To think I will probably need to change my career due to health?

[Aryaneedle]

AIBU? Am I thinking catastrophically? I am prone to doing so.
So not to drip feed here are my circumstances:

I work FT as a social worker in a holistic early intervention team. So I'm not focussed on safeguarding but we cover any 'risk' to children that isn't S47 (immediate risk of sig harm). My caseload is about 18 families at the moment.

I have stage 4 endometriosis and adenomyosis. I'm 40. I've got 3 children. I live with my (extremely supportive) partner but we are financially independent. I own my house, he's basically a lodger and pays me a set amount per month for bills and 'rent'. We have a financial agreement in place as I was physically and financially abused in my marriage and bought my house alone and it was hard won. We may buy a house together when my eldest goes to university in 2 years but we are happy with current arrangements.

I have 10k of debt that includes a 5k loan salary sacrificed, that I had use to repay my parents part of my house deposit that they gifted me - my self employed dad then got cancer and I couldn't see them struggle. The other 5k is my masters loan and credit card.

So to my question: I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis on Friday. It was a huge shock. I thought I was just run down and tired and peri menopausal.

I am panicking. I am currently doing a family therapy qualification. Finish in March. I'm not going to be able to be a social worker with two chronic diseases am I? The high caseload, stress and travel is going to be really hard isn't it? What can I do instead? Any ideas? Thanks for reading this emotional vomit.

Self refer in to occupational health. They can help to suggest reasonable adjustments at work eg desk assessments, ergonomic support, change in duties etc. They maybe able to offer additional support in terms of therapy’s etc. Def worth having a chat.

I'm with Occ Health, I get 10 days long term condition sickness that doesn't impact on my record etc. I'll speak to them tomorrow.

It's more the movement that I'm worried about. I'm in and out of the office all day and drive a lot. Maybe I'm over thinking the impact this will have? I have very little understanding of RA.

I'm a neonatal nurse on my feet for 13 hour shifts and have stage 4 endo, 3 toddlers and rheumatoid arthritis. I have allowances for more sick days and I have crap attendance but I see no reason to leave. There's too many people in the RA groups who lie in bed all day and I honestly think it makes you worse, I just carry on with my life and make adjustments if needed.

Ghostoast - amazing! Thank you. That was exactly what I needed to read. My identity is so enmeshed with my job, I'm terrified of losing it.

If I can be sure that I'm not going to end up crippled (my biggest fear) I'd like to keep my life as it is. I swim 3/4 times a week and I think if I continue this it can only be good for me.

How do you manage pain? I'm fine with naproxen for my endo but the stinging in my joints didn't respond to it last week so I am hope the rheumatologist will come up with something.

You're being very dramatic but I do get it. I was diagnosed with arthritis at 40 while working as a ward sister. I had one episode of sickness then as my wrist was so inflammed I couldn't do my job or drive. That was 5 years ago, I've been on DMARDs since then and I've been fine. The odd twinge and I struggle to get lids off etc but on the whole I manage well, I'm not in the same job but I'm still nursing.
Wait and see what rheumatology and icc health say but dont panic yet

Can you not do a desk based duty role? Triaging referrals etc? Social work is such a varied career hopefully there will be something you can do.
Or surely as a family therapist people would come to you for appointments so there wouldn’t be travel?

Could you arrange your case load for two days of visits, two days of contact write ups plus paperwork and cut down from 5 days to 4?

I don’t think you’re being dramatic. You have a job that lots of people with great physical and mental health would leave due to the pressures and problems.

Suggest prioritising your health whilst in the job in the short term, and investigating other options. You don’t need to make any big decisions now.

Move over to a therapy role. And go part time if you can? Yes that type of social work isn't good even for people who are 100percent fit. Even without health issues you can burn out.

fizzy financially I don't think I have that room but the 4 day thing would work.

The job is stressful due to how varied it is but it's also great.

My supervisor is an ex nurse and has been fab re the endo so I know she will be supportive but it's attendance I'm worrying about tbh. I already feel guilty about the 6 days off I've had. I don't want to let the team down by being off sick a lot as they pick up the work.

What I've read about RA online sounds like a bloody nightmare so I need to hear from people who have got it as I think reading online is just from people who are struggling with it.

Baby I had my eye on a therapy role. I think if I could go into a school or college, where I'm based in one place all day, that may be help?

I have stage 4 endo and adenomyosis plus EDS amd I cant work. Tbh we can’t afford for me to work atm anyway as childcare would be a lot but even if we could I wouldn’t be capable

I don't have RA but my old boss was on a drug regime for hers and managed a full time, stressful (desk) job with a long commute and being a carer to her husband. I'd try to take things as they come and not make any rash decisions yet. Best of luck.

Can you do local referrals and/or use public transport rather than drive? Depends if you’re rural or city-based.

Would some sort of voice to text software help rather than typing up case notes? (I work in a social work dept and we have access to software that can do this).

Will the endo improve when you hit menopause? I’m afraid I don’t know much about it, so I’m sorry if that’s a stupid question.

They have a duty to you too - and given the sickness figures/difficulty of recruiting in our LA, they will be glad just to have you there at all, even if it’s part time or whatever!

Don’t panic yet. The rheumatologists will help you, and work will make reasonable adjustments etc. I don’t see why you shouldn’t keep working if you want to.

The other option is applying for strategic roles or whatever desk-based jobs there are - or asking to be moved into one because of your health. They ought to accommodate this - we’ve currently got someone in our team who has been assigned to us for 6 months because he had been signed off from his operational role due to stress/mental health issues.

Hi, really sorry you’ve had this RA diagnosis on top of the endometriosis. I don’t much experience of RA tho I do have two friends who have it and they both work. One friend manages it with diet and the other has had a chemo like drug and is on a maintenance drug.
I think the most common reaction when you get a new diagnosis is to panic and think this is the end of your life as you know it and certainly, in my experience, you have to make adjustments, learn massive amounts about your new condition but hopefully you can keep going.
In the short term, try not to panic, focus on what you need to do tomorrow and how you will manage that and what help you might need and, if you are on Facebook, join a closed group for people with RA as you will get lots of advice on there about what the treatments are like and what help is available. Is there an RA charity? They might have message boards and info.
Good luck! I know this is the last thing anyone needs before Christmas but I’m sure you’ll be able to manage much more than you can ever imagine at the moment. 💐💐💐

I was diagnosed with RA last year but apart from the occasional flare have been largely unaffected by the diagnosis. See how you go RA has a big range from minor stiffness and tiredness to complete incapacity. With the right treatment if you’ve been diagnosed early you’ll likely be fine most days.

I’m a full time teacher with RA. To be honest the medications are so good now that pre-diagnosis may be the worst you feel. Good luck!

My best friend was diagnosed with RA in her teens. She's now in her mid-50s and lives a perfectly normal life. She does yoga and swims a lot and says developments in drugs means she's more comfortable than she was 20 years ago. She does get quite fatigued though.

Hello, I’ve name changed as this is a very specific scenario. I am a single mum, have RA and other health problems. Firstly, I’m sorry to hear of your diagnosis. I know it’s a shock but it’s also a very treatable condition these days. Hang in there, it really isn’t all hopeless. There are many drugs out there. I’ve had RA since I was quite young and even in those years, the drugs have massively improved.

I’m a social worker in a very fast paced setting but for adults. I actually left my previous career due to RA as it was too physically active and found it much easier as a SW. Having a supportive supervisor is a really great tool. You don’t need to give up work, you do need to be flexible and think about what you can do and what you need more help with.

I would recommend looking at/doing the following; self refer to Access to work (lifesaver for me!), contacting the National RA Society nras.org.uk who have the most amazing helpline and ask work to refer you to Occ Health.

Hope this helps. x

Thanks ever so much RAandSW that's really helpful. It's the drugs that I'm worried about as I only take pain relief for endo as that's all there is available and I've only just sorted out the right dosage.

My diet and lifestyle is completely adjusted for the endo/adeno too so I'm hoping that gives me a good baseline health IYSWIM.

I think I'm just reeling a bit and because I have this debt to pay off not working isn't an option so was panicking but the responses on here have given me hope

Remember that on RA forums those posting are usually the ones in despair. Those who feel well have no reason to seek reassurance on the internet, they are too busy leading full and varied lives.

I have RA. Prediagnosis was the worst point. A few initial drug regimes weren't brilliant but now I'm settled im really not too bad a lot of the time. IM steroid injections whilst not wonderful for overall health in the long term can really help you to get over the hump if you are really struggling.

My only advice with regard to medication is that if you know you are having side effects quite early on don't let the drs bully you into staying on them. For me methotrexate was awful yet I stayed on it for 2 years because the dr said so (" its only making you sick 5 days a week then you have 2 days to feel the benefit of less ra pain"). I didn't have the energy to fight with him.
Yet my friend is on it, her RA is in remission and she has no side effects at all. So it varies.

I would put in place as much help at home as you can and see what else occupational health at work can come up with. You've worked hard for your career it shouldn't have to end because of the shock of this diagnosis which may be managed well.

Is there any option for a short career break until you can get on a steady course of treatment. Although most drugs do take 3-6 months to be fully effective.

Keeping active, swimming, Pilates, yoga even chair exercises if that's all you can manage will help.

Don't make decisions in a state of panic. As mentioned, go to occy health. I definitely don't see why arthritis would stop you practicing family therapy. You may need to shift role a bit but not necessarily change career. Part of the benefit of public sector working is support when you do become ill etc.