How many of you can work "per usual" like prior to your pain?

[yukidada]

I am running low on my short term disability, due to chronic pancreatitis absences. Please, will you share your stories, good or bad, of what I may come to expect after all benefits are gone....Am I let go? Please  help, and thank you.

[Tuckamore]

Hello Yukidada,

Welcome to the Pain Mangement Forum. Chronic pain effects us all a bit differently. But it seems to always rob us of things that we love. In my case it robbed me of two professional careers.

I maintained employment for many years after the medical community said I shouldn't and couldn't. I was so angry at the situation that I refused to give up and I just kept going. The actual number of years amounted to nineteen. As I look back I can't beleive I made it a year let alone nineteen.

I was not terminated. They would have kept me in almost any capacity. I resigned. I did that out of love for my company as much as physical necessity. There were no financial nets. After several months of feeling sorry for myself I followed the many years of medical advice and applied for SSDI. I was approved in less than four months.

As Designgyrl said you will make it. Unfortunately our current economy makes it difficult for any company to keep a non-productive employee on their payroll. In my experience they look at employees as either an asset or a deficit. Once you fall under the deficit category ways are often found to terminate your employment. I cannot guess what your employer will do.

If you and your physician beleive you are permanently disabled you can apply for SSDI. If you are not disabled than look for part time positions that you think you can physically manage. Although I have never been terminated I don't look at it as the end of the world. It is my belief that one door never closes that another one doesn't open up for us.

Unemployment Compensation (UC) is very lenient these days. If you are released to work by your physician you will probably be eligible to receive it. Certainly it's not as good as a paycheck but it'll help until you can locate full time employment. You can also work part time and still collect some UC benefits. It was not a option for me because I quit.

Your company not terminate your employment so try to think positive. If you think it would be beneficial talk to your HR Department. Tell them how much you like the company and your position and ask for their guidance.

I wish you the very best and hope that you will be an active participant to our community. We'll look forward to hearing from you.

Take Care,
~Tuck

[designgyrl]

Hi, welcome to the pain management forum.  I know it's difficult to work when your in pain, I've had pancreatitis in the past and I know how terrible it is. I worked in a job where I took short term disability, and I was a great employee, got terrific raises, never was written up, but I got sick and had to use the short term disability, I used almost all of it up, my supervisor kept calling me and asking when I was coming back to work.  I came back to work, and I was terminated from the job 1 week later after working with the company for eight years.  They gave me no severance, nothing, they just told me that I was no longer needed (state of MO) and by law they can do that..  I just want to say, I hope it doesn't happen to you, but if it does, you will get through it, I promise you.  It's difficult but you will get through it one way or another.  Has anyone said anything about you being let go?  Is there a specific reason to this question?  Please let us know how it turns out.