Disability begins...

[Guest guest]

Well, I want to thank everyone who responds to my posts. It's been a

great help to have a place to turn to for feedback from people who are

experiencing the same sorts of things I am.

I will have to research MSM a little more. Doesn't sound like a

miracle supplement to me--yet.

Well, I have been talking about my foot problems (and my eye problems)

and I have decided to go on disability. I have a policy from AFLAC

through work and I can go out for up to 12 months. I have had the

last five days off in order to try and " heal " and feel better overall.

It hasn't helped. I am still in the wheelchair--but I am working my

way out of it--it's just a slow process--I can't jump up one day and

say I'm all better. And now my other eye has flared up and is a ball

of pain in my head. My Reiter's is apparently out of control at the

moment and living alone in a house with no reliable transportation and

trying to take care of myself, my pets, the house, shoveling,

shopping, cooking, etc is proving to be too much for me right now. If

I add being gone for 12 hrs per day for work, I have no time for extra

rest and for all the rehabilitation excercises I am supposed to do. I

get more " homework " every visit from my PT. I am dog tired, have

pimples all over my face like I haven't had since high school, am

having depression and anger outbursts daily and at work, I was falling

way behind anyway because of the chair and my pain. And sorry to the

men, but my monthly " cycle " has also decided to stop. I am a mess.

Now, I am supposed to be working my way out of the wheelchair at this

point, and I am, but if I go back to work, I will fall even further

behind, get more stressed, skip more meals at home and possibly have

more flare ups in my body. So, I am hoping my podiatrist will be

willing to put me out on disability because I have an appointment with

him tomorrow. Trying to get in to see my rheaumatologist is

ridiculous. He's always booked a month or more out. I have a

message into him to try and get in sooner, but sooner might still be 2

weeks away.

I hope I am making the right decision. I really feel I am. I will

either hurt myself or even off myself if I continue this way. I just

fell backwards in my wheelchair in the kitchen. Trying to lean back to

get over a bump and I went too far and couldn't stop. Managed not to

hit my head but banged up my leg and arm. My main worry is that the

doctor will say he'd rather my rheumy sign those papers and my rheumy

can't see me for a couple weeks and then he decides I don't need the

disability and I've been off work for three weeks by that point with

no pay. It's very frightening.

Thanks to whoever took the time to read this whole thing.