New job update

[Remali]

Well, the job itself isn't bad at all..... in case you missed the first report about my new job, I started at Goodwill. I figured I would like the variety, and I do. I still have had no luck in finding a medical office job, and I had actually thought of getting out of that tho....but what I have discovered with the last couple of jobs I've tried, including the current job at Goodwill, is that my old back injury isn't quite as healed or quite as OK as I had thought. I had herniated two disks in my lumbar spine many years ago, and I've always had sit down jobs like desk jobs or inspection jobs so it never caused me any grief the past 10 years. With this job I have to stand and bend and lean all day, and unfortunately it has aggravated my old back injuries. I'm going to hang in there though and give it a really good shot, I may ask if I could have a chair next to wear I stand so I could sit occasionally (while I go thru the clothing we get in I could very easily do that sitting down). So, I am a bit discouraged that my old back issues just aren't tolerating this new job very well, but maybe they can help me out with the use of a chair occasionally, that sure would help me out a lot. While I was able to do horse back riding since my back injury (altho not right afterwards), it had gotten to the point where I rarely cantered any more, because of my back, and I was just content with moseying slowly down the trail at a walk. My back issues are another reason I have been interested in gaited breeds. Then again, maybe a mini horse and a cart would be better?! LOL. Anyhow, I do hope the new job is willing to work with me and will allow me the use of a chair. I really am surprised my back got so sore today during work, so I am sort of frustrated. :(

[Miracle Whip]

I do not have any herniated discs and I am often stiff and sore. It comes with age. I will say that riding horses is the BEST exercise in the WORLD for your torso, lower back etc. I would look into Chiropractic and physical therapy before giving up on this job. In fact, in my opinion, sitting at a desk is far worse for your shoulders and back... at least at this job you ARE moving, and it is that movement that is making you sore. Better to move than to sit and atrophy... With time you will get stronger.

[carla]

A chair sounds like a good idea. Do you also wear some sort of back support while working (or just daily living)? That might be a help as well. I hope they will work with you! I don't see why not. Let us know what happens. :)

[Gypsy Rose]

I hope that they will be able to work with you on this. Having a back injury like that would really stink.

Good luck!

[valleyrider]

Sorry your back injury is flaring up being on your feet all day. But glad you like the job.. Talk with your Doc. see what he says maybe he can give you something if it get real bad. Or like MW said physical therapy.

[oursarge]

Hope things will work out especially since you like this job and it doesn't seem to be high stress. With all of your health problems I wish there was something you could do at home that would bring you decent money so you could support yourself and have your dream horse again, I know that's wishful thinking but it sure would be nice since it's hard to have to go to work when you feel horrible.

You're trying so hard. I can't see why a chair would be a big deal for them to let you have. Good Luck. I know back problems are a nightmare, my friend has them and there are days she can't even get in her car and there is nothing they can do to help her. Good Luck.

[Ranger44]

Sorry to hear you're having back problems. A sore back makes most everything else more miserable. I hope the chair makes it an easy fix.

If you get serious about the mini I can help you out there. :)

[Remali]

Thanks everyone! Yes, riding horses does help me actually, as long as I walk and don't do a ton of trotting (posting helps tho), I can ride OK. I don't canter much any more, just a little now and then...altho it has been many years now since I have even ridden at all.

Sitting is OK for me because my herniated disks are in my lower lumbar spine, standing and a lot of walking kills me tho. If I have good back support I can sit fine all day, I just need to get up and stretch about once an hour. Trouble is I would love to get physical therapy but I have no health insurance right now and it won't start until after 90 days with this job, so no insurance for 3 months, and I can't afford physical therapy right now (not on the wages they pay at Goodwill).

I may call my doctor and get in to see him, it's been quite a while since we took a look at my back so it may be time for another MRI. I've been trying so hard with these jobs, so I sure hope things start working out soon. Not going to give up on this job, but then on the other hand I cannot afford to get laid up and end up in the hospital either (last time I had herniated disk troubles I couldn't walk and was in the hospital, but that was 12 years ago too), so I am not going to injure myself for a minimum-wage job, or any job for that matter.....will see how it goes today at work.

[vicklynn]

I hear ya on the back thing. Been there, done that. Took yrs to get to where I am today!!
May I suggest a back brace? I use my hip brace when needed.
Beings your used to sitting, may try to use those muscles a bit more often to strengthen them up.
I dont mean sit ups, but find something that will help your whole mid section.
Maybe someone could suggest something simple. I dont do hard exercises...lol
Again, I think the brace would help loads while you strengthen the mid section.

[Remali]

I'd like to get a back brace, the last job I had at the assisted living facility wouldn't prove me with one tho, and I can't afford to go out and buy one right now......but you'd think these places would supply them for the employees......altho not all places do I've found out (other places I worked at did supply them). I will ask and see what they say. Bottom line is tho....no heavy lifting for me..... so I guess if they want me to unload vehicles again I will tell them I was not told about that in my interview and job description and that I cannot do that. If I herniate a disk again I don't have anyone to help me, last time I was not able to walk for 6 weeks and needed a lot of help....and now with no family left, I'm on my own and I sure cannot be laid up now..... I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. Just going to do the best I can tho. But I agree, a back brace would help.

[Miracle Whip]

Someone on here must have physical therapy exercises for the lower back. Even just stretching periodically should help? That is what I was thinking for now, not weekly visits to the PT lady, I know what that all costs. The reason I like the horse back riding is I had physical therapy for lower back issues, leg issues, and riding horses did more for me than the PT exercises did. My problem was only that I was FAT and walked like a pregnant lady though. You have a bike right? Seems to me that the exercise bikes REALLY stretched out my lower back muscles back when I had access to one.

Unloading trucks, they HAVE to have weight belts unless they want to pay a ton in Workmans Comp claims.

You can run the front register surely? Would Vocational Rehabilitation help you with the cost of a weight belt or therapy? I mean, Goodwill was created for special populations, and you have what - Colitis? Asthma? (not sure on that) Back injuries? Get their (Voc Rehab) opinion on what you can do.

Watch for exercise equipment coming through at the store!

[Remali]

I do know the stretches from physical therapy, I used to do them before, and I still do them from time to time. Yep, I do have a bike, I got a nice Schwinn comfort bike so I can sit up straighter, it's easy on my back that way. Exercise does really help, I agree with you 100%, that is one reason I have my bike (it helps with my cardio too, I had a heart arrhythmia too, geez I sound like a mess don't I?! ha ha...) Problem is, lifting and bending at this new job, I should not have lifted those heavy boxes yesterday while unloading vehicles (someone even brought in a huge couch!!).....but being my first day I figured I just better do it and they were short-handed so the lady in charge kept telling us to go faster.....BIG mistake. Today I made it for 2 hours at work and my back just gave out on me, had the pain down my leg, I know what all that means, been down that road before.... so I went in to see the physician assistant at the Spine Institute this afternoon, he says I have degenerative disk disease from that old herniated disk.....I pretty much figured that tho. So he has me off work till Thursday, and he has weight and bending restrictions for me......we'll see what Goodwill says, hope they are OK with it. I was pretty shocked at work today when I asked if I could use a chair and sit while I sorted clothing, I told them my back was starting to spasm on me....and I was told No. My primary job is to sort clothes (and price them) when they come in....anyone can easily do that sitting down..... yet they have us standing up and bending over into this huge box, the repetitive stuff is what is killing my back, that and standing in one place for 7 hours a day on concrete..... so why we can't use a chair and sit down once in a while is a mystery to me..... I hate to say it, but I don't think Goodwill has much "goodwill" toward its employees unfortunately. Today I picked up the phone number for Voc Rehab.....I will be giving them a call, I had worked with them many years ago after my herniated disk in the 1990's.

[Miracle Whip]

Huh. That is silly about the bending over stuff. Even the laundry departments at the nursing home have spring loaded baskets so the ladies don't have to bend over. All I know is that when I interviewed years ago the pay was decent and they had Holiday pay and benefits. Talk to Voc Rehab, tell them what has happened the last year or so. You had mentioned filing for Disability once upon a time. Maybe they can help with that. Tell them Goodwill isn't playing nice.

Hopefully you will get a good counselor. Mine isn't so hot. I had to really PUSH to get my application approved also - they have 63 days to process your application and believe me, mine was 63 days on the nose and would have been longer if I hadn't raised a stink. Told them my unemployment was running out, we had to do something.

[Remali]

Thanks MW. I got the number sitting here ready to go so I can call Voc Rehab in the morning. Now that I am in another town I am not sure who I will get up here, but when I lived in Eau Claire the counselor I had then was very nice....but that was over 10 or 12 years ago too. I actually have already applied for disability, did that in June, but I know how that goes and fully expect to be denied the first time, I plan to keep applying tho and I will not give up.... and I actually hired a lawyer right away (he works on contingency) so maybe that will help.

[Miracle Whip]

I think that providing a back brace, spring loaded baskets, and a chair are ALL reasonable accomodations. I guess the question is how much you want to fight it NOW. Your local job service might be able to provide immediate help in regards to meeting the ADA requirements of an accessible workplace. Voc Rehab will probably take a while to get the balls rolling, VR might give you some advise on how to deal with the lack of handicap accessibility if you asked super nice, but you wouldn't be approved for their services for a couple of weeks.

Sorry that there are so many pricks in this world.

[Remali]

Glad for your input MW, it's been helpful. I just got off the phone with DVR (voc rehab), I can't get in until the 24th, but at least it's a start. I'll give Job Service a call too.

[Remali]

**UPDATE on Sept. 3rd**

I got the call this morning! I had applied at a place that makes supercomputers, gosh that was 2 months ago I applied..... this morning I got the call! Wow! It is full time, more money, no weekends, and day shift! I start tomorrow..... fingers crossed everything goes well and my back doesn't give me grief! I'm really excited. I did similar work back in the 1980's and early 1990's and I liked it (for the same company actually atho since then it has been bought out a couple times by other companies.....), but when the manufacturing jobs laid off that was when we all got laid off (in the 1990's) and I decided to go to technical college for Health Information Management.

Sure hope good luck is with me and this is a nice job.....sure sounds like it, altho it has been bought out by another company so things may have changed. At any rate.....it is close by too.....only two and a half miles away!

[Ranger44]

I sure hope this works for you. You've been almost snake bit with jobs lately. Maybe you can catch some of FW's good luck and find the right fit this time.

[Gypsy Rose]

Wooooohooooo! That's fantastic! Keeping my fingers crossed for you that this works out!

[Remali]

My first day at the supercomputer job was wonderful! I had a feeling it would be! I had worked for a similar company before, and in fact this company used to actually be a part of that company I had worked for back in the 1980's, it was a good place to work for back then and it seems it still is. So far the people were friendly and really nice, I love the work, and the hours are great, the working environment is fabulous..... I'm a Happy Camper!
Best of all, they have the work stations at the correct height, very good and very cushioned floor mats, just a really easy and nice work station.....so my back did not cause me any trouble at all today, and I was on my feet all day! :cowboy:

[AppyLady]

Yea!! I'm glad the new job is working out so well!

[Remali]

Thanks! I'm so relieved, and really happy! :happydance:

[Petra]

My first day at the supercomputer job was wonderful! I had a feeling it would be! I had worked for a similar company before, and in fact this company used to actually be a part of that company I had worked for back in the 1980's, it was a good place to work for back then and it seems it still is. So far the people were friendly and really nice, I love the work, and the hours are great, the working environment is fabulous..... I'm a Happy Camper!
Best of all, they have the work stations at the correct height, very good and very cushioned floor mats, just a really easy and nice work station.....so my back did not cause me any trouble at all today, and I was on my feet all day! :cowboy:


what a good news! i'm very happy for you.:clap:

[Remali]

Thank you. This is such a huge relief. It's kind of nice to get back into what I used to do too!

We have a ton of overtime right now, sounds like for the entire month of September it will be six 10 hour days...... so if I am not on here a lot, that'll be why.....LOL. The money will be nice tho.

[Gypsy Rose]

That's fantastic that it went so well for you! That extra money will really come in handy, I'll bet!