Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group I have a Question

Currently still working full time. I'm a medical technologist in a busy hospital lab. Out of eight hours, I'll spend 4-6 hrs on my feet. I sit as often as I can and make sure my feet are happy in good shoes. I'm 54 and would like to keep working till retirement because I love my job.

Currently, I'm on pain mgmt and also on FMLA. I can take days for procedures (epidurals, facet joint inj, RFA, etc). I can take a day or 2 each quarter for exacerbations of pain.

In 18 months, I've used 8 or 10 days (1 at a time) for procedures. I've taken exactly 3 days for exacerbations of pain. I hate to use them if I can avoid it. I wonder if I use a day, will I end up with a worse day later on and have no days to fall back on? Will I [*bleep*] off my coworkers and my manager? I should worry about me because I'm the only one who WILL worry about me (other than my spouse). Since my job is the one that provides us with medical insurance and hubby is retired and has cancer, I worry about keeping my job.

I work from home in the service industry, answering phones for Emergency Roadside assistance.
I have been on self enforced reduced work weeks since i had stomach problems in spring, and am just now starting to try the early shifts again. I'm a contract worker, so i dont have the benefit of ei or going on disability unless i quit completely but i cant afford to nor can i in good conscience , because my job allows me to go straigh to bed if i have to and i have.
I am going to try for disability tax credit, because of how long it takes me to do things like get ready it has reduced the amount i can work as well. i tire out too quickly.

Doesnt answer your question completely. but there have been times that my job, the supervisors, are very very annoying and frustrating. But i have learned to just work at the pace that i can. For me that means i get paid less because i am "available" less and spend take many 5-10 min breaks.
If you are concerned speak to your boss about what you can do and explain that you are not being lazy or slacking off but you are doing the best that you can, and that many with this diesaees (i cant spell all of a sudden) end up on disability and you are trying your best to put that off until absolutely neccessary.
Also see if you can work from home a day or too. you may get more done. depending on the job. I did that for a company. i was entering orders, so i would take a laptop home that i could log in remotely with and enter orders that way. I worked at my own pace, no distractions , and i was surprised how much i could get done.
Its not like they can just fire you for telling them you have a diesease and if they lay you off because of your illness you will have an easier time getting disability. (maybe i dont know i might be talking out of my butt there but it seems logical right?)

I am still a pro ski jumper. A bad back and slight forward lean are actually an asset in this occupation.
My next big crash will probably play a role in seeking disability. Soft landings to all...

Yea and i drive in NASCAR

seems that AS sufferers *with* post secondary education tend to work longer as they are less expendable, and work in something they actually enjoy.

the plan here is to get into university on the disabled roster, last time i was @ university was a mess because of the AS and i ended up missing a lot of stuff and got a lot of "tough cookies" from the university, they said if i was really disabled then they have special rules, and to come back when im offically disabled.

manual labour sucks.