Working and CF

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Debi

New member
I work 40+ hours a week as an administrator for a state medical program. I've been working since I was 16. The truth is that I love my work and I thrive on it. I am on oxygen 24/7, but have gotten used to dealing with carting the tank around with me. I am fortunate to have worked out a flexible arrangement with my boss to accommodate times of illness or when I just get a slow start. I also have the ability to telecommute and link into my office computer from home, which is helpful because I can do breathing treatments or the vest while doing some of my work on the computer. I earn leave time, which I generally use once or twice a year if I have an exacerbation of PA. I have my treatment regimen down to an hour in the am and an hour in the pm. I read a lot, and also make beaded jewelry. When my kids were younger, weekends found me at swim meets and soccer games, but my daughter is now away at college and my son is in high school and more independent, which gives me more time with my husband and for myself on Saturday and Sunday. I find that I actually do better overall when I can go to work because it keeps me active and the mucus looser. At home I tend to dwell on what I can't do. At work I am surrounded by evidence of what I can do. I personally have never enjoyed house keeping activities, so when I am home I find no pleasure in doing them (except cooking - I love to cook!). I think the best thing is, wherever possible, for people to do what gives them pleasure and supports them in their physical and mental health. For me, it's working outside the home. For others, it is being at home. There is no right or wrong answer, only what works for you.

Have I ever neglected my treatments to do my work? Oh sure. Have I ever neglected my work to take care of my health? You bet. Life is an ongoing balancing act. I think it is smart of you to assess your life and how you can get the most out of it. One of these days I suspect the balance will swing for me and I'll be ready to stop going to an office job. But so far, it's still working well for me. Good luck!
 
D

Debi

New member
I work 40+ hours a week as an administrator for a state medical program. I've been working since I was 16. The truth is that I love my work and I thrive on it. I am on oxygen 24/7, but have gotten used to dealing with carting the tank around with me. I am fortunate to have worked out a flexible arrangement with my boss to accommodate times of illness or when I just get a slow start. I also have the ability to telecommute and link into my office computer from home, which is helpful because I can do breathing treatments or the vest while doing some of my work on the computer. I earn leave time, which I generally use once or twice a year if I have an exacerbation of PA. I have my treatment regimen down to an hour in the am and an hour in the pm. I read a lot, and also make beaded jewelry. When my kids were younger, weekends found me at swim meets and soccer games, but my daughter is now away at college and my son is in high school and more independent, which gives me more time with my husband and for myself on Saturday and Sunday. I find that I actually do better overall when I can go to work because it keeps me active and the mucus looser. At home I tend to dwell on what I can't do. At work I am surrounded by evidence of what I can do. I personally have never enjoyed house keeping activities, so when I am home I find no pleasure in doing them (except cooking - I love to cook!). I think the best thing is, wherever possible, for people to do what gives them pleasure and supports them in their physical and mental health. For me, it's working outside the home. For others, it is being at home. There is no right or wrong answer, only what works for you.

Have I ever neglected my treatments to do my work? Oh sure. Have I ever neglected my work to take care of my health? You bet. Life is an ongoing balancing act. I think it is smart of you to assess your life and how you can get the most out of it. One of these days I suspect the balance will swing for me and I'll be ready to stop going to an office job. But so far, it's still working well for me. Good luck!
 
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sue35

New member
I already posted but I want to add that a lot has to do with the job and your commitment to it. I teach and love it, but it is a bad job for someone with Cf. I am on my feet talking all day and then come home so tired I can barely see straight. I flew through my student teaching and never thought it would be this hard now. But not all jobs are that intense. So it really does depend.

My FEV1 is 50% and I know it would be higher if I didn't work. The main thing is routine!
 
S

sue35

New member
I already posted but I want to add that a lot has to do with the job and your commitment to it. I teach and love it, but it is a bad job for someone with Cf. I am on my feet talking all day and then come home so tired I can barely see straight. I flew through my student teaching and never thought it would be this hard now. But not all jobs are that intense. So it really does depend.

My FEV1 is 50% and I know it would be higher if I didn't work. The main thing is routine!
 
S

sue35

New member
I already posted but I want to add that a lot has to do with the job and your commitment to it. I teach and love it, but it is a bad job for someone with Cf. I am on my feet talking all day and then come home so tired I can barely see straight. I flew through my student teaching and never thought it would be this hard now. But not all jobs are that intense. So it really does depend.

My FEV1 is 50% and I know it would be higher if I didn't work. The main thing is routine!
 
C

Cutecurlz

Guest
I am a 38 y/o female with CF and CFRD. I am considered to be "one of those MILD CF cases). I work full time Mon-Fri 7am til 3 or 4pm. Imake car parts for GM and Toyoat and my work warehouse is very very dusty! I DO NOT do or take anything for my CF or CFRD, except for my enzymes and my vitamins. Depending on how hard of a day I have had at work I too come home and pass out for a few hours and then wake up for an hour then go back to bed until the next morning. I guess it all depends on you and how your body works. I've been off work for the last month and a half and let me tell you...I AM SOOO TIRED! I go back to work at the end of the month YEAH!!!! If you are the way you are I would think that it's your body's way of telling you that enough is enough and it's time to quit???!!! Your health is much more important!!
 
C

Cutecurlz

Guest
I am a 38 y/o female with CF and CFRD. I am considered to be "one of those MILD CF cases). I work full time Mon-Fri 7am til 3 or 4pm. Imake car parts for GM and Toyoat and my work warehouse is very very dusty! I DO NOT do or take anything for my CF or CFRD, except for my enzymes and my vitamins. Depending on how hard of a day I have had at work I too come home and pass out for a few hours and then wake up for an hour then go back to bed until the next morning. I guess it all depends on you and how your body works. I've been off work for the last month and a half and let me tell you...I AM SOOO TIRED! I go back to work at the end of the month YEAH!!!! If you are the way you are I would think that it's your body's way of telling you that enough is enough and it's time to quit???!!! Your health is much more important!!
 
C

Cutecurlz

Guest
I am a 38 y/o female with CF and CFRD. I am considered to be "one of those MILD CF cases). I work full time Mon-Fri 7am til 3 or 4pm. Imake car parts for GM and Toyoat and my work warehouse is very very dusty! I DO NOT do or take anything for my CF or CFRD, except for my enzymes and my vitamins. Depending on how hard of a day I have had at work I too come home and pass out for a few hours and then wake up for an hour then go back to bed until the next morning. I guess it all depends on you and how your body works. I've been off work for the last month and a half and let me tell you...I AM SOOO TIRED! I go back to work at the end of the month YEAH!!!! If you are the way you are I would think that it's your body's way of telling you that enough is enough and it's time to quit???!!! Your health is much more important!!
 
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ToddH

New member
Thanks for all the feedback, guys. I don't think its to the point where I need to start thinking about quiting my job entirely. Just perhaps not working as many hours as I am. I actually have a very accomadating job considering my situation, we're provided 105 sickdays per year at full pay not including vacation and its union so when I am sick my doctors are able to provide documentation and wether my boss wants to or not he has to support me (tho I think he would anyway). I guess its more getting used to adopting a routine that perhaps leaves little free time in the week when things go a bit down hill from being in peak shape. Though I don't mind my job cutting back hours or in the end cutting it out completely wouldnt be that huge a sacrifice to me. I'm more than OK with whatever the situation needs to be, working full-time, part-time or not at all. Its more just figuring out what the situation needs to be and knowing when to scale back to do the best things for my health.
 
T

ToddH

New member
Thanks for all the feedback, guys. I don't think its to the point where I need to start thinking about quiting my job entirely. Just perhaps not working as many hours as I am. I actually have a very accomadating job considering my situation, we're provided 105 sickdays per year at full pay not including vacation and its union so when I am sick my doctors are able to provide documentation and wether my boss wants to or not he has to support me (tho I think he would anyway). I guess its more getting used to adopting a routine that perhaps leaves little free time in the week when things go a bit down hill from being in peak shape. Though I don't mind my job cutting back hours or in the end cutting it out completely wouldnt be that huge a sacrifice to me. I'm more than OK with whatever the situation needs to be, working full-time, part-time or not at all. Its more just figuring out what the situation needs to be and knowing when to scale back to do the best things for my health.
 
T

ToddH

New member
Thanks for all the feedback, guys. I don't think its to the point where I need to start thinking about quiting my job entirely. Just perhaps not working as many hours as I am. I actually have a very accomadating job considering my situation, we're provided 105 sickdays per year at full pay not including vacation and its union so when I am sick my doctors are able to provide documentation and wether my boss wants to or not he has to support me (tho I think he would anyway). I guess its more getting used to adopting a routine that perhaps leaves little free time in the week when things go a bit down hill from being in peak shape. Though I don't mind my job cutting back hours or in the end cutting it out completely wouldnt be that huge a sacrifice to me. I'm more than OK with whatever the situation needs to be, working full-time, part-time or not at all. Its more just figuring out what the situation needs to be and knowing when to scale back to do the best things for my health.
 
6

65rosessamurai

Guest
From age 28 to 38, I had worked an excess of about 60 or more hours a week on the average. My CF seems to be one of the milder cases, but I think all that extra OT had caught up to me.
I'm currently with a new company, which doesn't give paid holidays for the first three months, so I'm kinda in a bind in regards to that. However, they don't require so many hours of OT as mandatory, and we get our weekends off--the last few companies I worked at had either two or more mandatory Saturdays to come in for work.
My company still has no idea about my CF, but even if I told them, they wouldn't understand, unless by an amazing chance the company president has heard of it while he had lived in Germany and the States for such a long time.
I, like many others, envy those who happen to be able to work at home, and hope that worse-case-scenario I might be able to do that someday!
It'd be great for all of us to be able to survive the typical 40 hour weeks, but I agree, we also need understanding employers when our health cannot handle so many hours...
 
6

65rosessamurai

Guest
From age 28 to 38, I had worked an excess of about 60 or more hours a week on the average. My CF seems to be one of the milder cases, but I think all that extra OT had caught up to me.
I'm currently with a new company, which doesn't give paid holidays for the first three months, so I'm kinda in a bind in regards to that. However, they don't require so many hours of OT as mandatory, and we get our weekends off--the last few companies I worked at had either two or more mandatory Saturdays to come in for work.
My company still has no idea about my CF, but even if I told them, they wouldn't understand, unless by an amazing chance the company president has heard of it while he had lived in Germany and the States for such a long time.
I, like many others, envy those who happen to be able to work at home, and hope that worse-case-scenario I might be able to do that someday!
It'd be great for all of us to be able to survive the typical 40 hour weeks, but I agree, we also need understanding employers when our health cannot handle so many hours...
 
6

65rosessamurai

Guest
From age 28 to 38, I had worked an excess of about 60 or more hours a week on the average. My CF seems to be one of the milder cases, but I think all that extra OT had caught up to me.
I'm currently with a new company, which doesn't give paid holidays for the first three months, so I'm kinda in a bind in regards to that. However, they don't require so many hours of OT as mandatory, and we get our weekends off--the last few companies I worked at had either two or more mandatory Saturdays to come in for work.
My company still has no idea about my CF, but even if I told them, they wouldn't understand, unless by an amazing chance the company president has heard of it while he had lived in Germany and the States for such a long time.
I, like many others, envy those who happen to be able to work at home, and hope that worse-case-scenario I might be able to do that someday!
It'd be great for all of us to be able to survive the typical 40 hour weeks, but I agree, we also need understanding employers when our health cannot handle so many hours...
 
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