Working people

[kitkatz]

Let's see How many people here ares till working in spite of being on dialysis.  Write what kind of dialysis you do, how long you have been on dialysis, and what kind of work you do


Hemodialysis
9 years
Special education Teacher

[charee]

I work part time 4 mornings a week for 2 to 3 hours sorting mail at the local post office, i do home hemo every second day for 7 hours only been doing it for 7 months

[thegrammalady]

i do in center dialysis mwf, i don't officialy work but am a contractor for a marketing research firm doing mystery shops.

[rookiegirl]

I'm currently on a 6 weeks leave of absence.  Returting to work on Dec. 17th.  I'm a Revenue Analyst.  I've been with this company for 12yrs.  I work Mon-Fri 8am-5pm.

[Laurie]

CAPD - almost 2 months
Adminstrative Assistant & Mommy (the best job in the world)
I work Mon-Fri 6:30 am - 4:00 pm
I have worked for the same company for 8 years.

[KT0930]

CCPD for four months; CAPD for nine months before that
Admin assistant full time (40 hours/week minus time for doctor's appts and clinic visits)
Been with the company for 20 months.

[Katonsdad]

Hi all

When I was on Dialysis I worked full time  ,I started PD in 1996 , and went to Hemo in 1997 after repeated peritonitis attacks.
While on Hemo I was still able to work full time as I was working nights 5 at night to 5 in the morning Thurs Friday , Sat and Sunday nights.
I was on a Tuesday , Thursday  and Sat, schedule for treatments . So Saturday was the hardest day for me , working Friday night,
getting treatment and being back on Saturday night ,
I had been with the company for 17 years at that time . Finally I needed more time off and took disability in Jan 1999 and got transplanted
in Aug 1999 and went back to work for the same company in Jan 2000 . I missed 1 full year of work and came back to the
same position .  Sometimes it was tough to do the nights , but they wrapped the sites very good   I was 34 when I started
treatments.
I wonder if they know how much time off they owed me because I never took a bathroom break ?

Katonsdad

[KR Cincy]

I've been on dialysis since March '07, home hemo since May '07...
Returned to work fulltime in August '07 as PR/Special Events manager for two public radio stations.

Home hemo lets me adjust my schedule to my work, and my work allows me to adjust my schedule to dialysis, so it's working out better than I could have ever hoped.

[brenda]

I work full time mon-fri 7:00-4:00
Home hemo 14 years
Sales coordinator
part-time reception
assistant purchasing
cover for inside sales
with such staff shortages here I do what ever is needed at the time
I work for a fastener & tools sales company for 4 years.

[skyedogrocks]

Rob works full time M-F 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
He's a Licensed Electrician for a large metro city in Mass.  He's been with them for 3 yrs.
He does Home Hemo Dialysis.

[mark j]

Ive been on hemo 27 months   Home hemo 1 year
I am an Independant Owner Operator of a bread route
I work 5 days a week 2am-noon
Home hemo-nx stage gives me the freeddom to do my treatments on my schedule

[boxman55]

I am the warehouse products sales coordinator for a forklift manufacturer I started hemo dialysis on 8/14/06 from 5:30 till 9pm MWF worked from 7am till 4:30pm 5 days a week, I did this for a full year plus, on dialysis then had a surgery and now I am on short-term disability. I have done this kind of work for over 30 years...Boxman

[Meinuk]

1/07  In Center Hemo 3x week

11/07 Home Hemo  - Nxstage  6x week

Work full time at a University.  My job offers me telecommuting when needed and has been very flexible RE: hours. 

When in center I tended to work 10am - 4:30 and worked from home some nights/weekends.

Now that I am on home hemo  I am 9-6 or 7 with less weekend/night work.

I just took off (combination off & p/t) for almost two weeks  - and now I am fully back in the swing of things.

But I can't wait to take a vacation!

[Razman]

I'm not on dialysis YET but I have always planned to not stop working until I retire.  My  neph says there is no reason to stop but I have heard from others ( nurses ) that say you will have to stop.  I want to says thanks to all the people that replied.  You have been an encouragement to me when I see that it can be done.  Life goes on and we may have to change our routine but we can still handle work !

[Stacy Without An E]

I'm a radio broadcaster in Northern California and have been concurrently working and undergoing Dialysis for three and a half years now.  At first, I struggled to not sound tired and sick on the air.  I've learned to fake it when necessary, which is usually on days before an evening treatment.  You're supposed to be happy and upbeat while Dialysis tries to steal that from you.

I'm pretty proud of the fact that I've never called in sick since I started Dialysis, although I've wanted to on a weekly basis.

It helps to love what you do.

[MattyBoy100]

I worked as a manager for a supermarket company in the UK.  I was diagnosed with kidney failure in June of 2005.  It was a real shock but I was determined to get back to work after a long stay in hospital of 6 weeks - apparently I was close to dying and spent 2 weeks in intensive care.

My boss was very good and kept my job open but having had no experience of anyone with my illness, they wanted me to do less demanding work so they put me on checkouts when I went back to work.  That was mind blowingly boring and I lost all self respect.  I applied for every management post going and eventually after 6 months of checkouts, they gave me a position as petrol station supervisor. 

I miss the money of a manager but at the same time I don't feel I could cope with the demands of the job role now.  I wouldn't be able to commit to the number of working hours that are required anyway as I have to have dialysis.  I get some financial benefits from the government but I had to fight tooth and nail for them and it doesn't take my money anywhere near to what I was earning.

I have hemo on M/W/F after work.  I start my shift at 630am and finish at 1545 to go for dialysis from about 1630 to 2100.

I am contracted to work part time at 30hrs per week but usually do overtime to about 36 hrs a week.

I feel like crap on my dialysis days and absolutely washed out by the time I get home but I am earning, I have my own flat and manage to maintain my independence.

[ktpuppers]

Although my history with dialysis is complicated, I will try to summarize. I was on dialysis while going through college in Cape Girardeau, MO in the late 80's/early 90's.  I got a transplant in '94 while working on my Masters degree in historic preservation.  I got my first professional job in 1995.  That position was working for South Carolina State Parks as a Park Ranger (actually historian/maintenance).  I took a position with St. Louis County Parks as a historic educator in 1998.  I lost my transplant in 1999 to recurring FSGS and returned to hemodialysis.  Luckily, my unit has an evening shift.  Dialysis is 3x/week, MWF, 3 1/2 hour treatments.  I have been in-center since 1999.  This has made for very long days.  Luckily, I live within 15 minutes from work.  Leave the house at 7:30 am and get home at 9:30 pm.  In 2004, I accepted the position as Assistant Site Administrator for Mastodon State Historic Site, near St. Louis.  All of my jobs have been 40 hour work week with rotating weekend schedules.  Beginning this next week, we have decided to do home hemodialysis to give me a little more freedom of scheduling and also possibly help with promotional opportunities within the Missouri State Park System.  Actually, in the 3 years I have been at Mastodon, I take less sick leave than some of the "healthy" employees. 

[Slywalker]

I have a transplant now but when I was doing dialysis I worked full time and used sick leave for when I was on hemo.

so, lets see, I had hemo Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 12 to 4 PM.  It was over an hour drive so I had to leave work on Tuesdays and Thursdays at around 10:30 AM.

After a couple of months I was able to switch to PD and used the cycler at night.  I missed hardly any work during that time except for the training periods.

I really felt lousy on hemo and when I wasn't working or driving back and forth I was sleeping.

I have worked in State Government for over 30 years.  I am now in management (for last 16 years) and got little comment from my boss when the treatments started - "just take care of yourself" was all that was said.  I had and still have a ton of sick leave built up so I am one of the lucky ones for sure.

Sandyb

[sugapea]

I work full time 8 - 10 hours a day as a veterinary technician ( animal nurse).  I have worked for the same small practice for 10 years so they were really good about the weeks I missed when I first got diagnosed and started PD. Now 1 1/2 yrs. later I rarely miss a day. Once a month I have to leave early one Tuesday to see my doctor but that's it.  Luckely my monthly bloodwork is on my day off.

[kidney4traci]

I work in the mornings and do home hemo in the afternoons before my kids get home from school.  Works for me... it's like a f/t job.

[CW]

I have done a few jobs while on dialysis I treated for six years and in those six years I was owner/operator of a painting contracting business.

 I recently started hemo again 10/07 after failed TX and I am now a Human Service Case Manager (3yrs) I work full time M-F 7:00 am - 5:00 pm I leave t/th after lunch to go to treatment.

I want to start pd and cycle at night so I am free on t/th

[kidneyx3]

  Kudos to those of you who are able to work while on hemo. I have a transplant now but while on hemo I felt like death. I am a NICU RN and 12 hour shifts just were not possible. I am only 28 and a mother of 8 year old twins so there was little time and energy left over to even do that job! Disability doesn't make it easy,  I had a 5 month waiting period before recieving benefits for ESRD. Anyhow now I'm back to work full-time and then some like nothing ever happened!







EDITED:Fixed smiley tag error-kitkatz,moderator

[lola]

Otto works full time, he works on call as a field service tech from 5pm till 7am. When he has nights that he's busy it kills him. They(dialysis) have talked to him about not working and he says NO WAY!!!! It helps keep him feeling "normal". I at times am amazed that he still can do it no matter how bad of a day he has at dialysis.

[sheldonp22]

I Have been on dialysis 13 years and the past 8 years have been working as a legal Analyst. I have a great Boss. I used to work 5 days a week 40HR. But it really was hard for 6 years. The past 2 years I work from home on dialysis days. I go to dialysis in the morning take a nap and work from home. It is awesome. His philosophy is just get the sh*t done. Everybody in the office knows I am on dialysis the past 2 years but they don't treat me any different than other workers. Being able to work gives you independence, money and takes your mind off health concerns.

[twirl]

you are so lucky
I only wish I had that experience