My job is wearing me out and I don't know what to do about it!

[Shashi]

Totally off topic, but I just noticed you are in Knoxville! I live in Knoxville too, but I claim Oak Ridge b/c I am in the Solway area and work in Oak Ridge, and therefore do most of my business here in OR as well. Nice to meet another 'local'!

Nice to meet you too! I used to live in the Solway area as well before my husband and I separated almost two years ago. And my brother and son both work in Oak Ridge. There are actually a couple of us on the board here from Knoxville. We should have a get-together sometime.

[Shashi]

Have you considered arson yet?
If you burned the building to the ground it would probably buy you about six months off?

(if this ever gets past the moderators please know I am just kidding)

ROFLMBO!! Good one, Tommylee.

[orionforstar]

Small world! I work in Knoxville. I hope you're able to get your situation taken care of. I only work 33 hours a week and it just about kills me. Be strong, and good luck

[Shashi]

Small world! I work in Knoxville. I hope you're able to get your situation taken care of. I only work 33 hours a week and it just about kills me. Be strong, and good luck

Thanks. I've worked 48 hours this week, and I'm about beat. But I just have 4 1/2 more hours to go! As the little train engine said, "I think I can, I think I can, I KNOW I can!" (As long as I don't run out of steam, that is! )

[sengelhardt]

Nice to meet you too! I used to live in the Solway area as well before my husband and I separated almost two years ago. And my brother and son both work in Oak Ridge. There are actually a couple of us on the board here from Knoxville. We should have a get-together sometime.

That would be awesome! I was reading your signature... How is it you are still in limbo? I was still in the ER with ON at Mercy west with my first MRI and had the Dr come in and tell me it was MS and then had the neuro meet with me. Just had my second MRI two weeks ago and am changing meds. I haven't had much in the way of flare ups, yet it seems they were super quick to dx me.

[DianeD]

Feeling for you!

I never had to work and was a happy 'at home' mom to my two sons till age 44 when I went to work part time and moved to full time. It's not easy, but then I was healthy and my MS undx'd.

If you love your job it is really tough to leave it, but your works sounds like it would be in demand and surely someone would work with you on hours.

Frankly, Your 20 hours of working at night sounds really hard. You also said (I think) that you worked full time, so since I could only find 20 hours in your old schedule are you saying the work you did at home made up the other 20?

It's an awful feeling having to worry if you ask for special hours or to 'work something out' that your employer might just let you go to find someone else who can work the hours! Also it is difficult to find a good paying job and benefits. Employers are worried about what the Obama healthcare plan will mean to their bottom line.

My dh had a good job with great benefits (all of which we lost when he retired). That was unexpected!

Now in the 'over 65 category' we have very costly health insurance, even with Medicare. Medicare, by the way, is not 'free'. We paid for it and deductions come out of our social security for it, plus we have to pay for supplemental plans for each of us, drug plan, dental and vision! Wow, who'd have thought.

I know that I could likely not work a regular day so i can feel so sympathetic to your situation. How frustrating!

Wish I had a solution.

I worked as long as I could, but my parents became ill and needed help, so I cut my hours and eventually had to call it quits.

People tend to think I'm lucky that we could get by on one income, but it meant that the extra money I might have put aside for our 'golden' years never happened.

I hope someone here has a creative solution. Have you looked into working entirely from home?

Wishing you the best. Diane

[Shashi]

Frankly, Your 20 hours of working at night sounds really hard. You also said (I think) that you worked full time, so since I could only find 20 hours in your old schedule are you saying the work you did at home made up the other 20?

Diane, yes, when I was teaching night classes, the other 20 hours I worked was at home grading, prepping for classes, and getting our online classes ready to roll out. Now I have to do all of that at work in the afternoons between classes. (This week I worked 48 hours - in four days.) I stay so tired and so sleepy all of the time!!

But as I said, I love my job and can't imagine doing anything else. Maybe I need to exercise more or something. There's got to be an answer. I won't go down without a fight! LOL!