No longer employed

[Kazwilks]

Hi All

Have not been on for a while but as you can see from my title I lost my job on the 21st December. I worked in the care industry as a community project worker. I mainly worked with adults with profound disabilities. To cut a long story short due to my RA I wasn't physically able to do my job. I am now in the process of going down the early retirement route due to ill health. I am so stressed out I've been having loads of flare ups my rheumatologist has upped my methotrexate to 25mg. The higher dose is making me feel very nauseous even though I'm taking 5mg of folic acid 6 days per week. I am currently taking 10mg of prednisolone daily which I have done for over a year now. I explained to him on my last visit I was worried about taking the prednisolone for so long but at the moment my pain is not under control without it. I hate this bloody disease and can't see any light at the end of the tunnel

[arthritis_action Partner]

Hello Kazwilks and thank you for your post. We are so sorry to hear of the time you have been having with your employment and getting your medication adjusted.

We wanted to send you positive thoughts, hoping things get easier soon, as well as point you to our Factsheets - in hope that they might be of help in terms of offering advice for managing the symptoms of your arthritis: arthritisaction.org.uk/livi...

All the best from us,

Arthritis Action Team

[olly17man]

I'm so sorry to hear your depressing news Kazwilks. I can imagine how worried and anxious you must be feeling. My husband had to take early retirement due to ill health (not with the same illness) and we had to go down the same route, i.e. filling in endless forms, benefits, etc, and we went through a very anxious time, but, Kazwilks, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, believe me, and at least then you will be free of the worry 'am I able to work today' and concentrate on starting a new way of life and freeing yourself of some of the anxiety (work!!). Good luck, try and look to the future - I'm sure you wont get so many flare-ups when you're free of all this.