Photo courtesy of Anjan Chatterjee: http://bit.ly/1Sret2l
Days like this remind me how fortunate I am.
I woke up this morning sick from the side effects of methotrexate. I reset the alarm to get an extra hour of sleep, hoping rest would do me some good.
At 7:30 a.m., I rolled out of bed. I cuddled with our cat for a minute or two, fed her, ate a banana, and started my commute to work. That's right. No shower, still in pajamas, still feeling nauseated with a headache.
But that’s ok. I am an art director for a publishing company in Michigan. And while I see deadlines almost daily with my weekly trade magazine, I am lucky to be able to alter my schedule to fit the needs of my psoriatic disease.
My morning commute is just one bedroom away. And should methotrexate cause me to need the bathroom in a hurry, well, that’s right down the hall. And to top it off, I also have flex time. In a nutshell, as long as I get my work done and don’t miss a deadline, I’m free to work any way I choose and take as much time off as I need (within reason, of course).
It was quite coincidental that I moved to a home office a few years ago. At that time, it was thought of the upcoming commute during winter in Michigan — not my psoriatic arthritis — that gave me the push to request a home office. But the timing couldn’t have been better.
Within a few months of setting up my home office, psoriatic disease started rearing its ugly head. Stress, which wasn’t related to work, pushed the disease into overdrive within the year. I could no longer turn my head to see behind me, and I couldn’t grip the steering wheel. Basically, driving was out of the question for a little bit.
I eventually got the disease back under control with medication, but even the medication hasn’t cleared me entirely, especially with scalp psoriasis and inflammation in my knees and hips. And not to mention the medication side effects! Methotrexate can easily wipe me out of a day or two each week.
I know I am fortunate. Many others who live with chronic illnesses do not have the luxury I have with a home office and employer who values its employees. While my job affords these accommodations to all of its employees, and I don't need extra accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires workplaces with 15 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations for disabled employees.
According to the article posted on the Arthritis Foundation website, “Workplace Rights for Employees With Disabilities” by Camille Noe Pagan, reasonable accommodations can include different tools to do a job or altered work hours, as long as the accommodations don't impede the business.
Pagan states, "Research shows the majority of effective accommodations are no-cost or less than $500 – such as a different desk chair or keyboard, or voice recognition software." It's such a small price for companies to pay for employees to do their jobs well.
However, sometimes accommodations won't work and those with chronic illness will turn to social security disability. In fact, the Center for Disease control cites chronic illness as the number one cause of disability in the United States, with arthritis named as the leader.
Much goes into to deciding whether or not you meet the requirements for social security disability benefits. It can be a daunting process. However, those who successfully received benefits are thankful for the extra time and patience they used to navigate the system.
According to the official Social Security website, inflammatory arthritis (which falls under its immune system disorders category) is just one of the adult conditions considered so severe that it automatically means you are disabled.
Even if your disease doesn’t fall on this list, you may still be considered disabled. Social Security’s definition of “disability”:
"Disability" under Social Security is based on your inability to work. We consider you disabled under Social Security rules if:
You cannot do work that you did before;
We decide that you cannot adjust to other work because of your medical condition(s); and
Your disability has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death.
In addition, the agency also considers if you are currently working, your condition is severe, whether or not you can do work you previously did, and whether you are able to do any other type of work.
While my brother does not have psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, his other health issues did qualify him for social security benefits. As he can attest, the process can be long and frustrating, but worth it if you keep pushing.
For me, I’m fortunate to keep working. Sure, my job isn't perfect (does one exist?), and I know I could earn more money if I invested time to go looking for a new job, but I doubt I would get all of the extra perks like flex time, home office, and co-workers who care. For me, my job is ideal, and I’m thankful for having interviewed at this publishing company more than 15 years ago. And I’m thankful to not worry about definitions of “disability.” At least for now.
For more links to resources on disability, visit Applying for Disability on the National Psoriasis Foundation’s website.
