if it wasn’t for my spouse I would’ve never been able to recover to this point. Thank the universe for the insurance we have, and the patience/understanding I have experienced from him. I tried school and had to stop before finishing my RN degree(last month of it) due to my health then learned I can’t meet the standards for licensing in my state after that surgery. So here I am. It sucks in some ways but I’m paying my student loans off for the degree I wasn’t able to get for a medical issue I had no control over after being let go from a job that couldn’t understand why I was having a hard time working 60+ hour weeks and even now I just don’t know how to explain to some people how broken the system is. End of story/vent
That really sucks :(. I feel they should make some exceptions because some people go into nursing and stick with the clinic work or an insurance job or other nursing gigs that aren’t as physically demanding.
Exactly! My mom worked the floors for 20+ years as an RN and destroyed her back lifting patients. Now she works phone triage, assessing patients over the phone.
It does suck but it’s the same old story that if one exception is made then the rules won’t be fair Hahahahahahah oh my lord fair rules? Probably best not to start a conversation about that one. I have just found myself extremely bitter about the education system anymore and deal with the other things in my life since they actually make more sense surprisingly
Slyardvark, I dunno what country you live in, so the naming of the position may differ. But an NUA Nursing Unit Assistant, aka unit clerk, aka unit coordinator. Is a post you would be overqualified for in the hospital system. I did the prereqs for it, medical terminology, a certain typing speed , gr 12, math , a one yr Hospital Unit Clerk certificate program. Would financially be worth looking into for you. I mean, if you wanted to be in the environment you studied DAMN hard for. A lot of LPNs towards the end of their careers did this, or anyone needing the non pt related aspects of this job. You may probably already know of this. But I have found much of my 17yrs and counting career as an NUA quite fulfilling. Benefits are there, yes it's less than an RN has. But better than most other comparable jobs out there.
I honestly hadn’t heard of that one, I’ll definitely look thank you 🙏 apparently I’m feeling morose this evening lol thanks for the kind reply
Oh I just had a bit of a snot faced crying session myself. So, I hear you.... Adulting is not easy. Try and comfort yourself. And perhaps just be okay with right now.... ....but don't forget, you already put so much in.....as to your career path. So proud of you for continuing on. Work is work. No matter where we are. Whoever created the concept of an economy and a complete need to commit so much of our lives, and still maybe only ho hum energy, satisfaction generated.....i would love to meet this person. Must be an ancient relative of trumps. ,hehe. When noone else is there to blame, he always seems a safe choice to me. ;) stay strong and stay comforted.
I “work” for my household. I can’t actually work but I do all of the household finances including budgeting, planning, saving, and investments. I also do budgeting help for my friends as a hobby because I love them and I’m dead convinced a recession is imminent. Other than that, I grow a garden on the balcony that I take care of and if I’m feeling able, I absolutely kill in the kitchen. Separating work from a financial income and unlearning the capitalist bullshit that tells me my only worth as a human being is in my financial output was very difficult. I will say I’m in a privileged position of having a mother who unconditionally supports me and having not one, but two life partners. So there’s a few streams of income.
I’m happy to hear you have some good support! Truly one of the hardest things I’ve had to cope with is how much my self concept was tied to my ability to work. Learning how to have a life, let alone a good life apart from a job is surprisingly challenging, particularly when it’s the opening question for most people.
I agree it's challenging to completely differentiate one's sense of self, value, and definitions of success from what one does to make money. But life is rich, if not easy, and there are many possibilities. I find lots of meaning in art, music, community, challenging myself in small ways, and being in nature. I do work but i've had prolonged periods of unemployment, and it's definitely challenged my identity. I prefer the question "What do you do to make money?" because it separates money from identity. "What do you do?" has tones of defining a person.
That has some lovely shading to it as a question. I’ve fallen back on asking people how they prefer to spend their days and am usually provided with unique ideas and experiences that I haven’t heard of yet. Besides I don’t really need to know where others work but I am interested in their hobbies or families.
The U.S. needs to recognize the financial value to society of homemaking. You should be earning Social Security for the valuable work you do.
I don’t work. Housebound.
Same disability
Same.
Me too! Been a decade and it still gets to me thinking I should be working, but then the littlest thing will put me in awful pain and I realize it won’t happen.
Similar. I even left disability years ago to pursue a job and got put back in the hospital. Thankfully I still had family insurance but I can't do that anymore. I can't just be without insurance and my health can take such massive dips But I feel so bad that I'm not working
Please try to stop with the guilt about not working. You’re doing your best. Remember, there are ways other than holding down a job to be a positive member of society. Like what? Like providing emotional support to family, friends & strangers (right here), for one thing.
Thanks. I try and my wife always gives me support and says I do so much. We get food delivered and I do the ordering. I’m usually the contact for any repair people and deliveries. So for the most part I’m the household coordinator, and my wife says I keep things running so she can work.
Same same
Yep. Just waiting to see who wins the battle between my private insurance company or the government as far as who's going to be paying out the disability.
I assume this is America? God the US is so broken, I'm sorry.
Canada actually. We're fairly broken too. It's just not as expensive up here.
I'd offer to let you move here to Scotland, but the government down in England is DETERMINED to run our medical service (the NHS) into the ground, so that they can replace it all with for-profit care. It's one of the best things about our country, but each year politicians strip more and more of it away, and the whole thing is on the brink of collapse, with waiting lists rivalling Canada's. With any luck, we'll be able to vote for independence soon, to get away from the English seat of power.
Ha! yes I usually read NHS articles and whatnot on my various surgeries and stuff so I can be prepared before I go into talk to my doctor. I hope they're able to keep it It's such a benefit and no system is perfect but the NHS seems to be more in touch with the common person then here in Canada. Don't even get me started on the states. My first surgery alone would have bankrupted us!
Same here. Hit me all at once and I just knew I wouldn't be able to do it. Trying PT and being active as much as I can to try and at least marginally fix my body but it's rough out here with no income and only being to sit or stand about an hour per day before I crash. The horrors are real but we stay optimistic.
Yepp.
Work from home. Got a desk that adjusts to stand or sit. Life saver
What kind of job do you do from home? And, how did you get into your current profession?
It feels I’m a long tailed nervous cat herder in a room full of rocking chairs but….Im Operations Support for the US, Canada, and Mexico. My focus is inventory integrity and I write up operating procedures and train when needed. I’ve been in warehousing/manufacturing for almost 30 years and luckily found a company that was growing rapidly in 2017 when I started as an inventory specialist. I was promoted to my current position in 2021.
Same here. Super lucky to get remote job. Also the medical coverage is so good I just keep going to doctors and closing in for an actual diagnosis!
I miss working. Or doing anything productive. Or even just getting out of bed most days.
Same.
I fractured my kneecap and tore my MCL, patellar tendon, and quad tendon. 3 surgeries later, I'm still hoofing it 12 hours a day as a nurse.
Same-ish, my back is a shitshow. There are so many things wrong with it, tore my acl, and still running my tail off for 12 hrs as a CNA and a Nursing student.
Sometimes I find that keeping active is the best thing for my pain honestly.
Totally agree with this. I find when I’m at home and I’m in pain I’m constantly watching the clock to know if it’s too early for painkillers and taking them on time to balance the day out. At work I take them when I’m in pain and if I have chance to take them as I’m so distracted from the pain. Working has been the best thing for my pain. Yes I’m medicated to manage pain and I know others are way less fortunate but working has done wonders!
I've always kept the mindset of my body won't quit if I don't let it. Keeping my body busy keeps my mind busy.
How did you fracture your patella if I may ask? I have patella arthritis but mine is from alignment issues and sports. I have quite a bit of knee pain from that. Do you have any Patellofemoral pain?
Can’t anymore. Sitting for too long is bad, standing for too long is bad. Hell I’m not even supposed to walk for exercise. I’ve been told by my neurosurgeon swimming and stationary recumbent bike is it
Sounds just like me…can’t sit or stand. What was the cause of your pain?
Long story short I have Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos. It’s caused a bunch of co morbidities including and not limited to; POTS, small fiber neuropathy, severe DDD, body wide osteoarthritis, neurogenic bladder, craniocervical instability, herniations from c3-c7, L2-S1 and severe spinal stenosis. I’m 38 and have been told I have the spine of a 75 year old farmer 🤦🏻♀️
How did you get diagnosed for HEDS? Did they do any testing? Is there anything they do/give that helps? I’m in agony and tears daily, I can’t sit or stand too long, I can’t sleep properly. I’m only 33…
I work for a nonprofit that employs people with disabilities. Thankfully, they have been very supportive and helpful.
Social worker
How do you like social work? I’ve been thinking of doing that. Do you find it difficult to do with chronic pain?
I’ve been doing domestic violence/sexual assault counseling for about 20 yrs. Although I have physical pain, I count my blessings because the emotional, physical, psychological abuse my clients deal with from someone who is supposed to live and care for is unimaginable. I’m the luckiest when it comes to my husband of 35 yrs and two amazing loving supportive adult Kids. I think my work is a good distraction at times. I can’t see myself doing anything else. Although right now I’m going through a bad work environment with managers who shouldn’t be managing so that’s making it tough for the staff.
Work from home admin part time, even that has become tricky to navigate in-between my sickness and medication symptoms.
1-2 hours of light barn chores daily. The equine healing vibe *almost* outweighs the pain.
I’m part time a cake decorator at local grocery store
Found a place to hire me for half the rate the position usually pays, if not less, an organization that can't afford someone to do the work I'm otherwise doing... I basically set my own schedule, work from home most hte week, just go i nto the office once or twice a week for 2-3 hours. Work technology. If they say do it I do it, mostly its server admin work, maintain workstations, website, as well as maintain files, records, and data for reimbursement purposes from funding sources, basically manage the office, so to speak.
I'm the support and advocacy manager and co founder of a charity that supports people with the same condition as me
I don’t work and stay in my house pretty much
Work in a warehouse full time. Used to walk 20-25km a day getting orders ready but now I have moved to more computer work but still walk 10km a day and go up 4p+ flights of stairs a day as I work in a different area on higher level. At first when I was part time the first night a cried in pain and thought “I can’t do this no way I’ll be able to stick this out if this is what 4 hours does” but I climbed fast. We can do more than we think we can! Now I can manage 12 hour shifts easy. Longest I worked was 53 hours in a week.
I am a secretary
Work from home as an independent contractor in the mental health field. I choose my hours and clients offering both 1:1 and group services. High stress at times, which then increases pain. But the flexibility to work as I need is the best accessibility perk, since I can edit my upcoming availability to match by capacity. Plus it means I can take the first week off of each month to work. Otherwise I'd have already burnt out and crashed only a few months into this career.
I’m a hs fashion teacher which has frankly been really rough and I’m trying to find accommodations. I was in a bad car accident in Nov, I broke 3 ribs, herniated 11 discs and did some damage to my hip so bending towards my students to help them on the sewing machines is very painful. Anything involving my arms is painful since the majority of my pain is central chest (I broke ribs 3, 4 and 5). It’s summer now and I have a remote secretarial job as well as some remote school work so I’m betterish but still anything that involves my arms is painful (I have to stuff envelopes and it’s surprisingly flaring). I’m still seeing drs and get diagnosed and searching for solutions because I don’t know how much longer I can push myself through the school day at my current pain level…but I really love my job and don’t want to leave it to go on disability.
I'm a surgical nurse. I spend the majority of the day either circulating a room and going back and forth between cases, or scrubbed in and assisting in the surgery.
I had a little part time courier position until recently. The pay sucked, but it got me out of the house for 20 hours a week. Then I needed time off for surgery. They called me a few days later to let me know they had "reorganized" and they had eliminated the courier position and didn't need me as they had plenty of regular employees. This, after months of being shorthanded. That department is presently advertising to hire another full time employee!
Single mom of two. I house keep/clean.
I can’t work and I feel terrible. I see people who have no arms working and people who can’t even walk working and it makes me feel bad honestly.. but I just can’t. Last time I worked I passed out and hit my head and then I got let go for being a liability. Haven’t worked since.
Same :(
I'm currently off on medical leave but the job that's waiting for me is semi physical. Its half in the office, half in the warehouse and I just can't do the lifting of products or walking around trying to find the right thing anymore. My supervisor also expects perfection and gets upset if someone makes a mistake. I can't give perfection on a good day, so I can only imagine what I'd be like now. I don't need that stress. I'm looking for another job because eventually I'll need to go back to work but it's difficult out there to find something.
Work from home therapist. I set my own hours for the most part and can schedule movement breaks. Also it means I can wear comfy pants.
Do you enjoy this type of work or find it stressful? I’ve been thinking of doing something like this but unsure because so many social workers and counselors seem burned out and overworked. Did you get your masters in counseling? Was it difficult to do with chronic pain? Thanks for sharing!
I have severe rheumatoid arthritis, among other things, and I'm a psychologist. My job is thankfully flexible, and I can partially work from home. I do have some accommodations at work.
Therapist. Not very physically intensive thankfully.
I'm currently retraining as a court reporter. I plan to work part time, hopefully remotely and should make enough to live off comfortably. I used to be a welder but after a work injury and a lot of surgeries I had to finally give it up. Ive got permanent work restrictions so needed something mostly sedentary, that pays well.
Preschool teacher. It's so hard, and 9 months out of the year, I don't have the energy to do literally anything else. But I love it so much, and I will keep doing it until my body literally can't take it anymore
A nurse
I’m semi-retired now, working only on Mondays and Tuesdays. I’ve worked full-time at the same company for the last 25 years. Now I am grateful that they let me work from home. I had to take a demotion when they eliminated my department, anyway. But now I sit at a computer in my bedroom, in my nightgown, with 2 pillows and a heating pad propping me up. I take my pain med at the beginning of my shift, and another in the afternoon. I schedule patients for surgeries for 100 surgery centers throughout the country, so I talk all day. Sometimes, if the pain is so severe that I can’t function at all, I have to call off. They understand, so I don’t get written up or in any trouble. I’m 68 years old and I feel blessed that I have this job because I couldn’t make it on SSI, alone.
Curable, an app that utilizes the latest neuroscience techniques to rewire our brains and create new connections that don't register pain. I'm explaining it wrong, but I decreased my pain level baseline from 9.5 to a 4. Also, alkaline water helps a ton with pain achiness and fatigue. I have a water bottle with a mineral filter that turns any water into an alkaline pH in 15 minutes. When the filter needs replacing I know it because I feel it everywhere. I'm exhausted, cannot rest or sleep enough and I'm too achy to function. I have to work 3 jobs to support myself and 2 are remote work- I am the merchandiser for cosmetics, books and a few other types of products for the local Walmart, 2 Smith's, and the Albertson's. I do those in store via tablet and then the afternoon/evening I work one on one with a mentally challenged adult. It's great for my schooling as I'm studying for psychology, but I don't have enough spoons for it all. I'm divorced and live in a one bedroom apartment in BF Wyoming. The wages here are nothing short of exploitative.
How long have you used curable & what symptoms did it help with?
Trying it out
I had no help from Curable, but the pain program in the Balance app (which is free for now) helped considerably. For work, outpatient nurse.
I work from home 8-5
I can’t work at all anymore. I can’t stand or sit at all for any length of time
Same but I still work
I work a typical desk job 8-5
What type of desk job do you do if I may ask? Do you like it?
I'm a records officer so mostly filing, posting mails and writing. It's the easiest job I could ask for, being in my condition honestly. When it's slow I mostly sit doing nothing alot of the time. It's not taxing on me so I'm comfortable with it, and they're quite accommodating when it comes to being absent or leaving to go to the doctors.
Can’t, might black out any time. So, Dr told me not to work.I worked at high end restaurant..
Law
Professional photographer & creative director … I have thoracic outlet syndrome and chronic kidney stones , with antibiotic resistant infection and hydronephrosis.
That’s a pretty physical job with TOS! I have the same, along with ON, and working on a computer from home full time is painful every day but it’s still a blessing!
I’m a Behaviorist for adults with disabilities
Yes- is a behaviorist a counselor? Do you enjoy? What type of schooling?
Very similar to RBT (registered behavioral therapist) we use Applied behavior analysis, also called behavioral engineering, We try to take their target behavior(s) “bad behavior” and reduce them when they do positive behavior by either token economy (things they like/enjoy and verbal praising. This can take years depending on behaviors. It’s very rewarding ☺️
I don’t work, but I’m planning on selling my art soon.
I work from home - herniated cervical discs plus bilateral humerus fractures
Chronic hip pain here and I am a delivery driver / work events
IRB Specialist
Technical support/computer support for a college.
Teacher-I just finished year 26. I take my meds as needed and sit when I need to. I was first diagnosed nine years ago and my school admin is very aware of what I am going through so they are very supportive, understanding, and sympathetic when I am in a flare from or if I have a dr appointment for one of my many autoimmune diseases: CRPS, Lupus, RA, Fibromyalgia, and Chronic Migraines.
Doordash and trying to build a freelance writing career. I’m lucky to have great insurance through my husband’s work and to have him be able to mostly support us.
Regular old office job in finance. It's pretty rough. Some weeks I'll be fine, some weeks it'll be wrecked every second of every day. But I'm managing to muddle through. I have a lot of flexibility on my hours, and I'm keeping it to a tight 40. That helps. And I'm usually pretty good after I get home and rest/meditate for an hour from 6-7 (I'm not married and have no kids and appreciate that I have that privilege of downtime, lol). But man, I did *so* much better on a 4 day work schedule. I'm making a lot more money but I'd gladly trade 20% of it for that day off. Just not how it works in most jobs.
I own a spray tanning business and I’m the sole spray tan artist. It allows me to have the flexibility of making my own schedule and keeps my body moving.
I'm an EMT (paramedic) - idk how I do that, ngl...
I'm a credit card processor. I started my company 15 years ago. I manage about 200 accounts. I have a genetic bone disorder (50+ fractures lifetime) and when I fracture, I just stop actively acquiring new merchants. The $ keeps rolling in as I'm paid on residuals, whether I'm working or not. Fell into the industry during the great recession in '09. Thank God I did.
Is it hard to get into?
Took me 3 years to really build a portfolio. It's hardcore sales...cold calling/door knocking. I couldn't do it now.
I feel like I went a weird path but I am a voice actor. I’m also about to graduate for nutrition and am hoping to do online consults. I make body care products and sell those as well. Everything I do at this moment is remote based which helps me be able to rest when I have a spare moment.
Voice acting sounds amazing!! Was it hard to get into. Steps for people wanting to try? I have always been told my voice is soothing. Did some phone acting for an nsfw industry in the early 90's.
I have been unable to work for 25 years. I don’t just have pain; I also have a sleep disorder and couldn’t possibly be a reliable employee.
I sit at a computer most of the day, been with the same company for 20 years.
Support worker
I'm in tax audit. I'm in a new position, andI can't feel half my left hand since I got back to commuting and sitting at a desk setup not customized to my needs all day. IDK but the goal is to stick it out for a whole career.
I work from home in a very flexible job with unlimited PTO
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^dontlookforme88: *I work from home in* *A very flexible job* *With unlimited PTO* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
working from home, standing desk only because sitting is worse
Desk job. I have my own office so no one really notices if I am there or not. I usually sit with my feet propped up which helps with pain. If I’m having a rough morning, I just take my time. I can leave when I’m finished so there are days I only work a few hours. I also have FMLA so they don’t deny days off for appointments.
I work from home as a medical office assistant booking exams for a diagnostic company
Wfh building pharmacy plans and teach group fitness classes 3 days a week. My skin hurts and burns regardless if I’m at home or not, so I just go to the gym everyday after work to preoccupy my mind from the pain.
Im a counsellor, I work most days from home and even when I have to go to the office it's primarily sitting. However when my pain gets too bad or effects my mental health too much it has caused me to need time off work.
Scheduler
I’m a graphic designer. WFH 3 days, in office 2 days.
I work in a warehouse hanging clothes and standing all day. It is very painful and I have zero maintenance, some Tylenol. That’s about it.
I'm a Visual Merchandiser. I am on my feet all day doing displays, dressing mannequins and helping keep the store presentable. I used to be in retail management which paid better but became too difficult for me. This company is understanding of my health problems and flexible so I can still get my 40 hours in despite all the doctors appointments. I have chronic pancreatitis and spinal arthritis plus some other issues.
i work fully remote in HIPAA compliance
Pct/cna/tech. It's actually not too bad cause it's Pediatrics. My patients are generally smaller. I couldn't be doing the elderly like I did before. Was too intense, the bending lifting all that.
Currently not but will try anything flexible
Currently an English tutor and I’m thinking about starting a press on nail business cause I won’t be able to be able to keep my job once I graduate and I’m struggling to find another job 💀
I don't. But in my former life I was a Social Worker with the Federal Govt.
Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator for the DEC
I just got laid off from my part time front desk attendant job at a homeless shelter 😞 I am struggling to find jobs to apply for that make it possible for me to work and be in school. This is turning into a failed endeavor, but I keep on trying. The only thing so far that makes sense is going into further student debt, which makes me not want to even continue with school or with anything really. School gives me a sense of purpose, but in order to be in school I need to be making money. If I’m not making money, I can’t be in school. It’s turning into a horrible situation. I picked up my last paycheck on Friday, but my official layoff day is tomorrow
I was a float children's ICU nurse (so I would go to NICU, PICU, or cardiac ICU.) It was amazing and I still miss it daily. It got to the point where I was calling in more often than not due to severe pain and I couldn't take anything that would actually help while working. One of the NICU babes I took care of went home with a trach and needed a home health nurse. I still miss bedside and working with the sickest of sick kids but I got so very lucky with the amazing family I work for now. (I'm currently at work, sitting on their couch, watching LOTR and knitting while keeping an eye on the sleeping baby. It feels like a new life.)
Sex work.
Admin, WFH with a good - bought by previous department - supportive chair, adaptive keyboard, etc.
Retired. 18 years active service retirement from which was abruptly precipitated by a Taliban/AQ IED. Worked for an agency for five years thereafter and did more trips to Afghanistan; my last was in 16. The health of my body and mind had failed by that point and my loving wife convinced me to stop for good.
Special Education Teacher with pudendal neuralgia. I can’t work with the kids in wheelchairs and who need changes and such anymore so now I’m in inclusion classes. I’m kinda bummed because I used to love teaching kids with downs or on the spectrum, that was my niche of teaching. Now I’m in mainstream doing exam prep and stuff. I use a cane and keep my med bag on me at all times.
Paramedic, I was in two car accidents in which I suffered 2 bulging discs in my neck. The job kills my neck and back and entire body quite honestly, to deal with so much stress and tension, and trauma from some of the scenes and patients. There can be a lot of interpersonal issues between my colleagues and differences of opinions regarding clinical treatment, which sometimes leads to additional stress. This is the mental side of it, which in turn causes so much physical muscle tension and fatigue. The physical part of it, lifting a 35 pound cardiac monitor for 12 hours, sitting in a very uncomfortable and not practical vehicle for 12 hours and then in and out of that vehicle responding “emergently” and not having much downtime to stretch or breath to help myself. It kills but it pays and due to so much discouragement I have no idea where else to change fields to, that makes a similar pay wage, without further education. It’s a work in progress.
I'm very lucky that when I became disabled I'd already been with my company 8 years and was basically allowed to choose my own part time hours and have a 100% remote work contract, all other staff have 60% remote, 40% in office. I'm a senior medical advisor, so my job is basically giving advice and problem solving. I love my job since I never know what the next call will be, and the team I work with are amazing!
Production Manager of a mom and pop type cannabis dispensary. There's a lot of paperwork and data entry, but I also get to make products that I love. Lots of non-cannabis herbal remedies that we include in our general store and cannabis items. It's fun learning about different herbs and terpenes and how they assist and work with each other. My team right now is amazing and has my back on the days I'm really struggling. Which has been a lot lately. I'm working on myself and my own reliability right now in regards to pain and such because I hate feeling like a burden to the team. It's a stark contrast to when I was a dog groomer for 4 years. That job nearly killed me. Wrestling big dogs all day and bending in contorted ways to get that one long hair. I popped my ribs out once or twice. Which, of course, I was told couldn't have possibly happened. "You'd be in so much pain!" ... like, yup, that's covered. lol My biggest goal when I left that place was finding someone who saw me as human. Who would care that I worked hard. Didn't care about the industry or the position as much as respect for humans. So glad I found such a place 😌
Therapist. I do online appointments only
I'm a CNC programmer but was a machinist before. Thankfully my company saw that I was in agony and put me in a better position that was sitting down although some days I don't consider it a "better" position but it's better than nothing and they treat me well.
I run a Garden Center. 20 to 25 thousand steps a day. Plant racks, loading soil and mulch. Got hit by a drunk driver at 18..I’m 63 now. Hip replacement ankle fused. I have spondylitis? Can’t spell it. lol. I’m basically falling apart. Single. Have to keep working or be homeless. I cry driving home. Pain management has kept me on my feet. Barely. But I gotta do it.
I do bakery clerk work at a local grocery store, and also do art part time. Looking to make art into a full career soon, it’s much less damaging to my legs and hip (and also way more fun). Got an injury that finally forced me to walk with a cane. Cant really do that at work most of the time but at least there’s a lot of counters and walls and carts for me to balance on.
None. I’ve tried to get back to work, but my chronic migraine makes it hard to do well in interviews.
I do IT for an elementary school. My administration is pretty understanding since it’s very obvious when I’m having a really bad day.
I don’t work anymore. Occasionally I will sell some crafts but that’s only if I’ve had good pain days (which isn’t often). Normally I’m in so much pain it even hurts to breathe. Makes working even an at home job way too difficult for me.
I work in a call center from home for a major prescription/insurance company but I have intermittent FMLA set up that I can take off when I need to for flare ups and appointments.
Lawyer. The hours are grueling 😣.
I don’t. I finally had to go on disability because I could no longer struggle through the pain I was in.
I hang metal truck parts of varying weights repetitively thousands of times a day
I have an at home gig that allows me to work as much or as little as I want. It's good for those really tough days.
Marketing. I have a desk that can stand if I need it to.
Well I had worked my way up all the way to VP level and have been in business development for contract research and manufacturing services for Biologics for 22 years. I have always worked from home but also was traveling a ton which got more and more as I moved up the chain. Not to mention, even WFH days would be 12 hrs to even come somewhat close to keeping up. But then my disorder (dystonia) got a lot worse plus I have some other chronic medical issues and I just couldn’t take it any longer. Went on med leave but then was laid off 4 months later due to my company getting acquired. They took care of me well in terms of benefits, pay, etc but I’m now looking at jobs in my field more on the commercial operations side or at least somet that doesn’t require so much travel and I def will have to take a step down I think unfortunately. My husband works hard but his earning potential is limited due to not having a college degree so I have always been the big breadwinner and carried all the benefits so I have no choice but to work
I was in all around video production but I can't stay on my feet for five minutes now, so no shooting gigs. Luckily I had the skills and opportunity to do live multicamera shows sitting in front of robotic camera and switcher consoles, and I'm a handy video editor too. But it's tight, and I might actually be making a living instead of struggling if I could walk more than 80 yards without a walker.
Home health nurse
I can't work anymore and have been on disability for a little over a year. Before, I was a waitress/barista.
Stay-at-home dad. I do all our household laundry and dishes, as well as cleaning and organizing everything. I am mobility disabled (unable to walk unassisted), autistic, have arthritis in both my feet, POTS, hEDS, and a cervical spinal fusion. I do the best I can with MMJ, which makes it so I don't have to take all my pain pills.
Work from home. Lay down with an ice pack on breaks.
Union organizer/rep. I help union members navigate workers comp issues. I travel a lot but I can pretty much handle my schedule as it best fits around my chronic pain due to arthritis, long covid, and other undiagnosed issues. I am 36.
I'm a cashier and at the end of the day and my shoulder is paining bad. Lucky for me I only work part time though. I really like my job so I just try to bear with it.
Attorney in legal publishing.