I was a teacher, and my accommodation started with cutting back to 60% and having 2 days of to rest. I worked the first year, but the second I had to go on full time disability.

What kind of meds are you on? If they are not controlling the RA, and you have not tried stronger ones, maybe it is your rheumy you should be pushing, not the school. I wish I had done that, but I couldn't get a rheumy to give me a diagnosis in my first years, because I was sero-negative.

Angela-Did you have 2 days off every week?

I am currently on Mthx, Humira, and Celebrex. I plan to ask tomorrow if we need to try something else. But I also wonder if I am pushing myself too much? I tend to do that. I always have even before RA diagnosis.

Yes, two days off a week. With disability.

I have heard that most people with RA are Type A. That means pushing yourself all the time, too much. Teachers are also renowned for that quality. Otherwise you would get so far behind, you would never catch up, is my memory.

THat's exactly how I feel. I can't keep up with the demands. I keep taking longer and longer to get tasks done. It i taking time away from my husband and two kids. I can hardly get anything done at home anymore. I just don't feel its fair to my family. I guess I am just trying to figure out whats best. Which is the hard part.

Hi Kelly,
I, too, was a teacher. It amazes me how many teachers and nurses are on this site - maybe it is that both push themselves. However, I had been retired for two years when RA was dx. I can only imagine how difficult it is to be teaching, looking after your family and home and dealing with RA.
So, no advice from me, just hope you are able to decide what is best for you. Good luck with both your appointments. Please let us know how you get on.
Hugs (gentle ones)

I also teach. I have a split shift, meaning that I teach M-F from 8-2 and M/W from 6-10 p.m. I asked to be taken out of lecture classes from 8-10 p.m. because I was just getting too tired to handle it. I now have a computer lab class, which allows me to sit (sometimes) and not have to be "on" -- meaning that if I'm tired I can relax and not have to do much besides just be there for my students.

Don't be afraid to ask for accommodations. they are yours by law.

I taught kindergarten. Looking back at that time, I am sure I was having RA fatigue. I could not keep up. I barely made it thru that last month of class. At the time I assumed my fatigue and malaise were side effects of my type A personality and practically raising my 5 kids alone since hubby was never home at that time.
Hope you get this worked out. I totally understand.

Thanks ladies for all your input! I had a great appointment with my rhuemy and I have to say I am very thankful for him. He filled out my FMLA right there and then. We decided to go to a 4 day work schedule. I will now have every Wednesday off. I won't be working more than 2 days at a time. I am hopeful that this will help me out. Now I just hope the pay cut will be ok! My hubby says it's going to be fine, but I still worry. Even though I try not to!

Hi Kelly, good post. My last supervisor ordered a contoured pillow for the back of my chair and a special keyboard for my computer. I still use the pillow for my back where I am currently working. The keyboard is too big for my area. We were allowed with my last supervisor to order big pens for myself for comfort. I do have a family medical leave form in which about 5 years ago my current supervisor encouraged me to put in place. This is to protect me when I have to call in due to illness, be out to go to my many doctor's appointments, or work half days due to appts.

A four day work week is great. I am a nurse and work Mon.- Fri 9am -5:30pm and some days I can barely get through the week. With the fatigue,, aches and pains it is difficult, especially with this ever changing weather on the east coast and becoming cold. Great that you got that FMLA in, and wonderful that you will be working a four day week. I have proposed to my supervisor for some of he nurses to do a 10 hour four day a week. We cannot take a day out of the week unless we use our own time. Great for you!

hi kelly, i am a nurse. and push myself way too much. i just had to leave a full time job in the ER because it was too much. but even on a good day, i deal with so much fatigue. i know to qualify for FMLA you have to have been with an employer for a whole year. i don't know anyone with RA as active as mine that works as a nurse. But it takes an act of god to be officially disabled, and then you loose so much of your income. I am not sure how you can win with this battle. my only advise, take care of your self, your joints, and your mental health, because nobody else will do it for you. and when you come to a breaking point, which i recently did, nobody is really looking out for your best interest. so treat yourself well, and do the best you can.

Hi there, I work as a continuing care assistant and I had to cut my hours back aswell. I work 4 days a week and I could never do more than that again, it is just too much. I find after working two days I can do nothing on my days off. I am really starting to see just how unfair RA is. You suffer in silence it seems cause nobody really understands it unless they have it. I also struggle with guilt. I force myself to go to work when I am bad because I feel to guilty to call in sick. I know they are short staffed and so instead of looking out for me I cry the whole way to work and then go in pretending as best I can that I am okay. Anyways I guess we all just have to keep pushing on. I also have two children so when I get home I feel guilty as well cause I cant do all the things a mom should do. Good luck finding a solution to this problem, please let me know if you have any good tips. By the way what is FMLA?

I too am a RN and I am struggling. My family depends on my income, we cant make it on disability. I work 3 12hour shifts a week. my rheumy has told me I have to stop, but I dont have any options. My days off are spend in agony. My disease is not under control at all and I have another appt on december 9th, but the office is so busy that I cannot get in to see her before then. It is wonderful to hear that things are working out for you. I hope that the reduced hours help you with your disease and you feel much better soon!

trs 1977- FMLA stands for Family Medical Leave Act. I am not sure where you are at, but here in the USA the FMLA is to protect people with illness from losing their job. I can take up to 60 days off in a 12 month period and they can't fire me for it. I still have to use my sick time, but at least I won't use my job.

nickalena- I'm sorry to hear about you having to quit your job. Honestly, I was feeling I was at the same point. I thought I was going to not be able to teach anymore. I just didn't think there could be any accomodations made in the education field. Thankfully I was wrong! I love my job, but boy is it ever demanding! This week will be my first 4 day week and I am hoping that this really does help. Now I just have to make sure I rest and not do too much.

I worry about my students, but at the same time I need to be well so I can be there with them! I have a really tough class this year, but they are making strides in behavior and learning!

My rheumy gave me some advice. He said that I need to do what is "good enough." To ask myself is this "good enough" and I need to be ok with it. I need to pace myself even if it is hard. SO, thats what I am working on! Having RA and needing to work is really tough!

I don't even know what I would make on disability, but I don't feel that I "deserve" it. Sounds a little weird, but I guess I imagine there are other people that need it way more than I do; even though I struggle to get through everyday tasks. I don't know the right answer to any of this, but I am going to keep trying. Especially for ALL my kids; personal and at school.

I was a substitute for 10 years. Then I got RA and had to cut back alot. I got sick alot too, from the Kids.School is a very germy place.
I started enbrel and gor alot better, but the germ issue continued. he Cold and upper Resperitory would linger too long.
started at Kohls August and love it. I get about 26 Hr. a week sometimes less sometimes a little more. I always get off in between working 3 or 4 days. That gives me time to rest and catch up on home chores. It was hard at first, standing so long, but now I am used to it.