Work and CF

[carmenNZ]

Hi everyone,

I'm from NZ and started work about 5 months ago. I work 5 days a week and only 25-30 hours per week. Since starting work I seem to always be tired and have had a couple of big exacerbations. My lung function has probably dropped about 10% since starting work with nothing in my cf routine really changing.

Just wondering if anyone else has similar experiences as I feel that work shouldn't be affecting me this much considering I have a lung function in the 60's. When I was at uni full time I never seemed to get as sick and I'm I'm an office with only three people so I'm not exactly exposed to lots of bugs.

Does anyone else with a similar lung function struggle with work?

Thanks
Carmen

 

[static]

I too have CF and work, about the same amount of hours, however I feel right now I benefit more from work than it hurts me. It forces me to be more proactive, when you are sick at work it shows.

It has been said a million zillion times but exercise really does help. If you want to be discrete about it like myself you can pick a Gym that is open 24 hours and go at a time when hardly anyone else is there (and cough your brains out), otherwise up your treatment regiment? The crappy thing about this disease is it is progressive, so most likely you will be forced to add stuff on as time goes by no matter what.

If you think you can manage better without working, well I'll let someone else answer that. I've seen several threads about that on this site before, you just may have to do a little digging.

 

[welshwitch]

Are you a runner? Give it a try. I run 2-3 times a week and it ALWAYS makes me feel better. I work 40 hours a week, too. For me, the CF formula is:

Work + exercise = feel good

No work + exercise = feel good

Work + no exercise = feel bad

ie, if you are doing one thing that makes you run down (work), you need something else to boost you up (exercise).

 

[lprulez]

I probably work harder then I should. I am a Certified Nursing Aide and work at a nursing home taking care of around 120 residents. Work full time hours as well. I personally think it is what keeps me going. I have definitely benefited from all the exercise I do at work. Can't say the doctors like me working around VRE, C-Diff and MRSA. But I want to help people since I have been taken care of my whole life.

 

[Juniper]

I really admire all of you who are managing to excercise as well as work. I keep trying to do the same but am so tired by the time i get home i just don't have the energy. My Fev1 keeps going down so i know i would benefit from exercising but i'm also studying as well as working so time is limited.
I too find work rewarding tho and it pushes me to do things i feel at home i'd just become a couch potato !!

 

[calebf]

Work is my life at this point. I worked 50+ hours last week. Beyond med compliance I would say sleep, stress management, airway clearance, exercise, and diet in that order. If you're doing those and still tired (but don't have an infection) look into supplements (dig into clinical studies, don't just try anything you hear).

 

[azdesertrat]

Pre-trans I worked 60 hrs a week. I was a truck driver.
I think my work is a huge reason why I've survived and done as well as I did.
My CF Pulmonologist always told me that the constant vibration of my truck was better than CPT at keeping that crap loose!
I always kept a sputum sample cup in my console. Whenever I had to, I'd spit a wad of crap in it.
At the end of the day I'd ump it out, Lysole it & be ready for the next day.
I was very disappointed to not be able to work post-trans.
The anti-rejection drugs turned me diabetic. You can't be insulin dependent diabetic & drive a semi.
I would give anything to be able to go back to doing what I love...
I guess I should just be thankful to be alive.
Actually, I am. I just don't like being forced into retirement early.

 

[slugo21]

I am a respiratory therapist. that has Cf and I guess there was an article in 2003 that says CF patient cannot work on other CF patients. did anyone else know that?

 

[jamest]

slugo, it is pretty common knowledge that people with CF should avoid other people with CF. Studies show increase in mortality rates, I believe.

 

[ElyseGozzard]

Good Ideas.

"Are you a runner? Give it a try. I run 2-3 times a week and it ALWAYS makes me feel better. I work 40 hours a week, too. For me, the CF formula is:

Work + exercise = feel good

No work + exercise = feel good

Work + no exercise = feel bad

ie, if you are doing one thing that makes you run down (work), you need something else to boost you up (exercise)."

 

[slugo21]

I didn't know that it was common knowledge. I just known bout it like 4 months ago. i went to school for 3 years and treated pts and no one told me. and now my job is going to fire me because they just found out. what are your thoughts on it.

 

[baseballfrank]

I credit my lasting this long (51 and counting) to work and exercise. I live for both and i love doing both. I get really down when I can't do either when i am really sick. When I am working ( I am a programmer), I get so involved in it, I stop thinking about how bad I feel. The endorphin rush from exercise, I am convinced has saved my life. It keeps you positive. I also find that when my heart rate increases, I can breathe better and I am better able to get crap out of my lungs. I work 40-50 hours a week and work out 2-3 times a day. Do what you can but listen to your body and don't over do it.

 

[static]

I didn't know that it was common knowledge. I just known bout it like 4 months ago. i went to school for 3 years and treated pts and no one told me. and now my job is going to fire me because they just found out. what are your thoughts on it.

I'll assume the best and give you the benefit of the doubt that you are not a troll, because I have to agree with the others' who posted, it is pretty common knowledge. I'll keep it brief and to the point, take it as you will.

Along with the fun of having CF you also get a breeding-ground for all sorts of bacteria that isn't necessarily harmful to non-Cfers, but can pose a threat to imuno-compromised patients and others with the disease. It is much easier for bacteria to thrive in mucus, and when you cough, sneeze, w/e it can potentially be passed on to others' who also have some type of breeding-ground in their bodily-systems. There are many different kinds of bacterial infections, some harder to treat than others, and the end result, of course, is death. In a hospital setting, prevention is always key. As the old Einstein saying goes "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", especially with all the resistant bugs out there.

If you are just finding out about this, my guess is your CF isn't very severe. Talk to your local CF center, get sputum tests done, try to prove you don't have anything that can be passed on to others. In the end though, the hospital is just looking out for their and your best interest.

 

[CyrilCrodius]

I really admire all of you who are managing to excercise as well as work. I keep trying to do the same but am so tired by the time i get home i just don't have the energy. My Fev1 keeps going down so i know i would benefit from exercising but i'm also studying as well as working so time is limited.
I too find work rewarding tho and it pushes me to do things i feel at home i'd just become a couch potato !!

If you overwork yourself, you will end up not being able to work at all...

 

[CyrilCrodius]

... what's with this working 50 hours a week? Don't you guys have some kind of law that prohibit anyone from making you work more than X hours a week?

 

[static]

... what's with this working 50 hours a week? Don't you guys have some kind of law that prohibit anyone from making you work more than X hours a week?

In the United States our standard work week is 40 hrs for most employees, however there is no law that says a person can only work that amount (at least not at an individualized level).

For example, a person would be free to work a "full" work week during the day and hold a second job at night, or more commonly open their own business and make their own hours (which would often far exceed the 40 hrs a week, depending on the business).

Oh yea, and I forgot to mention the possibility of overtime, which is usually 1.5x normal pay.