Scottish-piglet7 years ago

You could try DPD, based in Birmingham and if you live within 50 miles they could set you up as a customer support agent, everything done on the phone and computer. I would have loved to do this when I worked for them but not possible in Aberdeen - too far away.

KatieERoberts in reply to Scottish-piglet7 years ago

Brilliant thank you i will have a look now! xx

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Hayesider7 years ago

Hay KatieERoberts

Your employer should be making adjustments for you, such as special chair, equipment, programs such as Dragon which writes using speech. You would be covered by the Equal Opportunities Act 2006, have you been asked to attend an occupational health assessment by your manager ?

These are really useful, as it provides your employer with details of the adjustments you need to function properly, I have had three with the same RheumyCon, open honest conversations plus diagnosis of Fibro before hospital consultant. We even used one to get our employer to give a girl on my team a parking place between October and April, she has a Trachea Canular (hole in throat to breathe through following throat cancer as a child) so she avoided travelling on public transport during the flu/colds season.

Sounds like you are working for a large size employer, so they should have policies/procedures in place to cover this, check with your HR, ask GP to write to them as well, this can be useful in getting adjustments made. PM me if you have any questions, afraid down in South West, so only know Birmingham through the M5/M6 !

Just retired due to prolapsed disc at L4, was working up to 11hr days, 5 days a week managing team of ten people doing claim processing, so lots HR work to cope with besides my own. With RA, IBS, Sleep Apnoea and friendly Fibro, know what dragging yourself to work is like, so any help is happily given.

Understanding your pain, admiring your determination, Hayesider xx

KatieERoberts in reply to Hayesider7 years ago

Thank you for your reply,

There is only me and my office manager in the office and she knows i struggle with pain and fatigue but maybe on my behalf i dont help myelf because i hide it alot. She sees me take my painkillers and get up and wlk around to free my pain but shes quite quiet and we have never really spoken about my illness. Maybe i should ask her, once i'm fully diagnosed, if there is anything i can have to help me. My hands hurt due to handing tickets and paperwork which unfortunately is my main role here and i have a back support as it is so im not sure what else there is to do. I have tried public transport to work but it takes longer and i bring my dog to work so its not always practical.

My mom has a tracheotomy also so i know shes had help but she works for the council they have many more procedures in place than we do here.

My main issue is the fatigue and the pain of being stuck in traffic, foot on the clutch for hours on end my legs are so painful afterwards and then the pain makes me so tired.

Thank you for understanding where im coming from. My determination is the only thing keeping me going. x

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Hidden in reply to KatieERoberts7 years ago

Hi Katie,

If you love your job and its the travelling that is causing extra problems would there be any way of changing your car to an automatic. That would relieve the pressure of gear changing.

Also could I suggest a pain relief gel for your hands. Haysider is correct your employer should be trying to make things easier for you. Is it possible to reduce even slightly your hours in a day? Would you be able to say, stay the same length of time but with added breaks to let you recover?

I really hope you can get work sorted, It would be a shame to leave a job you love

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KatieERoberts in reply to Hidden7 years ago

That was my next idea i think, but although i love my job long term it would be a job i can make a career out of so its just deciding at the moment.

I would hate to shorten my hours to get paid less. My main idea is t get another job that pays more per hour as with my qualifications i should really be getting paid more per hour anyway, then i can do less hours but the same if not more pay.

Im in the process of this its just not easy to bring up and speak about. Thank you for your help xxx

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Hayesider7 years ago

Hay KatieERoberts

Have you done a work station assessment, checking desk height, distances to PC & keyboard & mouse, chair providing right adjustments ? Ask your manager if they company uses these, as it might help getting a better working position. Have you advised your employer of your main diagnosis, as RA is recognised as a disability, so brings lots more help for you.

Hidden is right in that an automatic car would help, but so would taking your car out of gear and resting your left leg/foot. Use the handbrake to hold the car not footbrake, perhaps stop and take a three/five minute walk part way. I used to do 11hr shifts driving buses in city centre, usually 5hrs before break, over 4000 gear changes in that time, so know what clutch leg pain is.

Please don't ever feel you are just moaning, none of us are guilty of that. We share our struggles and solutions,Mao others can benefit or offer help. This is one of those special places where you are never judged, we all suffer differently, Tracey can't look after her garden, yet I have a big allotment.

Happy for you to PM for a chatter, moan or ask questions, often better than on post.

Take care, hope what we suggest can be of some help, love Hayesider, fingers crossed for you xx

Hidden in reply to Hayesider7 years ago

Well put Haysider

Sorry your name won't come up for me, again

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KatieERoberts in reply to Hayesider7 years ago

No i haven't done one of those but it sounds like i should.

I try and rest my leg but its very hilly around me and i'm constantly going up hill but at an extremely low pace so relieving my leg is hard.

I always feel like i'm moaning especially to my family when i cant make it out or im tired etc nobody seems to understand.

Thank you so much for your help xxx

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TheAuthor7 years ago

Hi KatieERoberts

I am so gneuinely sorry to read that you are struggling with work. I can see that you have been given some wonderful replies so I will simply and sincerely wish you all the best of luck.

Please take care of yourself.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken

shazzap127 years ago

Hi

Have you thought of applying to access to work for support? They can attend and do an assessment at your place of work and discuss additional support that may be suitable. If your employer is a small company the funding for support could be free, or if a larger company they would have to pay a proportion.

Examples of support you may be able to get could include, the cost of taking taxi's to work on the days when you are in too much pain to drive.

It is definitely worth a try. Here is a link to more info: disabilityrightsuk.org/acce...

KatieERoberts in reply to shazzap127 years ago

That's brilliant I will have a look, thank you x

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Kayshasmith17 years ago

I'm not much help for this post however I'm In the same situation if anyone knows anywhere local to Wakefield which also allows working from home etc