Working with chronic illness

This morning I took some drugs. And I’m thrilled to be working.

Not really two thoughts that should be paired together, right?

But, if you have a chronic illness, it’s a victory when the meds do their job and you can continue on with a normal day. Without apologizing or explaining yourself.

Lately, it hasn’t been that way.

Some background: I suffered from my first migraine when I was 11 or 12. If you have migraines yourself, you know what I’m talking about – crippling pain, nausea, the inability to do anything but curl in the fetal position in the dark, away from the rest of the world that’s attending work, school and having fun with family and friends. And while I lie there as if someone is stabbing my left eye from the inside, the guilt encroaches during moments of consciousness: I’m supposed to be writing this news release, I’m supposed to be pitching this reporter, I’m supposed to be picking up my daughter from daycare and on and on.  

Migraines suck. I hate them for the pain they cause, but I also hate them for the way they take away normalcy. Right now, I’m in a bad period. Previous experience has shown me that eventually this flare up will calm down – I’m working to control the triggers and consulting with my neurologist about better therapies. In the meantime, it’s about doing the best I can and trying to be happy with that. (That part is really tough.) Anyway, here’s how I’m trying to manage work and migraines:

Transparency

I work remotely, so my bosses and co-workers don’t see what I look like at 9 a.m. (This is a blessing to them because they aren’t subjected to wet hair, yoga pants and t-shirts – and that’s on a good day!) But on a day when I wake up with a migraine, I have to send an email saying I’ll be offline. Or that I’m headed to the neurologist again. In these communications, I think being honest and brief matters.

Be organized and over communicate

The people who work on accounts with me know that I’m likely to disappear into the migraine hole, and unfortunately, they will need to pick up my slack. And so, I might copy folks on emails more than necessary or leave instructions the night before if I’m going to bed already feeling ill.

Be effective when you can be

Because you never know when that next flare up might be, you have to try to stay on top of things and do the hard tasks first. There are certain, more routine things I can do during a “migraine hangover” but ghost writing a data-filled commentary, for example, wouldn’t be one of them.  And so, the cliché use your time wisely has more meaning for those with a chronic illness.

Save your PTO

These days, many companies have combined sick days and vacation days into paid time off. While I’d like to think that I only need a day or two a year to sit home with a cold, I know that’s not reality for me. And so, those of us with chronic illnesses need to budget time accordingly.

Saying thank you

There are many at THP who have picked up my slack a lot in the last few months. Not only do I have tremendously understanding bosses, but my co-workers have pitched in (pun intended) in ways that were so remarkable that it really didn’t matter that I wasn’t around. And that’s priceless, both to me and to our clients. So, thank you all, again.

Return the favor

Right now is a bad stretch. But I look forward to lending a helping hand when someone else is ill or their child is sick or they’re going on vacation. Believe me, I owe them, and I know it.

If you suffer from a chronic illness, how do you lessen its impact at work? And if you’re the one picking up the slack because of someone else’s absenteeism, are you bothered by it? 

Stacey Brucia

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