coping

[Jo18]

I'm not sure if i have a thyroid problem but i have all the symptoms - going to see my endocrinologist today. I think my health issues may be related to the radiotherapy for a brain tumour i had when i was younger and gratefully survived but feel i am in the age of consequences now. I don't know how to cope with work... How are people coping to sustain their jobs? I don't know if i can do it? - can you claim benefits?

[puncturedbicycle]

Brain injury (such as you might have after radiation) can affect the function of the hypothalamus and pituitary, so this should be treated w greater care and attention than the usual tsh bloods etc.

I'm sorry, I can't advise on benefits as I am no longer on them and they change so much, but if you're disabled you should be able to claim. I am not working and like you I don't know how some people do it.

[Rapunzel]

I wouldn't cope Jo18 with the job I had when my thyroid really kicked off. It required a commute from hell or weeks at a time away in hotels, smiling and being positive when I felt like taking people's lights out ( the hypo ? I'll never know ) because they were being stupid, shiftless, patronising or just plain useless ( lots of it about ) or a mixture, deep joy ,of all four and many more besides. Not that I'm the least judgemental and obvs., completely perfect ! I had slowed down a little taking a week off every five for a number of years.

Having hung on by my finger nails through four or five periods of 'consultation', ie colleagues being made redundant there was no-one left that I had any respect for anyway - as happens with corporate redundancies the youth and talent were booted out first - then it was my turn.

So I sat on my big fattening @rse for a while, cushioned by a nice payoff, three months gardening leave on top, to think about it and after a couple of false starts attempting to slide into similar positions, gave it up and began working for myself in a very left field occupation which makes the most of what strengths I have left now Hashi's has just about finished off my thyroid with a side of fava beans...

I bliddy love it. I know when I'm going to be challenged, work wise and can prepare for it. I can come home and go to bed in the afternoon if I want. Work when I can't sleep. Sleep when there's no work. Yes I'm earning less but the time comes when you have to stand still and just rework what you think you need. I'm late fifties and fully intended to go when I was 60 in any event, so I'm cruising toward the 3rd age and perfectly content in a way I couldn't have envisaged if someone had told me on my 50th birthday what lay ahead.

Not sure about benefits. Of course thyroid diseases when not responding to treatment should give rise to payments where there's need but I have no idea how they work and wouldn't hold my breath, to be honest. Just having a look at the topics sidebar, there's only one post under 'Income, benefits etc'...perhaps that tells its own tale.

You don't ask, you don't get. Work out what hours you'd feel comfortable with, what revisions to your lifestyle there would need to be and if you might make it work, approach your HR ( dreadful term) department about the possibility. At least then you'll know where you are. Or look for a job share.

Good luck

[silverfox7]

I've just finished a session of radio therapy and with all the literature I got I was really surprised to see that issues can cecome apparent years later. Think the example I read was pelvic area but I would imagine it's the places that are deep seated. Might be worth contacting the hospital you were treated at and get their advice as well.

[Jo18 in reply to silverfox7]

I saw a new Endocrinologist yesterday n she was so helpful - SHE LISTENED! N fortuitously she'd just recently been to a conference with Macmillan about Survivorship - apparently as childhood cancer treatment is relatively new - the post treatment effects are only really just being looked into - I feel SO much better just to have been acknowledged - I'm not going mad( - well I am but it's normal!) N I'm not alone.

[Jo18]

Thank you