CRPS and working full time
 

I have another question and would like opinions of possible. I have CRPSll in my right leg and foot from knee down. I was dx in August after foot surgery of the cuboid bone. This is where I am now. I had a nerve block and ketamine infusion on Tuesday. Yesterday the nerve pain was a little worse than before surgery. Today so far I feel a lil better.
My question is. I am a pit boss in a casino. I am only working 3 days a week right now but I'm sitting box (a sit down procedure at the dice table). They will not let me do this much longer. Soon they will say I will have to be able to stand to do my job or quit.
Do y'all think I will be able to jump in head first and do this? Will I hurt myself more standing for 8 hours? I really don't know what to do.


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Also when should I know if the block worked?


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This is my two cents.....no one but you knows your level of pain with standing.....my share is this; I had an injury, surgically, to my leg. I was prescribed leg braces....but haven't found the right fit....my leg/ foot would have the calf pain, curling toes, turnic feeling etc....one day years later....my ankle just broke...I was walking and I went down like a sack of potatoes. I never had the blocks etc.....why my ankle, which I was careful to rest etc when the pain was insane....I dunno.
Standing that long can cause a normal person problems....I just saw an article about sitting and or standing too long at the office cause health issues.
I can't walk long distances without feeling some weird weakness to sever pain.
You are at a cross road only you can walk. But knowledge is powerful. I wish I could say one way or the other :hug:

You might want to look into filing a FMLA claim and/or making an ADA claim that you need to be accommodated due to your disability. --Others will know how to go about this.

One of the jobs that you might consider long term if you're fine sitting and they can't/won't accommodate you is a being a Security Monitor in the/a casino.

Your ability to stand for any length of time is all dependent on you. How well you can tolerate the pain, your ability to work through pt and if your doctors can get you to a point that you feel comfortable enough to stand for that long. For many of us here, standing for 8 hours is an unrealistic goal, myself included, but only time will tell.

I do not know how the employment laws are down in Louisiana, but up here in Michigan, your employer must make every attempt to find a position for you if you become disabled and are unable to do the duties of your previous position. Here in Detroit, casinos are unionized. Are they down there? If you do belong to a union, perhaps discussing it with your representative would be the thing to do. If you are not and you like your job, do not quit. Your employer can ask you to quit but can not fire you if you are making every reasonable effort to fulfill the tasks given to you, otherwise there are too many legal implications that they could potentially be faced with.

Standing too long is what ultimately did me in. I was working 3 days a week light duty which was painful, but doable. Then I was switched to 2 days a week to shifts which forced me to be on my feet for long stretches. After a month of this "easy" schedule I could barely walk. To be fair I had yet to be diagnosed with CRPS when my bosses disregarded the advice of the WC doctor to keep me on light duty.

Please heed PF's advice do not quit. But be aware they do not have to accommodate you under ADA if it would cause them a hardship. My city refused to accommodate me, citing low staffing issues.

I work full time as a retail manager at a big box retail store...which means lots of walking, standing, etc. They tried to fire me and I filed a charge of disability discrimination against them. The reasonable accommodations I requested were to use my rollator (4 wheeled walker with a seat), be able to wear gym shoes, and to be able to wear gloves and scarves as needed. My CRPS is in my entire left leg and has spread almost full body (which is why I need the gloves and scarves...to protect those areas from cold and air movements). I won my charge of discrimination and my employer had to bring me back. None of my requested accommodations cause any sort of undue hardship on my employer. I have been working the past 3 years full time since they attempted to fire me.

Only you know your limits and what will help you to do your job. If something like a rollator would help...maybe that's a possible solution. For me, it means I have a place to sit whenever I need and when I have to stand it takes a lot of weight off my leg (I can also kneel on it when needed). I don't know if that will help you...but my advice is to think about what WOULD help you to work full shifts and still do your job if that's what you want. Think about the solution...not the problem. Try different things to see what helps. My pain levels still are awful by the end of each day but I could never last so long without using the walker...so it's worth the frustration and the hit to my ego to use it.

And if you don't roll over and let them just push you out, they'll get more creative in finding a job that will work.

If the pay for a Security Monitor is the same or better than you're making now, it would seem like that would be an ideal fit for you.

You do need to put your request for accommodations in writing to protect yourself: http://www.workforce.com/blogs/3-the...-under-the-ada

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encycloped...mmodation.html

http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/accommodation.html

First I want to thank everyone for helpful advice. I have exhausted all of my Fmla for this year. I also am on the accommodations for Ada now. This is how I'm working 3 days a week and still full time. I know they won't let me do this forever. Surveylance or security would be a serious pay cut. But if it's all I can do then I will see.
I did have to literally throw the Ada at them because they had me out of the door with their hands on my back and I just pushed them down and said. I don't think so. Lol
I will keep y'all all posted sad thing is that my managers will work with me HR is what is giving me problems. Uuugggh. The corporate world. No offense anyone.


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Hello. From personal experience, you should know immediately if a nerve block worked, if it was similar to what I had done when I was first diagnosed with RSD. I had Stellate Ganglion Nerve Blocks, I actually was pain free after the first one for days!!!! Then, the blocks were less successful. I wish you the best and hope they work for you.

(((((( Julie )))))
 

There's some great advice here.

LITLOVE is correct, you must make your accommodations request in writing and before they let you go.

Does your state have a Legal Aid division?
Does your state have a Disability Law Project?
Does your state have a Human Rights Commission?
Does your state have an Independent Living Organization?
(Some of the Independent Living Orgs have caseworkers able to advise you on local supportive services re: Federal ADA regulations.)

These are some of the agencies which may be able to help you.

I admire your willingness to continue working and your perseverance with your employer. An advocate may help, less stress on you.

I hope you achieve whatever is in your best interest.

:hug:

DejaVu

Newbie here, how do I post??
 

Hello all, for the life of me I cannot figure out how to post a new message or thread? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!:)

Hi there.

You're doing fine. You just posted this one above and you have 2 other posts as well. You can find your other posts by clicking on your name and Find more posts by .... . You can also go to your Profile page and check in Statistics.

If you wish to make a new thread, you'll find a button that says New Thread at the top left of all the threads on the main page of this forum which is Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD and CRPS) Forum

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/ne...newthread&f=21

Here is the FAQ below. It explains how to use the forums and how to read and post messages.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/faq.php

Let us know if you need more help but you seem to be posting fine.

You should know within 1-3 days if the block worked. Albeit the soreness, you should feel less pain or no pain of it was successful. As far as working full-time and standing up for eight hours, that's something only you would know if you can pull off. I was being forced out of my job last year by HR and my co-teacher after coming back from six months off work from having knee surgery/rehab/initial blocks. My RSD spread to my leg within a couple days of surgery and I was out for six months and had exhausted all my FMLA. I went back to work for about five days then had to leave again because my father passed away, and when I returned they made my life a living hell in hopes that I would quit. I stayed and tougher it out until December, and as soon as the job offer came in that I had previously applied/interviewed for in November, I gave the principal a five day notice and got out of there. It was definitely a blessing because I was on my feet eight hours a day chasing special education students with a knee brace on and I was still using one crutch at the time for partial weight-bearing, and the principal and co-teacher did not care that I was still under restrictions from ortho and still in rehab.

My new job entailed a desk position where I could elevate my leg to help with swelling, and sit down for the majority of the day, and only includes short walks around the clinic To pick up/drop off paperwork when I'm finished with it. It works perfectly for me because I'm sitting most of the day, and get the opportunity to stand up and walk around to stretch my legs out without overdoing it and causing further irritation to my left leg and knee. There's no way at this point in my recovery that I could stand for eight hours a day as this monster has invaded my leg and is spreading into my hip and my leg swells and becomes discolored and severely inflamed after standing for about 20 minutes. I do believe standing for long periods of time at my old job did contribute to my CRPS becoming worse, so I would not advise it but it is ultimately up to you and what your body can handle. You've gotten some great advice here on how to deal with HR and maybe changing positions at work can help you out. I Wish you the best of luck, and hope things work out for you!