Fibromyalgia Support Group

You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.

4,403 Members
50,143 Posts
2 Online
Muscles & Bones
/ Fibromyalgia Support Group

Work and College and Fibro?

lamps
lamps

Hi guys, its a high pain day so I just need some advice over something some of you may have been through already. I am a college student and to pay for this I work almost full time. My job is very physically demanding, and though the workbooks say "reasonable accomodations for people with disability" I am unsure if I will be given any accomodation. I have told people at my work about my pain but no one seems to care. They are upset with me because I cant do extra things (pick up shifts, lift certain things, go long hours without a break) and I dont know what to do. I have school on top of this but my teachers have been told by Student Accesibility Services that I may need extra absences (sometimes I cant get out of bed). What do I do? I am scared to lose my job. 

twinmomab
twinmomab
I would recommend taking a note from your doctor to your employer. That way it seems more real. It's hard to understand fibromyalgia and that the person is in pain, when you can't physically see it. Get something in writing and this will help. You deserve to be treated equal for your disability. I pray this works and gives them the piece of understanding they needed to realize it is necessary.
Shakota6
Shakota6
Give your doctor a template for her/his letter that states what you want limited, such as no extra shifts, a break every x number of hours, and weight restrictions. This will help your employer with specifics and not treat your needs lightly. You might want to look at the Job Accommodation Network's website. They are a government sponsored org that helps with just these thing. Good luck!
MsRee
MsRee
Have you applied for FMLA at work, so that missing time from work is backed by Dr notes that they had to fill out? It's so sad that our disability is invisible and no believes your limitations. This week has been a high pain week for me and I've been in bed missing work myself but I have FMLA to back me on my time out. I hope you feel better and get the FMLA paperwork done ASAP.
djbritt
djbritt
You have received some good advice. I would recommend follow all of it. I would not worry what the coworkers think. They will not understand unless it happens to them or someone close to them. I know it must be hard on you to do college and work. I would definitely get FMLA papers filed at work along with a letter stating your accommodations. I wish you the best.
Posts You May Be Interested In
  • Community LeaderLeo

    Wednesday Waldenstrom Check-in

    Posted by: Leo
    Last Reply: Leo
    7
    Good day to all.So let me explain why we're discussing this today. The problem is, if your system gets too many (as in produces too many) it's a non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) called Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, and my husband was diagnosed in early 2018.Every monocloncal antibody or protein in your blood is essentially a blank, a slug, as they call coins that have been minted but not...