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  • Working Full-Time with IPF & Knowing When to Stop

    Posted by Charlene Marshall on March 8, 2022 at 7:14 pm

    Many of us strive to hang onto the parts of our lives outside of our idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis because it helps us remember that we’re more than a “chronically-ill patient”. Or at least, this is how I feel. I want the other aspects of my identity to shine through, and never want to be defined as the young adult who is sick with a fatal lung disease. I previously wrote a column on who I am outside of IPF and it is really important that these other identities remain intact while I battle IPF.

    One of those identities is “colleague”, and I am privileged to enjoy my career role which involves helping families through difficult times. Sadly, working full-time was getting difficult before I recently fell ill with COVID-19. Right now, amid the brain fog and fatigue it feels impossible but not being able to work leaves me feeling like a part of my identity is missing.

    Knowing when to stop working with a chronic illness is a struggle that many of us share. I’ve heard it discussed on the forums before, and I don’t know what the right answer is as to when to stop working. There are many things to consider when thinking about this: financial stability, mental stimulation, social aspects of working as part of a team and routine. For me, none of these are easy to let go of. I recently read an article on TheMighty about ceasing to work as a patient who is chronically ill and wanted to share it with our forums community.

    What were some of the factors that helped you decide it was time to stop working full-time?

    Was that decision difficult for you? If so, what made it easier?

    Charlene Marshall replied 2 years ago 0 Member · 0 Replies
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