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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Also when should I know if the block worked?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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.