working

[natemiller]

Hello everyone. I am new to this site. My chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome started about six months ago. After being in the ER several times, and on my third urologist finally they did a prostatic massage and tested the fluid for infection. None, he tells me I have CPPS, which I already knew. I was given temp disability for about 3 weeks. When I saw the last uro I had been feeling a little better, so He told me to go back to work. Now it's beginning to start up again. Plus I have bad IBS and anxiety also. My main question is, How do you guys work? Going to work is so stressful that it causes chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome and IBS to act up. I just don't know how I can work like this? I'm 29.

-Nate

[webslave]

I gave up working for several years to get better. Then I took contracts from home (I was in IT consulting).

[robertpagen]

I lived through many bad years and I always worked. This seems to have been a net positive. It kept my mind busy and forced a focus outside myself. I lived in New York and every day outside I came across someone who had it as hard or harder than me. The money made it possible to experiment with treatments and healthy food.

I know personally several persons who have faced chronic issues over the years. Those who were not employed all became drug dependent. I have a friend today who was on this site years ago but who has dropped out. He is an addict on tramadol. He is a nice man but the last thing he needed was idle time to reflect on his pain.

Not working was never a possibility. The type of work I did allowed me some schedule management and I did not have to sit all day. I considered myself fortunate. I could use a rest room when I needed.

Now there was an economic and career cost to suffering with pelvic pain. Some opportunities were lost but that is life. On the other hand there was at least one case where pelvic pain saved my life so you just never know.

There are so many ways to work. Stay home and write. Deliver mail. Just think outside the box. Pelvic pain erodes ones social life if you allow it to. Work is an important part of self esteem.

In no way should this note be interpreted as judgemental on those who feel they cannot work. I had many a day where I dragged myself in to work hours late. I was fortunate to have flexible bosses. I understand. Still I did find something strange. Many times on the days where I felt terrible, when I dragged myself into Manhattan and focused on a project by the end of the day I felt passable, which in those days was as good as it got.

Some of those days worked out magically. Opportunities came into my life which would have passed me by were I at home.

Do what you can do. Be well,

Robert

[natemiller]

Thanks for the replies. Working with IBS and Anxiety is bad enough. But with chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome it is worse. Luckily it seems to have settled down a bit, but then now my IBS is flaring bad. oh well

[chewydog]

I worked through the pain! I never missed a day due to this nasty condition. I felt it gave me a purpose and forced me to go on with my life.. Even tho at the height of the pain I had stopped making long term plans and my future looked pretty dark. I then found this forum and spent many hours reading and asking questions. I slowly started to feel better which helped me turn my darkness into brightness! I'm presently about 95-98 % normal. Some weeks I go 2-3 days feeling 100% normal so I'm still going in the right direction.

I could of easily stayed inside, not worked, ate pills to stop the pain, but I had good friends who understood!

[guy97]

Chewy, what's your regimen? (Or what was it?)

[chewydog]

My regimen, hum good question. I spent many hours looking on this site! I ordered headache of the pelvis, read it cover to cover! Started stretching daily, sometimes 2X a day. I then started on any accredited quercetin product then went to Quercetin, plus I was taking Quercetin at the time. I think my big break came when I started taking Elavil and Flexeril, both 10 mg each. I went and saw a doctor, explained to him what I had and what I wanted to do and he said sure lets try it. My pharmacist also said to take them together as they somehow need each other to work on chronic pain. I noticed almost over night after I started taking those two!!! Start a pain log so you know when and what your taking so if you see any changes you can see why!!!

I did suffer for 6 months tho, with some gain with the early meds, but like I said my big break was the Elavil and Flexeril. I also found a PT that knew of my condition and she know all about internal work. I went to her for about 20 treatments, every two weeks. The exercise that helped me go to the next level was lying on my back, touch the soles of your feet together, bring them up tight to your butt and flex the big muscles in your butt cheeks. I do that still every night, plus I slept with a heating pad on my butt and wrapped it around my groin area. I still use the pad once in a while, when I think things are getting tight, but it might be in my head, who knows!!! I was taking the Elevil and flexeril 2X daily, but I now down to 1X daily in the morning, with no I'll effects. I also stopped smoking, no booze for at least 6 months, plus I went at least 4 months with very little sex, mind you the pain was so bad it wasn't that tough to go without back then. Lots of rest and no "stress" also helped.

Now I'm back to drinking, smoking" cigars" and no lots either, sex is good again, but sleep is still a big factor.

I'm still healing as everyday I feel a little better for longer periods, in the summer I went weeks without a single issue, life is pretty good again. Today, my only nagging issue and it's not really that bad is my penis head gets cold and that only happens once in a while, now with winter I use those hand warmers if I need too!!!!

One word of advice, is careful what you read on the internet, some of it can scare the hell out of you!!!! I now limit myself to this site, as I want to forget this condition!!! But I do come on here and try to help other as I found this site very helpful and put me on the road to recovery!!!!

I hope some of what I've written has helped!!

My world changed July 04/10, but I'm so much better, just remember you will get better!!! If you got any questions please ask!!! I'll check back for awhile to see if you need anything else!