employment while "recovering" from GBS

Gale,

My job is sedentary, working on a computer, and my boss is flexible and lets me work at home with my laptop, one day a week or as needed to help alleviate the commute. Even so, I am pretty much exhausted all the time and feel like I need a nap in the middle of the day. I am only 3 months post mild GBS, so that is most likely why. If you are going back to work after being off for a while, you could try to ease back in with something part-time or reduced hours. I have to keep working for financial reasons as well as sanity, but I am sure that it is not helping me recover as fast as I would like. Good luck!

Hello Gail
I am 6.5 weeks out of the hospital, so far healing quickly. I started work Wednesday of this week at two hours per day. I must say that I am tired after two hours but not down and out. I am taking a two hour nap in the afternoon. I am scheduled for two hours for the next two weeks then progressing to 3 hours for two weeks etc. I will se how it goes but I am happy to say that it is good to get out. If you are a stay at home Mom I am sure you are already working hard just keeping up with the family. So, I quess what I am saying is see if you can start out slowly.
Harry

I’m self-employed at home, so it’s easier for me to deal with the extra stress-factors of employment while I’m dealing with the effects of GBS.
If I don’t factor in resting time, I usually have more problems coping, and the GBS symptoms show more. Everything has changed in the past 2 1/2 years, but I’m learning how to adjust. My work schedule is 1/3 of the hours & pay compared to before GBS, but it actually takes me 3 times longer to do things than before because of pain and mobility problems.

I’m still re-learning how to do the necessary things to function in my employment. I worked on the most important matters first, deferred the less important, and completely cut out many activities which I no longer had time and energy to do. Unneccessary stressors had to go, just in order to survive and keep going from day to day.
And I’m still discovering how to build up my body, mind, soul and spirit again, because all of it took a toll from the GBS. Basic functioning came first, then I added other necessary activities. Sometimes, on bad days, I have to minimize and prioritize drastically. Things have slowly been getting better.

You know your body better than anyone else, so you have to consider everything realistically and carefully regarding your own physical condition & present responsibilities and compare this with your possibilities & opportunities for employment. GBS makes things much harder for us, but there is still a lot of living that can be done. Hope and plan, and work towards your goals, one thing at a time. God Bless!

I am a teacher and not even thinking of going back to work this year. We hope I’ll be able to go back this fall. I went in the hospital 12/25 pretty much paralized (only 3 fingers moved, but only mild lung complications) and have been out about 3 weeks. I’m still in a wheelchair most of the time – walker with supervision. I am terrified of falling, so I like my husband to be near when I walk. I can stand unassisted 45 – 60 seconds so that is cool. I nap 2 hours a day. I know I couldn’t face 5 classes of 35 – 38 high school biology students right now, so I’m not going to try. Short term disability pays 3/4 of my little teachers salary, but that’s enough to let me stay home. Don’t go back until you have to – and for heavens sake, take naps every day. Your body needs to heal! And try praying for strength and patience – it helps.

Cathie

Hey Gale,

It’s certainly something to ease into. Perhaps you can find a part time job; 3 hours a day a couple times per week; definitely nothing too strenuous or exhausting.

I went back to work on a part time basis almost a year after GBS. I used my wheelchair as there was a lot of foot traffic and “somehow” people didn’t appear to notice my two quad canes and would trip over them or almost knock me over. :rolleyes:

Two months after I started working part time, one of my old employers found out I was working again and he offered a full time position. He made sure I had everything I needed to make my return as stress free as possible.

Take care,

Tina

Good for you Gale, way to go!

Take your time, I would say it was close to 2 yrs before I could skip the nap. I started working within 3 weeks of getting out of the hospital, but the fatigue took its toll. Was I able to do my job well, the answer is no. Was I able to meet my job requirements, yes.
I live with the numb legs and feet now and fatigue only happens when I push it for too long. Hang in there.

GBS April 6, 2006