Working with endometriosis?

[points94]

Hi ladies! Was wondering if any of you had any advice for me?

I started training as a veterinary nurse around 5 months ago after really want to persue a career with animals. I was worried at first that my very regular endo pain would prevent me from being on my feet for long hours every day, and now I know I was right!

I started off getting on okay but now I've missed work twice due to being in hospital and have been told I would need another laparoscopy soon (ive had two so far since being diagnosed a year ago).

The stress at work is getting too much for to deal with now as it's stressful enough trying to come to terms with my endometriosis!

I was wondering if any of you had any good ideas about what would be a good career move for me? Something that wouldn't be as effected if I couldn't stand or work as hard as I do here I am very relied on at my place of work currently, and if I'm not there, ops can't go ahead as I'm usually the only nurse!

I can't afford to be out of work as I have a mortgage to pay but I'm really struggling with finding a job that would suit me?

X

[Tboag]

Hi darling, that's just crap isn't it, I'm a mum of 3 and have had part time jobs only over the last 6 years before that I was at home full time mum, for 9 years,

Last year I was doing home help for 4 old ladies and a mid day assistant at my sons school, I loved both jobs but had to give up the home help, I think in the end the old girls could do more than me, my adenomyosis and endo only really came on about ayears ago, although ive had problems before that, I never put it down to either, just thought bad periods and bad back going round to front,

I was then dismissed from my school job as I had loads of time off and when I told them I was due a laparoscopy they let me go as I was still on 6 months probation,

I'm like you, now racking my brains as to what I could do, I think I'm going to have an hysterectomy this year so I'm just going to wait unemployed until ive recovered from that, and then assess my life,

Maybe you could get an interview with a career adviser

Good luck,

[points94 in reply to Tboag]

Thank you for your reply!

I think my best bet is to find a good careers adviser to have a chat with!

I am also TTC currently as my endo seems to be getting worse and worse and I am desperate to have children!

Which makes finding work harder but do not want to put this on hold as it could take years for me to have a successful pregnancy

Good luck with your job finding and I hope your hysterectomy goes well!

I will be having one of those some day soon too!

x

[Tboag in reply to points94]

Good luck with ttc, how long have you been trying, where is your endo?

[points94 in reply to Tboag]

Thanks!

Been trying for nearly 9 months, currently awaiting for my partner to be referred for fertility checks before they send me to get my tubes checked!

On my last lap in May 2014 my endo was extensive and was nearly everywhere except my fallopian tubes. My only worry is that now it has been left nearly a year, it will have spread there and they could be blocked :\

[Tboag in reply to points94]

Did they not excise any of your endo during your lap?

[points94 in reply to Tboag]

Yes they did both times and it came back straight away. I don't think I've ever felt any relief from the endo even straight after the op when it should have been gone

[Mabes]

A bigger veterinary surgery with more nurses? A vet surgery receptionist (as you can sit down a lot)?

Or coming slightly away from that - run your own pet care business like pet sitting, feeding people's animals while they are away etc.

Or if you like nursing and people, a dental nurse sits down a lot more than a vet nurse.

[slaccie98]

Hi I suffer with endo and I'm a dental nurse. I wish there was a lot of sit down time in my job. I'm off every month for 4-5 days. I've just had a first formal interview. Waiting my 2nd lap in 5 weeks. It's hard work when my endo plays up.

[Elwood]

Hiya, I work in an office, it's pretty stressful job and very high pressure but I do sit all day. Only drawback is I can't take any painkillers that could alter my perception as I work in a legal capacity so paracetamol and NSAID's are my only option. I drag myself in every day and only take time off for surgery. I was diagnosed 9 years ago and over time my sick time out of the office has decreased dramatically, my productivity on some days might be low but I blankly refuse to lose my job and my future because of endo. I changed my state of mind when it comes to the pain, it hurts, it's there a lot, but there isn't much I can do about it, this is my life and I have to live it. My biggest helpers - forums like this, the coil, diet and heaps of exercise!

I say follow your dreams, be who you want to be, don't let endo rule you, you should rule it. It will be around for the rest of your life now so you need to find a way to make it easier to cope with. I would suggest having a frank an honest discussion with your doctor, the fact that you have needed so many ops in such a short space of time indicates that they are not treating it properly and are missing patches of endo when they go in. Request full excision surgery with an endometriosis specialist not just a gynae surgeon, you can find your nearest specialist online at bsge.org.uk/ec-BSGE-accredi... my doctor has used my case in his research as it unfortunately is one of the worst he has seen but we have managed to avoid repeated surgeries as I have full excision each time, I have had 3 in 9 years.

Don't let it win, don't let it change who you want to be xxx

[points94]

Thank you all for your replies!

I feel like I need to chat to my employer so she can help decrease my stress at work which would help me feel better about being off ill because of my endo!

Its the studying that is my next worry Its going to be a long and stressful time as I work late and long hours then will come home to constant studying and dealing with my cramps

Its that that's making me doubt my career choice :\ even if I moved to another veterinary surgery I would still need to complete my official nurse training!

I would love to do something creative that I could do from home but obviously you need to build a business like that and I cannot make the jump from earning a full time wage to earning nothing until I am doing well as my partner could not afford our mortgage on his own!

I'm hoping things will work themselves out for the best soon!

It's not nice getting home from work every night down in the dumps due to a crazy job and horrible endometriosis!

x

[Elwood in reply to points94]

I am studying for my masters as well as working, I feel your pain, it sucks but I had to just keep having words with myself!! I had to defer my last semester for 12 months because of my surgery in November and Uni wouldn't let me study from a hospital bed(??!!) but will hopefully complete next year, so I might take longer than other people but at least I get it done eventually!! My husband was super supportive and kept a steady flow of tea to my desk as I studied!!

I also really really want to have a creative career based at home, but like you I can't afford to leave work just yet and need the security of a qualification in case it doesn't go to plan!!!

Make sure you always leave a couple of nights a week to properly power down, have a long hot relaxing bath and do nothing apart from rest.

Try to do some gentle exercise every night if you can even if its just stretching, getting the blood going really helps with my pain, it can be really painful straight after but the next day is heaps better.

I hope you find your 'happy medium' soon xxx

[points94 in reply to Elwood]

Thank you for your advice! It really helps knowing I'm not the only one who feels like this

If only life were more straight forward!

Good luck with your Masters

xxx

[Elwood in reply to points94]

Keep yer chin up x Best of luck with work and exams xxx