Poll on working through tx

[Lady Lauri]

  I was at a toss up on which side to post this, decided here.

  In a post it was quoted as -possibly, not a 'study' - that maybe 95% of people work thru tx. I have 'guesstimated' less in reading here, so curious to have a 'poll' on this. I was out (of the physical part) of work by week 4, and I really intended, expected and tried to work. I was slammed at week 4 and was surprised! My last 2-3 days 'on the job' .... a son went with me and customers ended up helping and making me sit down! I hadn't said a word, looked like I was going to fall on my face (was about to! Stubborn.)
This may be hard to 'poll' as I know many did work, while suffering badly due to couldn't afford not to, loosing job, etc. How about.....

A.) Could not work at all. Adding type of work (physical or desk type jobs.)
B.) Worked, suffered through it.
C.) Worked and was okay.

Also, In my opinion...... the easier we take it on ourselves (if possible) the better our body can fight and heal, so during tx many things just need to be 're-prioritized' to give yourself the best chance.

Just curious as this is some rough meds!                          LL

[Lady Lauri]

-----------As you can see, everyone responds differently and at different points in time-depending on which drugs they're treating with, length of time treating, years of treatments, their own particular bodies in response to the sides, and on and on---------------------

  I know, such a variance in it all that a true 'poll' couldn't happen! I am sure there is many that would not work thru some of it if possible, but just have to. I couldn't imagine doing the physical parts of my jobs and the mental I try to still do is taking twice the time!!

Going to e-mail you later, kids just got here to help with yard work. Have a few questions about your tx, Dr. and so on.

                                                                                              LL

[ADESI]

wow just did pegasys about 5 hours ago,so a little foggy - but this forum I have just found recently is very helpful and therapeutic.
I have been on TX for a month and have been working mon-fri (couldn't do it on weekends after inj.)
No way I could do anything physical, but I run a crew of my employees and everybody is very understanding. I commute 1.5 hrs. each way , but had to rent an apt. near job.Had to quit coffee , which was my fuel for the past twenty years. Was kind of hoping this will improve w/ time.
ADESI

[susan400]

As you can see, everyone responds differently and at different points in time-depending on which drugs they're treating with, length of time treating, years of treatments, their own particular bodies in response to the sides, and on and on.  There's no real 'set in stone for each person' that really applies-that I know of.  I went back to work, early, after my hysterectomy because I did so well - but I was 30 at the time.  As of my TX #4 - it started getting harder and harder for me to handle working on TX.  Now, I'm up to doing this 9 times and the lingering TX/post TX effects on my body has effected me in too many ways to explain.  I hope to hear from you again soon.     Susan400

[FullOfHope77]

B

Until the last 2 weeks and at week 27 now. I'm taking a sabbatical until beginning of year and will see then how I feel. Until the last few weeks I hung in there but now I feel a bit defeated by the Telaprevir (that I've stopped taking finally). I think I will start to feel better and regain needed strength.

[sallyo]

D. went part time. Bad but doable

[Lady Lauri]

Popping these to the top to tally up soon. Do any new post on 're-start' please.

                                                                  LL

[alagirl]

I'm with you, had the entire pre-existing blood condition that made HCV tx more difficult.  I'm finding though that if and when I can keep my hgb up and if and when I can largely stay out of pain, its much easier for me to focus on the work I need to do.

And boy do I need to do it.  I'm the money tree in this house, and if I don't work I can lose my sales accounts seemingly at the drop of a hat!  LOL

Actually, I have to admit that as long as I bring them in business, the plants, especially one in particular here, have been just tremendous in supporting me through my "chemo for my liver" as they think of it - that's about as much info as I've given them about my diagnosis.  I'm on their cobra bcbs at the moment, and they plan to put me on their insurance when that finishes, and they are letting me do jobs for them, much of which I do over the phone.  They understand that the mornings are the times I am most sick to my stomach so they schedule meetings with me in the afternoons.

[SJL]

As we all know treatment affects every one differently.I attempted to work through my first round of therapy, but ended up going on long term disability. I have done a total of 102 wks., trying all 3 interferons/riba. I even tried maintainence. My job was both physical and office work. Another thing I would like to see is a thread or add-on to this~~~~~~~~How many people have contracted other attaching diseases? The Doctors will not admit to the fact that Interferon usage for Hep C can cause additional problems. As a healthy person prior to therapy, I now have croglobulemia and Neuropathy.Their is not a doubt in my mind that this are directly related to therapy. I just did 4 wks. of Rituxin therapy and my enzyme numbers dropped by about 30 points. As for age I am 64, female, biopsied as carrying Hep C for at least 30 yrs.~~~~~~~~~~Great post Lauri.

[Lady Lauri]

  Hi all. Re-started poll (sorry for all that already took the time to answer.)
Gives 5 choices. Will run awhile than talley up.

Wyntre, robeire, have to agree on the driving. I limit my driving, ( a vehicle, my motorcycle has been totally parked since week 2 :{ , as just too sick/scattered some days. My truck now has a brand new big dent in the bumper from one of those days! And I really should have seen that BIG tree! :}
  I could not drive 5 hours at all most days, so feel bad for those having to do that. Could not imagine trying to drive 'over the road'!

While I agree keeping busy during tx is good, I do that at home and am really glad I am able to stay home thru tx. I 'putt' around on days I can, do 'desk work' on good days and am able to stay in bed all day too. It is a luxury in this tx to not HAVE to be anywhere. And God Bless this lap top as saves my sanity on those in bed days!

Anyway, sorry to restart and I can talley from here too so ya' don't all have to re-post.

                                                                                        LL

  

[wyntre9]

I know what you mean about the driving problems.  I have a 5 hour RT to see my gastro, too, and the longer I'm on TX the harder it is to feel safe behind the wheel of a car.  I get dizzy, lose concentration, not good in tri-state traffic.

wyntre.

[robeire]

I did six month treatment for geno 3a ,neg pcr  from wk 8   virus back 1 month after finishing -yuk- that was 3 yrs ago- never been the same since - shortness of breath-chronic blepharitis- depression etc
I didnt work ,I am on long term disability here in ireland- i was really very asymptomatic before treatment- driving was dangerous- nearly killed myself several times having to drive a 5 hour roundtrip each week to the hospital-Got arrested for losing the head with some people who were cutting down trees near my property!
I was 46 when i did the treatment
could age/being asymptomatic before treatment be major factors to look at re working?
wish you all well /Gods Light upon all  Rob in Eire

[toughluck]

Only good thing is I can come and go as I please will make those doctor visits easy, as long as I can make a weeks pay and not go broke.

[toughluck]

I am a self employed auto repair tech, those tires are going to feel real heavy. TX and sitting home is worse, I will have to grin and bite it.

[pigeonca]

I think a lot of it depends on the kind of job you have.  If you work for a large corporation or the government, and have been there for a while, they usually will let a good employee slide, doing less than stellar work and having a portion of their tasks handed to other employees for the duration.

OTOH, if you're self-employed, an independent contractor or owner of your own business, where you have to give 100% a 100% of the time, then I'd think it would be extremely difficult to keep on working.  Also, I just can't imagine doing physical labor during tx, but apparently some people are amazingly tough.  I'm not.

[toughluck]

I have no choice, no work, no health insurance, no money it is going to rough.

[berts wife]

Bert has not been able to work.  He is an over the road driver.  No way to drive for long periods of time with all the meds.  Not safe for him or anyone else on the road.
This is week 7 for him and i can see he has gotten more and more of the side effects as the weeks go on.  

[sillymanxyz]

I worked for the first 6 months of treatment as an IT manager and I was able to sit at my desk a lot...I finally told them I was on the interferon and ribovirin about 3 months into it.  I got laid off on December 29th of last year (about the 6th month).  My doctor put me on disability through July, when my 48 weeks were up. I still haven't found another job, which is why I'm also looking at doing either the 72 weeks or the consensus interferon regimen now, since I don't have to report to work every day ( I relapsed - my VL is 1.4M again...).  I really ran in spurts.  I could work at something, even lifting and moving stuff, but I could only do it for short periods, then I'd have to rest for a while.  I still suffer from some of the symptoms occassionaly like irritability and fatigue but my energy level is mostly all back now.  Except for the beginning of last year, when I lost my job and my father-in-law got sick and died, I did pretty well emotionally and spiritually.  I DID learn a lot about how to deal with emotions that are all jammed up under my chin and wanting to leap out at everyone else....I really practiced keeping my mouth shut.... My mantra was,  "DON"T SAY IT, DON"T SAY IT, DON"T SAY IT"...it works well
Mike.

[kcrandy]

i am a driver for a union plumbing company and i deliver all the equipment these plumbers need aka/some heavy lifting required etc.  and believe me there are some days i would dearly love being home and not at work.
i was told by a lot of people b4 tx that working can help keep my mind off of tx, side effects,etc.  that is still is up for debate as you can see by this poll.

happy holidays ALL.  : O )

[Cindy10]

I did not have to work but I think I could have. I stayed busy all the time did some serious garden
projects, remodeling in the house etc. Hubby still on tx and still working roofing. He is the boss so he doesn't have to do the labor but he does. He says the young kids don't know how to work. He says the "hard work makes you strong like bull"  he he he. Which might explain why he is a roofer
;-)  We have just found that if you stay busy and active you might still feel like **** but sometimes you forget you feel like **** cause your so busy ;-)

Just take it as it comes, everyone is different!!!!!

[pigeonca]

Question:  Is age a factor?  Do younger folks have an easier time?

[sunspot]

I missed 33 days in the first 9 months of tx that I used FMLA on. After that I went on Short Term Disability for the next 5 months. I could not take working any longer.
I have a desk job. Tx really beat me up.

[Lady Lauri]

  Thanks all , keep posting. This gives a lot of insight for those starting and ,like me, in the 1st several weeks what to expect, plan for.

                                                                                              LL

[Teufelhunden]

Wow!  Good response so far!  You keeping track so far lady lauri? My job is extremely physical which requires heavy lifting of armored parts, climbing in and out, on top, underneath of military vehicles and equipment. About half the time it's outdoors. I have a crew of 13 which means every once in a while I get to sit down and do paperwork (actually rest. Hard to keep up with the younger ones).

[Lady Lauri]

I do plan to keep track of this poll, tho may have to print/save as per keeping track with this brain right now :}

CMch..... part of why I started this was I had to quit the physical, just no way. Tho that job also needed concentration, math, etc. (and that was also hard) it was the physical that made me drop in my 4th week of tx. And I was 'determined' to do part time! I hope you can continue but I think it's wise to prepare yourself if not, and hope for the best.

LadyBug......seriously considering the 16 weeks, shooting for 18-20 but as we had that option, it's getting to be a lot more thought. especially with the no rescue drugs.

Merrybe.......I agree the 1st mth. is hell and had no idea! Not that it's 'okay' now, but in the start I think it just slams your body. Being able to 'piddle work' at home is good, at least feel a bit productive and I keep learning that pushing it puts me down for days (or rather, NEED to get that THRU my head!)
I agree that it's major to take time off, rest, take it easy during tx. It's my advice to all starting tx IF POSSIBLE and I did set myself up with 'it's all about me right now' (sticking with it is hard:} Just makes sense that your so drained, sick and doing normal routine is harmful to your strength, health and stress levels. I compare that I have gone from a hyper, yipping Chihuahua to a sleeping, lazy hound dog! I am staying on the porch!

  I should add a D.) tried to work but Riba rage got me fired, LOL.