Working and copd

[mk]

all, hope this finds everyone well and enjoying a wonderful day.  I have been recently diagnosed by my gp with copd/bronchiectasis after being sick continuously for over 6 months.  I am finally on medication that is helping and am awaiting an appointment with a respiratory dr. next month so I can learn more about this and how to live and function and be as healthy as I can be with this crappy chronic disease.  I've done some online reading (being careful, the internet is no replacement for actual real medical advice and info of course) and it's been informative and helpful to a great degree, although I am wondering how does this chronic ailment affect workability?  Before I continue, I'm young, only 52, and am still needing to work and wanting to work.  How many people out there have been diagnosed with this and are able to continue working?  At what?  I used to work in Home Depot in the paint dept. before I was diagnosed.  It was when I was becoming sick and couldn't fight off anything and was constantly battling something they thought was pneumonia that wasn't going away.  I was constantly coughing, to the point I couldn't talk.  Walking, any activity, talking, anything would send me into a constant coughing fit that I just couldn't control.  My medication is now helping with that thankfully, but I'm wondering about what type of work and environment I could get back into with the cough issue being in the forefront.  It has not totally gone away, I of course have better days where I hardly cough, but that being said, it's never completely gone.  I am just wondering what type of work many of you are in that you've been able to maintain your position and not have your symptoms wreak havoc on you in your work environment.  When I start coughing in public most times people are giving me the evil eye look and are trying to move further away from me until I tell them it's chronic, not contagious.  That's when I get the sympathy!    I'm seriously considering getting a t-shirt printed with that message on it as a preemptive strike!
Thank you for any and all information you are able to post, I do appreciate it.  Have a good day!

[gnott]

That’s tough to answer. [First off - this is only MHO – feel free to ignore.] You might as well get used to that – nobody giving you a straight answer (Smile), while there are generalities with COPD, we are ALL DIFFERENT. Different stages, different medications, different secondary issues, different lifestyles, different climates … on and on it goes. So what follows is guesses.

Since you have already been out of work for 6 months you might consider SSDI. The pay is lousy, but it may be enough. You are allowed to supplement that income by a small amount of outside employment. And there are certain medical advantages. That is if you are an American citizen.

You will probably need to leave the “paint department” at some point if not already. It isn’t the paint so much as all the extra supplies and chemicals – some will take you to your knees with the slightness whiff. (One of the joys of a chronic lung disease.) The other problem you will run into is the difficulty of maintaining a reliable schedule. You will have good days, and bad days, and often not a real clue why. That tends to annoy employers. (Smile)

But, you are just now recovering, getting used to your medications, and probably making some changes to your diet and activities. Give it some time. Too soon to Panic, yet. (Smile) Look around. There are always some opportunities, I just don’t feel it will be with “paint”.

[jarca]

It is kind of an individual decision that you will have to weigh the pro's & con's on you condition. You don't state what stage of the disease you are at.
This dx is progressive so a person may be able to work at one stage & not another.
Personally, what stood out to me is that you work with the public.
As I progressed and through many illnesses I started avoiding public places that people went to when they were sick.
(especially in the winter when diseases seem more prevalent)
I get my flu vaccine every year & have had the pnuemonia vaccines. I have never gotten pnuemonia (knock on wood), but in the winter my dr has now told me to stay away from certain places that many people go to sick. (winter seems worse for diseases than summer)
I live in a small town, with only 1 store that has the best prices so most people go there to shop. It seems I end up in an exacerbation within 2 weeks max if I go into that store in the winter. So I now do much of my shopping (in the winter) at the more expensive store & also i've learned to shop online for many of my needs.
I also belong to a "social" group, but after many times of people coming in sick, I have quit going there in the winter also.
I look back at the times I went to work or shopping when I sick, never thinking how I was exposing others to my illness. I feel horrible about that now that I understand how a simple "bug" can bring a person like me to my deathbed.

Of course, each time I get sick I lose more lung function that I can never gain back. I am dreading winter coming & the isolation that comes with it.
I am blessed with wonderful family & the friends that still come around all understand & stay away from me if they are ill.
I can't avoid every bug, but I am much more aware of them now days (my PCP that does my medications has to see me, but he is VERY aware of this disease & does all possible to keep me from being exposed when I have to go to him.
I also carry hand sanatizer & wipes when I do have to go out & even have masks to wear if needed.

As gnott mentioned; I do live on a very meager income due to my having to take my SSI early in disability form, but the time came that I had to realize that I wouldn't be a reliable employee due to illnesses and that would end up in my losing jobs & having nothing if I didn't go on disability.

[gnott]

Like to second that Jarca. Wish I had remembered to say it - YES working with the public is something anyone with COPD will have to avoid at some point. I have grandchildren in the house, I often went to movies, games, weddings, etc. when first diagnosis and a few years after until I began to notice I was catching everything that was going around. In reality only "minor colds", but nothing is minor with COPD. Ha.

So I stopped hugging kids, going to school events, movies, crowded restaurants, large family events or dinners, etc. Sad, but the "colds" stopped. I hear the same story often so I doubt Jarca and I are all that different from most COPD suffers. It is just the way it is going to be.

[gerald]

I did continue working for a few years after I was Diagnosed. It does become more difficult.

If you are going to continue working you will need to try and work as safely as possible. Find a relatively clean environment to work in, one that can accomodate your limitations. If you can handle nightshifts it might be a way to minimize the exposures to masses of people and their illnesses.

It is all a trade off between understanding your disease and trying to maximize your quality of life, now and in the future.

But do keep it in mind, there is a future and you want to be around to enjoy it

[lavishgail]

And I like to third that! I also am on limited funds due to the fact that I can no longer work. So with that being said it is difficult.
I worked with the public to. So I can no longer be with the public anymore !!

I just wish more folks would understand. Thanks.
Gail.

[gnott]

To further amplify for the OP - as the disease progresses, it becomes almost a "double whammy" - as not only are the chances of "catching something" increased because of the number of possible exposures, but as we start taking more and more prescribed medications over longer periods of time - our immune system becomes weaker - making us even more susceptible to catching something minor which has even more impact because ... (fun cycle, huh?) Smile.

Pretty gloomy prognosis, eh? But, if you accept it as one of the many dang (polite) nuances (or more correctly - PITAs) of this <blankly blank> disease, and work around the limitations - you can go on with a reasonable healthy lifestyle for a long time. Living with COPD is a continuing battle with trade-offs and compromises.

[sharon]

Hi, you need to get with a pulmonary doc and do a pulmonary function test. this will tell you how bad the copd is. I kept working for a few years until I knew I could not do anymore because of shortness of breath, and getting bronchitis often. If you smoke now is time to quit. The pumonary doc can tell you if you qualify for ssdi, by your pulmonary function tests numbers, which you need to ask to have it explained to you. Working depends on how well you are doing and how you feel. I would get away from the paint, and find a job away from public.
Hope all our suggestions help.

[sharon]

In copd news ans other info part in the forum better explaines it about what SSDI needs...
US: COPD and Disability: Is COPD a Work Disability?


Read more: philns.proboards.com/board/33/where-new-news-infomation#ixzz4JsPb3BJ8

[gnott]

If one wants to investigate SSDI - it is obvious the more information have about the "requirements" the better. However, it is a big mistake to use any source as the last word in whether you currently qualify or not, or whether you can eventually get SSDI. Or in other words – don’t use any such sources to talk yourself out of applying. A simple fact is that not all SS offices or the personnel in them will treat all claims and rules equally. If you have been out of work for 6 months and having trouble finding or keeping employment because of a chronic medical problem you are likely eligible.

Discuss the situation with your doctor/s. Accumulate all your medical records and other documentation and schedule an appointment with a SS office. Find exactly where you stand and what else you may need, if anything. Then go from there. Never, talk yourself out of even applying or asking.

Also be aware that where you are located can be a factor. Florida for example, is extremely backed-up and notoriously slow (two years for a resolution is not uncommon). In the some Midwest and Mountain state offices, the SS employees are sitting around playing with their phones, with a resolution in a day (perhaps longer if you have to employ a lawyer). You are not required to deal with only the nearest office – sometimes just going a county or state over can make a difference.

[jarca]

good points gnott!
it took me 2 years to get SSDI also.
I would have given up except a person that went thru it before me said that it is common to be turned down twice & then be approved when you request a hearing on the 3rd try.

I also suggest start applying as soon as you are able (take your dr's advice) because it takes another year after you get SSDI to qualify for medicare! I went 3 years with no medical help unless I paid out of my pocket for it!

(none of these apply if you are over 65 and already qualified for your SSI & medicare, but I was only 51 or 52 when I was diagnosed & was put on 02---which limited me in the job market even more)

[stoker55]

Everybody is different. I went to 3 days a week working only Mon, Wed & Fri with the day in-between to recover as I also suffer from chronic pain. I was lucky enough that my workplace could accommodate. In Canada I believe there is a one time parcel of money you can receive for COPD disability I have not looked into this but it is there. Think about your general health and how you feel everyday before making a decision you can't reverse. I also consulted my physical therapist from my COPD classes and the nurses there. That is how I came up with how I handle work. They think I should not be working at all but I would lose my mind if I had to stay home with the hubby everyday.