I'm one of the people who are still working. As mentioned by Tayla, it's a distraction plus I simply must...

I love the people I work with, they're like family and so supportive. I love my job as well...I help protect the environment while saving people big bucks at the same time. It's very fulfilling for me. My husband also works at the same company, same field.

Being idle just heightens my senses. I try to avoid the pain as best as possible. There are days though, when it get's so bad it's difficult to carry on without having to run to the microwave every half hour to heat up my heat pads! My fingers get so cold they burn, especially when typing, (like right now) It's painful to walk, so that walk to the microwave may help somewhat with my hands, arm and neck but the rest of me hurts...Can't win!

But I'm afraid to go to bed...so here it is almost 2:00 am and I have to be at work for 8:30 am. I'm afraid of the pain that will be there when I have nothing to focus on to avoid it. In a few hours I will try to get out of bed (although my lower back get's stuck), dress a 7 year old, make sure the teens have their lunch money, keys, have something in their tummies and the dogs are fed and walked (my son does that part this winter) then drive an hour to work and spend the entire day trying to focus focus focus! Sometimes I focus so much I forget to go to the bathroom or eat...if I don't move I get pretty stiff so I'm working on all this.

Putting on a straight face or forcing a smile can be difficult at times. I've had some good days though, but lately they are few and far between as I have it in all extremities. I guess full body, including lips and teeth. Everything is difficult to do.

I do all this number one, because I have to...
Financially
Mentally
Physically

We're trying to avoid Foreclosure right now actually. I have to file Chapter 13 because of tenants we had who really took us around the corner to the dump. (Dumped everything we had, even 401K) Financially, I dont see me being able to stop my 12 hour planet saving days! Luckily it's low stress and slow paced and it pays extremely well...

Mentally I was putting off the foreclosure and trying to just survive with every day things while trying to deal with my health, appointments etc. We have all apartments filled and I raised all the rent, but now I have $2000 worth of gas and electric bills which just popped up from December! Does it ever end?????????? I really have to get going as I have until the February 4th until proceedings begin to file. Just trying to get that hefty attorney fee before he can stop it!

Maybe my schedule, financial problems have caused my full body symptoms, not sure...but I just can't stop. Too many people rely on me, too much to take care of which I have to force myself to do. I'm the staple in the family...what would they do without me?

I guess deep down inside, as I feel worse and worse, I realize I may have to give in at some point and surrender if my body stops functioning completely...but until then I just have to try. I desperately try to work around it as much as I can. I spent $86 a CVS getting warm wraps and joint creams this evening. No wonder we're in debt! Last night it was $60 for prescription refills and bandages for my skateboarding, weightlifting son!

Anyways...I hope this explains somewhat why some of us work in spite of it all....


Welcome!