Managing Chronic Illness in the Workplace
It’s a problem shared by millions of Americans. Experts, patients, and researchers offer ways to cope.
Lizz Schumer was diagnosed with fibromyalgia when she was 25 years old, although she first experienced a variety of confusing symptoms several years earlier when she was in college.
“It started with chronic pain in my hands, wrists, and joints,” she says. “I also had persistent dizziness and chronic fatigue. And then there’s something called brain fog, which is basically that my brain works more slowly and not as effectively as it should if I haven’t gotten enough sleep, or if I’m really stressed out.”
All of these symptoms can make Schumer’s daily life feel challenging, especially at work; as a writer at a media company, her main task is typing. But doing that for long periods of time can be nearly impossible if she’s having a particularly pain-filled day. She’s thankful that her job is mostly seated, and says she tries to write down obvious task reminders like “transcribe 2 p.m. interview after I get off the phone,” to make sure she doesn’t forget her to-do list when brain fog descends. She also works with her manager to rejigger deadlines if she’s sick.
