Dear Ray and group:

I relate so to your post; I think I was around 50 when my career fell apart
(back then) but more my life fell apart with pain that had become chronic
with terribly acute phases, and undiagnosed for so long that the stress on
me and workplace interactions was just too much to go on. I sought
telecommuting (we called it telecomputing back decades ago) but it did not
work out though vigorous litigation to attain it was pursued; it's much more
feasible now, yet not yet available for all). Your post says worlds. I
imagine many who read it do find strength in the way you write about it,
your so admirable achievement beyond. There may be many here who were and
still involved in complex workplace situations due to pain conditions, which
can be pretty daunting and mysterious and complicated for everyone involved.
All around. I want to let folks here know about a new e-discussion list
that is starting up slowly, but it is not just about pain conditions in the
workplace, it will be whatever grows - however it may have in it people
involved with various kinds of disabilities and who had some hard times at
work. But also invited will be people in the employer end, the personnel
end. Because there are a lot of points of view. As a long time pain
sufferer and with some hard knocks and legal experience on both sides, and
also aware of the confusions all around, I wish I could bring up this
discussion group sooner, but perhaps it will take on a life of its own and I
did want to set up the link to it. I send my very best regards to all here
and hope I can in any small way possibly contribute to the well-being of
this wonderful group that you have brought together in sustaining mutual
support.

:) Linda.

re http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/workplace-interactions
----------
Individual e-post from:
Dr. L. D. Misek-Falkoff
Speaker of The National Disability Party
Chronic Pain Caucus Chair
Asst. Managing Editor The Disability Grapevine Daily Online Newsletter.
http://www.disabilityparty.com
http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/DisabilityGravevine
http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/pain-in-the-law
http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/litigation-stress-central
http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/ChronicPainCooperate
http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/poems-of-pain-and-promise
http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/dismissed-as-disabled
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray in Virginia" <hrn@...>
To: <chronic_pain@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2002 7:15 PM
Subject: [c_p] chronic pain and your career


> Connie wrote: "...but I can't walk without pain and it has a very
> serious affect on the quality of my life, my financial and
> professional prospects, and my personal life. Overall, it's a
> disaster."
>
> Connie,
> I can't agree with you more! My entire life has been negatively
> affected to the extreme by my reactive arthritis, Sjogrens
> Syndrome, and Fibromyalgia. I have "lost" two careers due to the
> problems of pain and chronic fatigue. I wonder sometimes if I had
> gotten good pain management help years ago if I would have been
> able to continue in my careers and could have climbed even further
> up the ladder of success.
>
> I believe my family would have been better off emotionally, as well
> as financially, had I found any doctor who would have helped me
> cope with the pain. Now, on the other side of counseling and with
> good pain management help, I can see how adversely my own emotional
> health was affected by chronic pain and chronic fatigue.
>
> I've been "retired" now for six years. I'm only 53. I should be
> at the peak of my career and in the highest income stage, too.
> However, I'm a stay-at-home Dad who hasn't even been able to hold
> down part-time work. Even with good pain management my ability to
> function in a work situation is unpredictable, especially if hit by
> an attack of fatigue. There is nothing to do when that happens but
> go to bed.
>
> I guess I should be thankful that my wife went back to school to
> become a doctor late in life. She was 33 when she started medical
> school. One of the factors in causing her to go back to school to
> become a doctor was my health. I lost a whole year of my life to a
> massive flare-up of reactive arthritis which put me in a hospital
> for seven weeks and left me unable to work. With two toddlers she
> went to work and assumed the responsibility of being the
> bread-winner.
>
> I did recover and when family situations allowed she began the long
> road to getting her M.D. She was 41 when she finally finished her
> residency program. She's now 50. There was barely a three year
> window between her opening her practice and my being forced to
> retire due to health. She's very glad she doesn't have to come
> home and assume the household responsibilities some of her friends
> have to do who are married to "old-fashioned male chauvinist pigs,"
> as she refers to them.
>
> Life isn't what I thought it would be. But we are happy, and I
> guess that counts for a lot. I know a lot of couples who couldn't
> say that.
> Ray