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Posted , 10 users are following.

vicky23280
vicky23280

Hi I'm looking to talk to someone who works in a corporate office doing a stressful and demanding job who is still able to work long hours and progress up the career ladder despite chronic fatigue.

I struggle so much every day because I'm so exhausted and fatigued, but I don't want it to make me fail at work. It's getting more and more difficult to hide it but I don't even want to tell anyone.

Does anyone have any advice?

Vicky

0 likes, 19 replies

19 Replies

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  • Dono8555
    Dono8555 vicky23280

    Posted

    If you're able to find someone that can still do that on a daily basis, chances are they don't have ME or CFS.

    • vicky23280
      vicky23280 Dono8555

      Posted

      I have been diagnosed with CFS and I work long hours. I am single and I have a mortgage, I don't really have a choice! There must be people out there in the same boat.

  • jeanp
    jeanp vicky23280

    Posted

    Sometimes you have to accept that your health is more important than your career. Are you exhausted because of your job or have you been diagnosed with a chronic fatigue problem?
    • vicky23280
      vicky23280 jeanp

      Posted

      I was diagnosed last year after suffering on and off for several years. Have suffered when I've not been working too so I know it's not a direct result of stress or working.

  • xxxlouiso
    xxxlouiso vicky23280

    Posted

    you're not alone and that doesn't mean your condition is any less debilitating. everyone copes differently and finds a way to make it work.

    if you have a supportive office, like my own, it is certainly possible to do. you should tell them. you would be surprised how accommodating they may be. I work long hours, I have a stressful workload and I study on the side. my boss knows when I am struggling and sends me home or to a doctor. some days are bad and you will make mistakes or struggle to even function. you need to surround yourself with people who will help you when you need it, particularly at work. there are still compassionate people in the world.

    If you rest when you need to, eat well and maintain a close relationship with your doctors, you can keep going. being an office environment, you should be able to do at least a portion of your job remotely. i find that working at home every now and again takes the pressure away and even though you're still working, it's not as difficult to manage. If you can't, consider taking an extra day off every few weeks.

    if you need a break, mentally or physically, take it! keep up the good work though, you are so tough to be able to do what you do!

    • alison44235
      alison44235 xxxlouiso

      Posted

      You can;thave it very bad if you all that!. I thought I ony had moderate M.E. but could not hold down a job at all. It is getting worse though it started33years ago and since a fall in december 2014mI have steadly go worse,mbut am not in bed all day, just the afternoons and i go to bed early. Not sleeping too well tonight because of the hot weather.

      Every body is different nd handle this horrible illness in different ways.

      I am sick of it, but there is nothing I can do about it tried nearly everything going and am sceptical about trying anything else. It all cost too much and mostly the therapies are a con I find.

       

    • xxxlouiso
      xxxlouiso alison44235

      Posted

      all I was saying is that I personally can cope, at least at this present time. I am young, I am fit and otherwise healthy. I do however have a heart condition to add insult to injury. I have a supportive partner who takes care of the majority of the home life. I cope a lot better knowing that I have a steady and good income to support the household and any medical expenses required. my workplace is more than supportive of me, mostly because I am not the first to have experienced this. I have a colleague who has been there, done that and also found a way to manage. she also has children, whereas I do not.

      I never came here to compare just how bad (or supposedly not very bad at all) I have it compared to others. everyone copes differently. I commented to give hope that it is at the very least, possible to hold down a corporate job (in the right place). that's also not to say that in ten, twenty years I'm not going to struggle. I still have bad days, bad weeks and bad months but I push through them and somehow make it out the other side.

      I do hope that you can find a balance with this. I changed my lifestyle when i felt that it was starting to take over. It has helped a lot both physically and mentally.

    • alison44235
      alison44235 xxxlouiso

      Posted

      How did you change your lifestyle?

      Being young is a big advantage.

      I have learnt from this site that the sooner you nip it in the bud the more likely you are to recover.

      When I was diagnosed there was no advice given, but I did have four children at the time one was a difficult baby, so no chance to rest anyway

      I wasn't comparing I was just stating facts.

      I hope you can keep going I should think it gives you quite a boost to keep up with your job.

    • xxxlouiso
      xxxlouiso alison44235

      Posted

      i cut out all refined sugars and got back into the gym. I had taken so much time out as I was so fatigued that I needed to go back and overhaul my health/fitness. my energy levels increased within the first couple of weeks and it has helped me to try and keep control of everything.

      I have found that going back to basics is best. there are no quick fixes.

    • vicky23280
      vicky23280 xxxlouiso

      Posted

      This really does make me feel like there is hope to continue working. I think I would feel a lot better if I could cut out refined sugar but the only way I can get through each day at work is by surviving on a diet of sugary snacks and caffeine. Have you cut out caffeine? Do you work in the private sector?

      what do you do in the gym? Really intense exercise or gentle stuff? I don't have the energy to even get into my gym clothes.

    • xxxlouiso
      xxxlouiso vicky23280

      Posted

      I cut out sugar but do still rely on caffeine. I was off it for a while but once my heart condition was under control I did start to consume it again. I seem to have a high tolerance to it though.

      the first few weeks of cutting out sugar were the absolute worst. but if you persevere I felt like it was so worth it. yes I do work in the private sector. I have to work about 45-50 hours per week on average.

      in terms of the gym, I can't do cardio. I stick to mostly resistance and weight training. I find it takes less energy but has better results. I generally flatten myself if I do too much high intensity cardio.

  • wknight
    wknight vicky23280

    Posted

    I have been exactly where you are today. Extremly well paid corporate job with a confirmed CFS diagnosis by one of the country experts and I didn't want to tell anyone. 

    Well I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I am well on the road to recovery and am now leading a pretty normal life, few people know about my past. 

    Now the bad news, to achieve this return to normality I had to leave the corporate world. Fortunately for me I was towards the end of my career with good savings. No nice public sector pension for me, my company ditched that years ago, at the moment I am living off savings .

    I tried most things and had understanding bosses with whom I shared my problems. They did nice things like let me work from home but after too many years of boom and bust I found that I couldn't rest enough to be ready for the next day and also what I didn't apreciate was how much the stress eats into you. I found that anything very mentally taxing would drain me more than hard physical exercise. 

    Everything changed when I very reluncantly gave up work. It was a huge decision as I was at the top my career and my sole provider, but it was either that or live this hell. Once I gave up work I could seriously pace which is my big tip. Tip number two, learn to say No, I can't do that. Tip3. learn how much you can do without paying for it. Once you learn that, then you can very,very slowly increase your activity level. After several years I can now cycle 37 miles, my goal is 60 miles. In the beginning all I could manage was a couple of minutes on a stationary bike indoors. You have to teach your body to accept activity again.

    I really thought I could beat it working and maybe if I had someone at home to do everything for me when I came home it may have been possible. 

    Sorry its not good news, but for me there is light at the end of the tunnel and its amazing how little you can live off when you have to. 

  • dawn94288
    dawn94288 vicky23280

    Posted

    Just a thought to consider during this discussion; I just recently read a definition for CFS.  Then, an emphasis on how there can be such different levels  of functioning during CFS. I have already experienced different levels in my struggle to gain some recovery.  
  • olivetree
    olivetree vicky23280

    Posted

    Hi Vicky.

    Sorry you are struggling like you are. This may not be what you want to hear but I would be surprised if you manage to keep going like this. I was working and studying when ME hit me over 10 years ago. Sadly I had to abandon my degree as my job was more important. Like you, I needed the money. I tried to carry on working (25hrs per week) for as long as I could. Like you I tried to hide it but it got more and more difficult. Eventually I had to tell them at work because I could not keep up with it. They were actually very understanding and did what they could to support me. Eventually I had to cut my hours right down but it was too little too late and I continued to feel worse and couldn't carry on. My employer agreed to giving me a sabatical for 6 months and I am now 2 months in but with little improvement so far, however, it is such a relief not to have to push myself - it's like the big dog has now left the room. I shall do a phased return to work in due course but unlikely to get up to 25 hrs again, maybe half that. Are you in UK? ME is recognised as a disibility and your employer cannot discriminate against you for it. You may be able to get benefits to help tide you over. I know it's not a lot but that's they way it is. I had to accept my hopes and future goals were not going to happen where my career was concerned and that is a hard one to get over sad very frustrating!

    I hope my story gives you at least some thoughts on finding an alternaative way through.

    All the best.

     

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