How has thyroid disease affected your job / career choice? (school too)

[LazyMoose]

Just a general but important topic for those that still have symptoms. The several variations of this disease and disorder can change your life. Several here have been on a new job / career search lately as well - what made me think of this post.

Its different for different people, with their major symptoms varying from person to person. Some need to change jobs, some lose them (fired or leave on their own)  from limitations brought on by thyroid. Stressful 'people' jobs dont go well with brain fog. Physical jobs can be greatly effected from muscle / nerve pain. Of course energy levels are a big thing, but you do what you have to do to get by. Jobs with flex time (long lunch) are the best. Very strict companies with a lot of rules are by far the worst in my experience. And Toxic bosses.......dont get me started, round em up on a boat and ___________ (fill in the blank).

I have a feeling there are many of us that know we cant do our dream job because of continuing thyroid symptoms.

Good to hear what people say - for everyone that needs to work, this can be a hurdle. If you dont need to work, you are blessed - don't ever, ever, forget that.

***On the positive side, its good for all to hear from people that adapted to a better job that works well for them.***

**Never seen a particular post on this in particular, but it dose come up in individual posts from people - so type away (if your carple tunnel is not bothering you at the moment)!**

LM

[optomisticmomma]

Hello, reading your post.  what made you stop driving long distance?  Do you have a thyroid condition?

Thanks,
Rosa

[Smilerdeb]

Good on you Tamra...it does take time and it does 'knock you for six' but you will do it !

[TamraW]

I quit my job as a high school teacher five years ago to take care of my little one. That was part of the reason. The other reason was that I was just too tired to teach and be a mom. I had thought it was new motherhood fatigue, but it slowly became worse. I didn't get my Hashi diagnosis until last August. Now that my levels are up, the fatigue isn't as bad, but I still need a daily nap. My new doc suspects low adrenals. After I get those back in shape and my detox of my gut, I'm hoping to go back to teaching in 2011. :) Tamra

[Smilerdeb]

***  Having limitations in job choices due to thyroid really gets to me at times.*****

Yes you are right there....... thyroid illness DOES limit our choices in woork on what we can handle and what we cant.

Hashi suffereres tend to be lethargic, sleepy ect whereas Graves sufferers live 'on the edge'. There were times when I felt I was sitting on a razor blade as the anxiety was so bad.

Its not been easy...absolute he// prior to RAI but 18 months later I am getting my life back on track realising and ACCEPTING my limitations.
I think that is one of the keys to wellness.
Acceptance.

You can go through life thinking that you are super human but come down with a thump when you find out your not.
ACCEPT the way you are and ACCEPT the limitations.

I can now work but ACCEPT that I cant work full time like I used too.

Great Posting and great answers!  

[LazyMoose]

So you have been through it. Back when all that happened, it did effect your job somehow, what this post is about. People don't perform 100% when their body isn't working 100%.

I imagine a lot of people with desk jobs just about nod off or feel to wired - Hashi vs Graves.

And someone with a driving job, cant do that when severely hypo.

With physical jobs , the muscle aches and pains bring on limitations, know doubt. Some may have to change jobs for that reason. Whether it be back pain limiting lifting and standing, carpel tunnel limiting computer use ect.

My career has variety day to day, sit , stand, walk, computer ect - I need it to be that way, hard to find also. But I had to get a stronger pair of reading glasses last month when my tsh was 58 , because I need to see small detailed pieces of things and I couldn't during that period. And my carpel tunnel came back - getting better though.

For some, not all symptoms go away, if you were undiagnosed for years. There would be plenty of more career choices for some of us if we were completely symptom free - I am one of them. I guess I am talking about jobs that don't necessarily involve mostly desk time - I did that in the past, too sleepy, to much sitting for me.

Life is too short to do one thing for a living,  w  i  d  e  variety is the key to life.  Having limitations in job choices due to thyroid really gets to me at times.

[dawnangela]

No offense taken Totie, And when i read my post again i could of worded it different, I also did not mean to offend you, you of course have suffered as well, we are all different in how we Handel our illness..