AFO's, swollen legs, and sores

[Sunnytoday]

my legs are swelling up above my AFO's, just starting since I started my job, which is standing from 8-5. The swelling is very obvious, i have small legs, and it is like 1 1/2 the size above my AFO's when i take them off at night when i get home from work.

Also, I have a sore at the back of my foot from the AFO's, i've asked them to adjust them 2x and they just put in padding, and i've got a hard bump back there now that has a sore on it. The right foot is worse than the left (i can't feel the left foot).

Do i worry about the swelling? what can i do for the sore?

This job is so hard. I really want to give up, but I just get up in the morning and bite down and say "I WILL DO THIS!!" I do not know how much longer I can hang on. Standing and walking 8-5 is just too much, becuase my thinking is slowing down and today my muscles were really shaky (and I'm losing weight too? and i'm eating alot) and my short term memory (which is not good) is catching me and they are really don't know what to say when I keep screwing up names, words and numbers really bad. Also, they are telling me I need to move faster, and I can't, which is becoming a problem. I do think that I will need to explain my health problems tomorrow and possibly quit the job. The first two days it was just the stamina problem and today it was more the memory problem becuase I was training on the phone lines too.

Sigh. so tired.
~Sunnytoday~

[Lulu54]

Oh Sunny Honey,
I am so relieved to hear that the end has come for this already.  Your exhaustion was so apparent in what you wrote - you have never complained a bit during this journey and you weren't complaining here either. But boy did you sound in a really bad way.   I understand your frustration with the job, but the right position will come along for you.  Engineer gave you some great ideas - start on that list tomorrow.

Rest easy and feel better, Lu

[Sunnytoday]

donni, i think that crash came that quix was talking about? i slept 5 hours this afternoon and am headed back to bed again soon. i had my legs up all day nand ehy seem to be better now tonight some and i will keep an eye on thenm and call the doctor monday if it hasn't improved any.

i will keep loking for that right job, and in the meantime rest up . :) i'm sliding around in my socks today to get out ofmy AFO's right now becuase of my heel sore. hopefully htat will he;p some.
have a good night and sleep well. i will :)
~Sunnytoday~

[doni54]

Hi Sunny,

I'm really proud of you for sticking to the job as long as you did.  I'm really sorry it didn't work out, but you have to put yourself and your health first.

There will be a job that is perfect for you, just keep searching.

Take care of yourself and rest up and give those legs a break.  Maybe use the wheelchair for awhile and take a break from the AFOs.

Are you going to call the dr about the swelling?  Please do this.

You are always in my thoughts and prayers, Sunny.  You hang in there, sweetie, everything is going to work out for you.

Hugs,
doni

[Sunnytoday]

Hi there, I’m very blessed, I had a scholarship in college so I could save and my yellow car is (smiles) all paid for. So, that’s not a worry.

I like the list you had, and I do enjoy many things such as piano, music, etc.

I have a degree in medical records, and I have been job searching for a job this past few months. I found this job and thought that it would get me in the door and would be a great way to start. I applied for it and it was advertised as a part time job, but ended up landing a Fulltime on instead, which required standing only, etc. which was not at all what I was expecting. You live and learn. :) I do have my goals set out, and I love working with the records, however, as a coder not as a file clerk, this job of course was just to see if I could handle a job and to get me in the department, etc. because all the coding jobs I’ve applied for have turned me down because I don’t have the magical one year of experience.

This job was a good experience in that it did show me that my new dyslexia is so bad it’s non-workable when I’m tired, and that my short-term memory goes all out the door as well when I’m tired, and that my muscles just don’t work when pushed that far. :) And of course, my legs didn't like it at all with that swelling. Basically, that I need more rest and less on my feet time.

I talked to my boss this morning and she was very sweet about it, but the end result was that I did end up quitting the job, she just didn’t have a shorter time period because she couldn’t be flexible, and she of course didn’t want to train me any more today if I couldn’t do the full 40 hours. So, I tried my very best. And, after sleeping all last night, I of course do feel more rested, but my legs are still not so great. I do think I made a wise decision.

Thanks to all for your support. So now, I’m back looking for a PART-time job, or at least one that doesn't require me being on my feet. Grin.
~Sunnytoday~

[Engineer75]

Hello,
I'm sorry that you are not well.
I read this thread and I thought that if you push yourself to do something that you are  physically incapable of then it only makes you disappointed and psychologically prevents you from doing many things that you are quite capable of, because you will fear that it may end up with more disappointment and feeling down and you will gradually lose interest in going up and advancing. I have done some big works in my life that very few people have done being in my situation but I always did all those works, step by step and after I ended each step with success I took the next step and each success have made me more confident that I can do more big works.
Now, I don't know about your background(education,...), physical situation and interests but all I can tell you is do the following:
1- sit down and think about all things that you like to do,... art, painting, music, piano, astronomy, computer programming, biology, social activities,.., writing(novel, fiction,poetry...)
prepare a list of all those things and write the list in the order that is important to you.
You may laugh but in my opinion this list is the most important personal thing that you have, much more important than your yellow car or.... you have to preserve it and try not to lose it. How you may lose it? by disappointment!  disappointment will limit your dreams and wishes so try to avoid anything that can bring you major disappointments.
2- draw a stepwise scheme of how to reach them. no matter how long it takes but at the end your plan should get you to what you like and important thing is each step should be completely in the range of your capabilities. Also always have  plan B, if things didn't go as well as you expected.(personally I always have plan C and D to make my path to my goal completely bulletproof :) )
3- I said make each step within your capability range but also you can gradually increase your capability range. From capability I do not necessary mean physical capability because maybe because of your illness you do not have much control over it. How? again I don't know about your background and interests so I just give you some examples then you can figure out something that can suits you the most.
you know that you can't do much physical activity, Ok but you probably can do many things while sitting or resting! for example if you are a learn yourself person, you can download many tutorials from internet about computer programming, accounting, .... and learn them or if not you can attend some courses by doing these things you are gradually increasing your capabilities and become enable to take bigger steps and reach your goal sooner!

Ok, I think those were the most important things that I wanted to tell.

I wish you health and success.

Engineer,

[Lulu54]

Dear dear Sunny, you get such a gold star for giving everything your best effort and especially this new job. This is really scarey to me to read how exhausted you are.  

As Q mentioned, this problem of not feeling open sores is dangerous - I have a friend who has been in serious medical trouble because of sores he couldn't feel on his feet.  Please have your mom or someone check your feet regularly for irritation, ok?  Don't take any chances.

Yes, you will be disappointed if this job doesn't work for you, but you already realize it isn't what you thought it was going to be.  Don't let any job get the best of you -

get some rest,
Lulu

[Sunnytoday]

quix, i have decided, before collapsing in bed, that i just cannot handle one more full day without screwing up something mojaor or hruting myself by falling or solmething.

will call doc about swelling. I've ketp the sores band-aded and the aren't open now just look like hard bruised on the side of my heel, but my mom is concerned that it will open up if it rubs any longer.


yes, i'm too tired. could explain the crying at night? :) grin. i only cry when i'm extremly tired and i'm so treid that it's not even funny nothing is wroking right anymore, my msucles are like jello, and i know that i'm missing things, like blanking out in the day time this morning was bad it would skip parts of senstences or things people were saying to me so i couldn't piece everything together that popel were saying and then they were upset becuase i was moving slower than molasses.

I will talk to the emplyer about either less hours and quitting. am very glad that you guys replied tonight, asi need help becuase i'm too sleepy to think very lceary amy more.

vizgal- my legs had improved to where i was just walking with my AFO's wand was trying to do this job and got it without knowing it was a stainding only job, had applied and thought it was a sititting job and it turned out to be standing.ooops. so, this wasn't exaclyt what i was hoping for.

sorry if i am misspeling anything ebcause i'm too tired and out of it..
hugs and sleepy thanks
~Sunnytoday~

[Quixotic1]

Oh, my, when you took on a job it really was like skipping over Beginning Fitness and right to training for the Triathelon!  With as weak as you have been 8 hours of standing is a little much to expect.  That extra fatigue is going to sap all of your energy, including your mental energy.  And I think that is what you are describing.

The swelling is concerning, but so are the pressure/friction sores from your AFO's.  Having a sore that you can't feel is like the situation that diabetics or quadriplegics get into.  A simple open area can become life threatening.

Hun, I want you to succeed with employment, too, but it sounds like you have bitten off more than you can chew.  As Dr. Momma Quix, I have to advise you to discuss this with your employers and see if they can adjust your job.  Call your doctor and tell him about the sweloling and the sores.   It could be that the sores are from the severe swelling and the increased pressure.

Don't wait on this.  The paycheck is not worth a collapse.

Okay?

Quix

[vizslagal]

Do you have to stand?  What about your wheelchair?