Featured Article:
Your Work World
If your health allows you to approach work with a full-steam ahead spirit, the work world may feel a little like an ocean of opportunity. Don't dive in, however, without some careful planning. Those already immersed in the workplace waters will likely tell you that the decisions you make right now about what you do, where you work, and how much you work can have a big impact on your overall health down the road.
According to the 2006 Patient Registry report distributed by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, about 45 percent of people with CF are now adults, and that number continues to grow2. Here's what your cohort is up to in regards to working:
- 38 percent are working full-time3
- 14 percent are disabled3
- 10 percent are working part-time3
- 8 percent are unemployed3
- 4 percent are homemakers3
The remaining 25 percent of all adults with CF are in school, preparing to enter the workforce.
Your workplace travel itinerary undoubtedly already includes, or will include, an occasional stop at the hospital for tune-ups or other procedures. These medical layovers may forge for you a different career path than you first imagined. Job flexibility is key says Jeff, a 38-year-old seasoned worker with CF.
“Every week in the hospital meant about 2 to 3 weeks of recovery at home for me,” says the one-time systems engineer who has lived with severe pancreatitis his whole life. When Jeff's pancreatic problems and declining health forced him into retirement, he applied for and received disability. He now stays at home while his wife goes to work; an arrangement that helps the couple keep his health front and center.
Flexibility in the workplace comes in all forms, including adaptable work hours, the possibility of reduced work hours, flexible use of vacation and sick leave, the opportunity to use coworker-donated sick time, and working from home.
Working conditions will be another decisive element when looking at a career. Research indicates (Cystic Fibrosis Adult Care: Consensus Conference Report) a CF patient's health can suffer in certain fields, particularly those where the patient might be exposed to pulmonary irritants in the work environment4 – dust, paint, smoke, you know the drill.
Additionally, working with children or in public health may also be problematic; in both fields you could be exposed to infectious agents just by walking into your office!
Like Jeff, your health may preclude you, temporarily or permanently, from working at some point. Letting go of the 9-5 isn't always easy.
“Growing up I was always a very, very hard worker,” says Jeff. “I enjoyed the reward of getting things done, being a part of society and contributing to society.” But by the time he and his wife, Jennifer, married in 1998, his health was already steering his work decisions.
“When I got married, my wife and I kind of knew that she was going to be the bread winner in the family,” he admits. “It can be especially hard for men to be in that situation; you still have that sense of guilt, a little bit, that you should be working.”
Like many people with cystic fibrosis, Jeff has come to accept – most days – that part of his “job” is to stay as healthy as possible. For some people living with CF, that may mean working part-time, or not at all.
“There are some days when I wake up and wish I was back in the work force. But when I look at my parents, my sisters, my nieces and my wife, then I understand that I'm not just living for myself; I'm also living for all those around me who love me.”
- Source:
- 2 and 3Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Patient Registry Annual Data Report 2006
- 4James R. Yankasas, Bruce C. Marshall, Beth Sufian, Richard H. Simon and David Rodman, Cystic Fibrosis Adult Care: Consensus Conference Report, CHEST publication 2004
