Ugh! So much pain!

[msmarib]

I just need to vent and then I think I'll be okay. I'm in so much pain!!!!
I have arthritis and it's flared up to the max! I have tendonitis in the top of my foot and I'm in a boot to immobilize it and taking prednisone. I have tendonitis in my r. index finger. It's better b/c of the prednisone but it hurts a bit. My back kills!!! It hurts to sit in a chair or to stand for any length of time. I've tried stretching and a heating pad. It's still hurting!!! I have physical therapy scheduled for next week for my foot but not for 2 more weeks for my back!
I know my employer won't like this b/c I work at a school and am the only one who does my job but I have PT several times a week for at least a month, my D&C post op (still bleeding), dental appt every 6 weeks (gotta love invisalign) and my appt w/the RE the last week of February. I will miss so much work and they're having layoffs with my position already slated for lay offs unless God comes out to change the budget. Plus, I've been off work for 11 work days & 1 vacation day. I go back on Monday only to say I'll be off regularly for a month! Ugh!
I hurt and the prednisone makes me a bit edgey. Can you all just pray this pain stops and I get some relief? They say it's arthritis but I'm not always sure that's it.

[younmm23]

Have you worked long enough to be eligible for FMLA?

Prednisone is the worst. I want to strangle everyone I talk to when I'm on it. And I am also always so WARM. but dang, it works. I take it for my asthma though, when it gets really severely out of control, or I get pneumonia, or my allergies start going so nuts I'm having a constant asthma attack.

I keep forgetting to take my medication regularly, so I've just been having one big flare-up of my fibromyalgia/lymphedema/NEW-ARRIVAL-of-IBS. i would normally do yoga right now to help keep it under control but I am not supposed to be bending too much or lifting anything over 10 lbs and I have absolutely no energy. Have you tried seeing a chiropractor for the back pain? I've been throwing out my back for 10 years (and yes, i'm only 23) and recently have been getting a ton of shoulder pain but the chiropractor has been keeping both of those in check.

I will be keeping you in my thoughts. I don't really pray (never really very religious, and kind of feel like god has abandoned me) but I will be thinking of you and sending happy painfree vibes your way.

[candace]

I am sorry to hear you're in so much pain on top of the mc! Prednisone is nasty stuff. I took it briefly when I had mono many years ago, and I know it made me tense and moody. Isn't that kind of how men feel all the time?

You have a difficult dilemma with work and PT needs, and this is the worst possible time to work in a CA school. I have so much tension at my district right now and worry about my job every year. Our board wants to impose a 10% pay cut, health premium caps, AND furlough days, which amounts to an 18% pay cut overall. For me, since I am 4/5 this year - not by choice - I've already lost 20% of my salary. If they cut any more, I'll be looking for a part time job somewhere else! If they try to impose those cuts, our union will probably vote to strike, but I have to cross picket lines along with all of the other temp and probationary teachers. Last year, my position was filled by a transfer, and I didn't know whether I'd have a job for this year until a week before school. I won't be surprised if the same thing happens again this year. I just can't let myself worry about it anymore!

Anyway, sorry to be so long-winded about this, but I do hope you'll take care of your health first. Your son needs you to be a healthy Mommy:-) I know you'll be able to get through this time!

I sure wish God could fix the CA budget! At this point, we need a miracle;-)

[msmarib]

ITA we need a miracle. My job will likely be cut to PT, or will be cut altogether. I'm a middle school VP. I have 850+ students to supervise and so you can see why my being out has a tremendous impact on my job. Sigh. If jobs are cut they haven't determined how the remaining VP jobs will be allocated--seniority (I have low seniority so I'd lose) or job skill (with my being out I worry I will be judged less reliable and skilled and will lose), so it's been a terrible source of insecurity for some time. DH and I don't know if we'd be able to survive w/me not working and going back to school w/2 children and a 3rd on the way (in the future), plus mortgage and household expenses. So, I need to work at least PT and I'd really like a positive reference should I be eliminated due to downsizing in workforce. I've worked there for 2 years so I qualify for FMLA, thankfully.
If my arthritis flares up regularly, I may not be able to remain working b/c I'm having trouble both sitting and standing for more than an hour. The only thing that works is resting on one side or sleeping. I hope it doesn't come to this but I am seeing my MDs so that I can document my problems in case I need to qualify for disability. Truthfully, though I don't mind working, the stress of the 2 hour roundtrip commute, leaving my children in daycare for 10 hours, 2 miscarriages in 3 mos. and chronic bouts of arthritis leave me to think I may need to rest and take care of my health on disability. I have a lot of pride but it's starting to wane....I think something is seriously wrong and they are slowly getting to it while I suffer.
I don't like to tell my principal b/c she is new, very much under a miscroscope, a perfectionist and has health concerns of her own. Prior to this leave, we got along extremely well and she'd given me lots of verbal praise on a job well done, a job that I did from 7:30-5:30 daily while eating lunch at my desk. I have NO help w/the discipline and other things that come my way, even though our school is pretty large and has an intense autistic and sp. ed population. I think the tone of the district toward admin is work all the time w/o complaining and with very little support. I feel trapped so I applied to grad school and now have a good out! We do worry about money but I am exercising my faith muscles that I will get a good financial aid packet, as well as a positive recommendation from my employer when I leave. If I leave on disability it will be the second time I've had to do that in 3 years. The last time is when I was put on bedrest w/my DS. I guess I just want to appear and be told I do a good job. I also want the freedom to take care of my healthcare needs without any pushback. I am worried about telling her about my post op on Wednesday b/c I will again miss school after being there only 2 days and again on Friday for PT for my foot. None of it can be helped but still.

[emily]

I hope you feel better soon! And that your employer understands that you can't help that you're hurting and are trying to do what you need to do in order to feel better. Feeling better makes you more able to do your job to the best of your abilities!

[bern0234]

Oh, my mom has arthritis problems and it is miserable. i can only imagine having to deal with that on top of everything else that you're dealing with.

Don't be afraid to use FMLA or take a leave. I work at a Fortune 500 Co. and this past week I talked to HR about the same issues. I didn't get into details... just said I was having family and medical problems. That seemed to help keep things calm. Anyway, the most comforting thing the HR rep said was that it was okay to need time off to get my act together. (She said it much more eloquently than that!)

Don't worry about your boss and finances... they will work themselves out. If you worry too much right now, you'll just feel worse.