working with degenerative disease

I am struggling with pressure from my employer as there are things i cannot do at work.
I am desperate for full time hours as i have two step children and want to move into my own home in a years time.
I am trying to illiminate "distructive activities" that worsen the pain however most jobs include bending twisting and prolongued sitting or standing. I am also really starting to struggle to walk longer than 10 minutes.
I cant imagine not working i think this would be very dangerous for my self asteam and moods. I dont want to put my partner through dealing with my moods, The whole situation is already making me feel emotional fragile. I was diagnosed at 14 and managed the pain with physio however i didnt keep it up so at 21 i am now back at square one. This time round i am getting an overwhelming feeling that i am fightng a loosing battle.

[TheMadMan]

I am not sure how to answer your statement. Your employer expects you to work but not limited to medical conditions.Your employer has that right. You could get a medical statement but that might limit your hours. I know from MY past experience, I had a job I loved, had wonderful hours but could not stand anymore and my job did not accommodate 'sitting', so I had to go out on disability. My job was very cooperative with the paperwork and the doctors statements. I did;'t want to leave the job but had to.  I am sure this doesn't help your situation any but think about your options here. DDD/DJD can be managed but with medical treatments. I have had a history of medical treatments including steroid shots which helped along with nerve blocks. Ask your doctor about these treatments and see if they help.

[BethanneLamb]

thanks for your reply.

I have been looking at working from home option. I have no idea how to go around being on disability! However i am hoping to control the pain with physio but i know it could take up to two years and once its controlled i would want to get back to a more normal working condition.

How is your pain and lifestyle now ?

[TheMadMan]

I read your post and just didn't want to leave you in limbo. I am not sure what will work for you but check into other options that may help.
I have been disabled since 2001 and my pain at that time was terrible. I had a lot of issues going on and had no idea some of them were related to DDD/DJD. The surgeries I had did help but it took quite a few years and quite a few doctors to get it under control. My orthopedic doctor did wonders for me. (Once I found a good one)
Thanks for asking how I am doing. Recently(as of Nov., I had a Botox injections to the piriformis muscle which has been bothering me for years. It took the right doctor to diagnose this problem. That took more doctors that I care to think about. The medical community has debated the issues of this piriformis syndrome for years but recently has made a breakthrough and now recognizes this problem. The Botox injection I got, has me walking again and relatively pain free. Yes I get the night pain but a 2/3 on the pain scale as related to what it used to be. I am off all the pain medications and walking once again using muscles I haven't used in years and that is where the pain is from.
Exercise releases endorphins and that can help with pain issues but check around and see what can be done related to your condition.
Because of my numerous medical conditions, I am not able to go back to work BUT I am walking again and enjoy my walks by the beach and working on actually touching the water this summer, something I have not done in years because I was confined to a wheelchair. Yes, with the right treatment, the pain can be controlled and with exercise, the pain can go down. I have gone through a lot of doctors but never gave up because I knew there was some treatment out there. Don't get discouraged. Keep you mind strong and do your research. The more you learn, the more you can educate your doctor and yourself. Good luck.

[BethanneLamb]

I am going to march into my Dr's and get referred to a specialist at hospital! I am literally being treated like im over reacting and being pumped with painkillers.. I want to fix it and get of the meds, theyre making me poorly.

Thanks for shareing your experience with this condition :-) Joining these websites is the best thing iv done!

All the advice has given me the courage to ask for a referral to a specialist.

Thankyou !

[TheMadMan]

Now that is what I want to hear. A strong person who wants answers from a SPECIALIST in the field who knows what they are doing. There are many doctors out there who treat pain as if there were nothing more they can do and that is right for their 'specialty'. My family doctor gave me all the drugs for pain that he could but nothing helped. He does not treat my DDD/DJD because that is not his specialty but he does all he can. I have researched many a doctor and given many a POOR answer but that only made me determined to find the right answer. Keep going until the answers make sense to your medical condition but do some research about your medical condition so these doctor don't lead you astray. Good luck and keep fighting....I DID!