I have Fibromyalgia and need to go back to work, I'm worried and need help.
By lee333angel
@lee333angel (37)
United States
March 9, 2011 8:00pm CST
I had to stop working back in October because I was having sharp pains in my chest. I was doing housekeeping for a high end hotel close to where I live. The pain was so bad in my chest I thought I was having a heart attack. I went to the E.R. and they found nothing wrong with me. Then the pain started to travel around my body with aches and numbness, and never seemed to go away. The doctors finally told me I have Fibromyalgia last month. I haven't been working because of all the pain and aches I have been having, which the doctors call chronic pain. That's about 6 months without working.
Yesterday I received a call from my old boss at the hotel asking me if would come back, that he really needs me. I told him I would try working a couple hours for only three days a week. He asked if I would do any more and I told him that my body may not allow me to. He didn't seem very impressed. He wanted me to work my old schedule of 30 hours or more a week.
I am now worrying if I can even do the work. I don't want to stress out my body so that I'm in severe pain again. I really need to make some money though, because the last couple of months have been hard getting by. I also don't know if I want to get myself into a situation where I have to tell him I can't handle working anymore. I'm in a really hard spot here and not sure what I should do now. I want to try working, but don't want to have to quit there again if my pain worsens.
What would you do if you were in this situation like this? Would you go and try to work again and have it work out or have it not and quit again?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@peavey (16936)
• United States
10 Mar 11
I would try with the understanding that it was a test and that you may not be able to work at all. I would also find another doctor as soon as possible because if you can't work, you should get disability. Disability is hard to get even at that. Have you tried looking around to see if there is something easier you can do?
@lee333angel (37)
• United States
10 Mar 11
I am going to try and explain to my boss that it may not work out, but he is really hard to understand and doesn't let you get a word in. I normally give up with trying to talk with him.
I have looked at other jobs, but with what I have you would have to constantly change to a different job during your work day. You can never really stay doing one thing for a long amount of time because you start to hurt. That's why I have stayed home and not worked because I can keep switching up what I do so I can stay comfortable. It's been a couple hard months for me to figure out what's going on with me and how to handle it. It just seems like I'm going down hill again since my boss mentioned work to me. I'm stressing.
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
18 Mar 11
Wow!! You were diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and your symptoms sound about like what I have been dealing with myself for like the last 7 months, but luckily I work from a desk on a Computer for my job, but sometimes the pain can be crazy. Have they not been able to give you something for the pain? For me since they choose not to consider it being anything they really do not want to do much, but they did give me salsalate which does seem to help some especially when dealing with the Chest pain.
I am actually glad they were able to diagnose you so quickly, and hopefully you can get something that will help you. As for that job, don't risk it if it could mean more pain and medical bills for you with regretting doing something you are not capable of. If this boss does not understand, try applying for something somewhere that will. Your Health is more important than $$ or having to worry about the stress on top of hurting all the time as well.
