How's your experiences been at work?
Hello again - I bought this up with my UK community, but interested to see how it compares across the 'pond'.
Over the last year I’d been struggling at work - even with an office based job and I don’t know about you, but I kind of feel that because RA affects so few of us, many people just don’t get what a struggle some days can be like.
At the beginning when I could barely walk, people would see me stagger across the car park and if I’d been sat for more than 30 minutes I’d struggle to stand, then slowly move across the office. I had one guy keep calling me “skippy” and take the mick when he saw me trying to walk. What made it worse would be in the afternoon I’d be walking relatively normally so people would then make comment I “seem OK now” or even worse, they’d be like “have you forgot to limp?” like I’m making it up.
It was all light-hearted stuff, but it does affect you in those moments of reflection. Then of course, during (yet another) course of steroids, I’d appear right as rain.
With some perseverance I eventually engaged with Occupational Health at work - but even then, the adjustments they’d usually make for people with disabilities didn’t really help me - for example I don’t want a comfy chair because I don’t want to seize up from lack of movement! That said, both my boss and LM are well aware now of my morning struggles and have given me leeway in getting ready for work on my worst mornings, along with understanding with the sheer number of medical appointments I need to take - from consultations to blood tests. Nevertheless - I feel like a burden.
And I know people only jest about “having more time off than Clint Eastwood’s safety catch” but it does get you down in those quiet moments.
I’m not too far from retirement so I’m pretty confident this will erase any doubts of me pulling the plug when I hit 57 - but it’s those people in their 20s and 30s with RA who I really feel sorry for.
I posted a video about it but I'm not sure I got all the disability links right for the US and Canada - I'd be grateful if someone could please have a glance over?
I can't post URLs so you'd need to copy and paste the YouTube link into your browser.
https://youtu.be/HAcqvh196a8
