Pain and Work

[Cookie]

How do you handle being in pain at work? I have excruciating back pain at the moment. I am tempted to close my office door and lay on the floor, but I don't want to attract awkward attention. Even if I wanted to go home, I don't think I could handle driving there at the moment. I took some Tylenol, but it's not helping. What do you do? Grin and bear it? Find a quiet place to hide? Scream at the top of your lungs? I know you have all been there...just curious how you all cope.

 

[uab grad student]

Close the office door and lay on the floor! No one will know if the door is closed. I'd put something on the door like "BUSY, do not disturb; please email for assistance" so that they don't feel inclined to bother you...

I know how you feel, not with back pain but with pain in general. I usually hide somewhere, take some pain pills and wait it out. If I'm in as much pain as you sound like you are (where I can't drive), I call someone and ask them to drive me home. My husband works at the same university and his schedule is rather flexible, so often he will come get me, take me home, and I'll just sleep. I know I'm spoiled in that regard, though, and some people can't do that.

Hope you feel better soon!

 

[Regular Joe]

Hi Shady,

I definitely don't grin. So I can't grin and bear it. I guess I bear it.

I hate being such a mush, but there are times when I end up sobbing (as quietly as possible). Like you, I've had that kind of excruciating back pain happen at work. I noticed sometimes that if I'm able to work out a some kind of BM (big or small), I'll get a small easing of the pain.

I don't usually get back pain when I'm crapping a storm. It's like food of some kind migrates to a particular spot and goes real slow, and the back pain kicks in and stays. Once I had it at my GI's office. When he put pressure on my bowel, I could feel it in my back - that's when I realized it wasn't actually "back pain" per se, but "flank pain".

What works best for me is to lay down as soon as I get home, probably an hour, then I can walk a little better again. Then I stay to liquids. I use this protein mix that gives me balanced nutrition and I don't usually eat for the rest of the day - not usually hungry anyhow.

That's probably not much help, but there's not much that works for me either.

 

[CrohnsHobo]

I just dealt with it. Sometimes I have had to go out to my car or sit in the bathroom for awhile until the cramps died down. I am really not sure how I have made it through some of these flares without missing any work.

My last flare I got Percocet and that made a world of difference.

 

[Cookie]

Thanks for all of your input. Crohnshobo, I hide out a lot in the bathroom too. Fortunately, I am the only woman on my floor, so the ladies room is ALL MINE. However, there is no chair in there, and I spend enough time sitting on the toilet already. I have almost made it through the day by bearing it (You're right, joe...no grins here). My back is feeling a bit better now, so I'm glad I didn't go home. I have only left work early once due to Crohn's pain and when I got home I started feeling better, so I felt guilty. That's part of the reason I try and tough it out. But jeez, days like today are not easy!

 

[Rebecca85]

I have been known to have a lie down in an empty classroom or the staff room. Before cd if i had a stomach ache i used to find lying on my left hand side and massaging my belly used to help. We also have these gel packs that can be put in the microwave and heated up which are comforting on your belly. But if i was in that much pain i couldn't stand up i would have to go home, you can't really teach a bunch of kids while lying down!

 

[CrohnsHobo]

I think the worst part is almost a loneliness feeling. You are in so much pain, but it is hard to convey or for others to understand what you are dealing with. Then you feel like you have to tough it out and never say anything. Very isolating.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Shadycat: My co-workers know that I've been ill lately, and they were kind enough to set up a cot in an unused office for "anyone" who's feeling ill (although they didn't tell everyone about it - they only told me, so I'm pretty sure I'm the reason the cot is there!). I don't know if you'd be able to set up something similar in your office, but it's worth a shot. On days when I'm feeling bad but still have to work, it's really nice to know that I'm able to lie down for a bit if I need to.

 

[Astra]

Guilt is the worse part I think, you sometimes feel that you should grin & bear it cos of co-workers, fear of losing your job, letting others down etc
But to hell with it, I say!
I ended up in hospital in January for a week cos of all of the above and now, I'm number one priority, I come first and foremost, so I go home, end of!
hope you're feeling better soon Shady
xxx

 

[Liverpool FC]

Off to the bathroom and rub your stomach over and over and over and over.... double over, try them all and anything else to try and get it by quicker. I'm sure it makes little odds but at least my mind knows i'm trying something!

There is nothing worse than sneaking off to somewhere quiet to sit it out and then someone will ALWAYS decide to enter the same room that no-one EVER enters while you're in some weird state of contortion to try and ease the pain etc, and then it looks like either you're sloping off to avoid work or the other person starts fussing, which is touching, but when i'm in pain i just want to be on my own...

 

[Chrismac]

I try to grin and bear it.. sometimes, if I can't hide and double up in the bathroom I'll sit down and if anyone asks just say I have stomach cramps.. I try to hide it as much as possible because I hate making a fuss.

I used to work in a care home for the elderly and there it was really bad, because if we were really busy I couldn't run and hide. I guess that's where I learnt to get on with it. If I'm at home I heat up my microwave dinosaur (yes, you read that right!) and lay him on my stomach!