Just curious if any of you have found a job while dealing with your illness. Did you disclose your medical condition? Did you request any special accommodations? Does one have to be “certified” (or whatever the term is) as officially disabled in order to request special accommodations?
I don’t think I’d last very long if I were to work in an office again. I might be able to work half time if I could completely control my environment, from the lighting, the sound levels, the views, the computer used… But who would hire me with that list of needs?
If I could work at home, I could probably put in 40 hours a week, if I had the full 168 hours in the week to perform the work. Haven’t had any luck finding those jobs.
I’m stuck, I really need to work again but can’t, and if I try I don’t know how to go about it. I’m scared because I was forced to quit my last good job during the time my condition started and I didn’t know what was going on. I got my supervisor to approve a cover to put over my cubicle to keep the blinding light from the skylight from blinding me and setting my head off. The “higher powers that be” ordered for me to take it down… they never even asked why I needed it. Then I was put into a dark corner, which was just as bad if not worse than the bright lights. That was such a nightmare.
I think the ability to work full time might have a lot to do with how dizzy someone is with this. While I get a ton of headaches, head fog, gut problems (trialling meds), and sometimes anxiety, I can usually still work around these things. However, if I get hit hard with dizziness, it can make things impossible I know. I can’t use a computer when it really goes off. Fortunately my dizzy spells are short-lived usually or I can take them out with valium. I really sympathise with someone who has a dizziness component with this 24/7. When I first had VN, I had exactly that and couldn’t do any work on my thesis for about 9 months.
I’m not sure what to recommend but would hope that you can find something to kill the dizziness – is that what you mean by “setting you off”? Is that the main factor holding you back do you think?
Agreed. I have worked throughout my dizziness, apart from a 4 month period of work in the 1st year. I do find it extremly difficult as I have dizziness 24/7, but somehow I manage to push on. I dont know how, but I do.
I’m off work this year travelling ( which is almost as hard work!), and am quite anxious about getting a job when I get back as I’m not sure how well I will be.
Scott - didn’t realise you have little dizziness with this. Thats great news - fancy trading symptoms for a while?! :lol:
Hi Luke - it goes through phases. At the moment dizziness is not a big deal. Other times it’s a major deal but comes in bouts lasting hours at a time then stops followed by screaming headaches. I haven’t had all day dizz for some time now (knock on wood). Most days there’s periods of dysequilibrium though … sort of like I’ve had too much wine. One thing’s for sure: it’s always changing from day to day.
I have 24/7 dizziness and I do work as well as study philosophy. It’s quite hard cause I do feel compromised intellectually by brainfog some days, and my memory is always a bit crap; but my dizziness is not going to stop me from living as best I can…
I also moved out from my parents after the first few months of this crap; so I had to get a job.