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

[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!

[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

[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.

[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! )

[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]

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.

[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.

[Sequoia]

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)

The moderators can take a joke.

[tommylee]

I'm not sure what to do. I've even tried doubling up on my ALA/ALC dosages, but it didn't really help much.

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)

[sengelhardt]

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'!

[empirerecs]

So glad you are feeling better. It's amazing what some good sleep can do for you! I hope it all works out. It will be interesting to find out what the ADA might be able to do for you.

Take care and keep smiling!!!

[Shashi]

Thanks everyone. Sorry I didn't get back to answer sooner. After sleeping from midnight to noon yesterday, I also took a nap from 4 to 7:30 p.m. I guess I was just exhausted!

Our school is still rather small (private college), so there are only 47 employees at the moment. You have to have 50 under the FMLA. (Maybe they'll hire three more soon!) The ADA might apply though. I'll have to check that out. (I teach medical law and ethics, so have access to all of that info.)

I think I'm going to have to just tell my department head that I need to go home between the day and night classes. Either that or they're going to have to put a hammock in the break room for me. And maybe I can compromise with her on the conference thing and attend online conferences and webinars. (It's amazing how much clearer I can think to find a solution when I'm not exhausted!)

If that doesn't work, I'll look into other jobs, though I'd hate to give up teaching. Not only do I love it, but I make really good money for this area, plus I have good benefits and medical insurance.

Again, thanks everyone for your great suggestions and your support. I appreciate you all.

Hugs,

Lisa

[empirerecs]

Hi Sashi -

I'm sorry about this. First, does your boss/employer know you have MS? If not, I think you have ADA "protection." I don't know this for sure because I failed to look into it and I was fired because of MS cognitive sx's. I used the EEOC once fired.

FMLA only works if there are over 50 employees - that was the rule in Florida.

You are an instructor, would you consider getting a job doing the coding/billing from home? I was going to do that, took classes but was unable to finish. I knew someone who made very good money and had medical benefits while working from home raising kids. She could do it when she had time.

My suggestion to you based on my experience is look into your options before your medical needs "get in the way" and you are terminated. At the time of my termination I was having to go to doc appointments and needing physical therapy. My bosses (attorneys) would not let me go after work because I was the only single person and they required me to work overtime if they needed it. I even had to provide a prescription from the doctor stating I needed the physical therapy, the tests and going to the neuro. It was insane. They were stupid too, they actually put in writing why the terminated me, that's why I was able to go to the EEOC and get my medical benefits paid for a year. Had I not needed the medical I would have taken further and had them invesigated - they would have lost. I was the 3rd person they fired for medical reasons. It was a very small office, the turnaround for secretaries was unbelievable, nasty people.

Anyway, I hope it works out but you need to take care of you! I "know" you from your posts - you are strong, you know this crazy schedule is going to wear you out.

You would be an amazing billing/coder! you could make really great money on your own.

hugs~

[fleetgirl]

Sashi- I don't know how you have managed to do it. I do admire you for it tho' !! I hope that something happens so you can have your cake and eat it too ( to coin a phrase). I know its not easy when your hurting to keep on going, but you have shown some amazing strength so far.

I wish you many more days at the job you love. I have to bid mine good-bye. I'm putting in my 2 weeks notice on Monday and its hurting more than the current round of nerve pain. Good luck with whatever the upcoming days bring for you.

[mjan]

WOW how brutal.. and I do feel your pain!! Brings back memories of working all day full time AND then going to night classes to get my Masters.

It just about KILLED Me!! Exacerbated all my diseases.

You can check into an "intermittent" FMLA where they cannot fire you if you need to seek treatment, rest etc. Now that may be hard on your colleagues and all. What do you think? I never abused mine. BUT by Friday I could not make it through all day. I used to literally HOLD up my head with my arm..then lay on my desk..then could barely walk around my work place.

Needless to say.. I am now on disability. I did take 3 weeks off medical leave..that helped a lot to hold onto work until last year.

Work and rest.. work and rest.. repeat.

Hugs my friend~ Jan