For many years, I have got a chronic pain syndrome and I learnt how to do pain management. BUT in 2015 my right elbow and arm became the worst nightmare by having excruciating pain.
From 2015, I have been visiting my Gp and the Neurologists of the Waikato Hospital for the assessment on finding what causes my arm, neck, elbow and shoulder to weaken or nerve damage. Last year, I had an MRI for the neck area in December and the result came through on the 17th January this year. My neck was in excellent condition and the specialist said the elbow was the main core problem that causes the nerve problem. Now I am on the waiting list for the second update nerve conduction assessment because the first one was done in 2015. Last Monday I received a letter from the Waikato Hospital and I am on the waiting list for another 4 to 12 months from last week. I was pissed off and angry that I have to wait for a long time. I am not selfish that I want to be the first person and to have my elbow done at the Neurology service. Because I know there are many people on the huge waiting lists over many years even my sister. It was very frustrating time for my partner and me.
Looking at my work environment and our home/gardens – what the plans are that I need to change or to stop working until I get better?
First of all, my work. I am a deaf community support worker for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deafblind, a deaf advocator and a literacy and NZSL tutor. I am a deaf historian/researcher as well.
Out of the blue, my director said to me that I am working 15 hours a week instead of 7.5 hours a week last year. I can work from home and from workplace now and it was a positive result for me. I start working from home when I am unable to drive to the city of Hamilton, the pain returns every morning or overnight or doing home visits around Waikato. Because I can rest my elbow, arm and shoulder easily at home. BUT I have restricted some workloads such as preparing literacy materials, NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language) materials and the Deaf History projects.
The good side of the positive research on the Deaf Education – discovering more about the first teacher of the Deaf in New Zealand and her name was Dorcas Mitchell who arrived in the late 1860s. I managed to locate her whereabouts and her life after she left Christchurch, New Zealand for Australia, even where she died. BUT this research project stops here due to my health issue and no iMac desktop at home last month.
Due to the iMac desktop were no longer working. I decide to raise money to buy a new iMac desktop at the end of December, last year. Here is my website – if you can help me, raise money Taking out a loan and use our personal incomes according to one person suggest from the FaceBook page and another person suggest use the laptop and plugin. However, these comments were negative to me, because these people don’t realise that I have got a health issue and paying the bills even mortgage. I don’t earn a lot of money, not my partner’s income. The Deaf history projects are for the community even around the world. It is about learning and sharing our Deaf culture, history and sign language for the community. It is not for me and most of the people still don’t know about our Deaf culture, history and sign language today.
Solution how I do the pain management in each day?
I am forced to set up a comfortable workstation such as setting up my personal laptop that allows my eye contact to the monitor screen. My Deaf History/researches materials are pilling up and left on the floor. I am forcing myself to limit the hours – one or two hours a day only, on typing the keyboard and looking at the monitor screen. Why that? Sitting upright and working over the keyboard and looking at the monitor, it drained my energy and cause the nerve to become very tiring. Yes, I get very tired in the late afternoon and I take tablets every evening which I don’t want to continue taking tablets for the rest of my life. I am not allowed to drive in the evening because the tablet causes me to become sleepness. My goal is to stop taking tablets 17th January to 17th March until I need it if the pain persists in the future.
I am forcing myself to limit the time by doing the gardening projects and around the home. The gardens are overgrown with weeds and uncomplete projects such as plant cuttings, laying down the wood edges around the gardens and doing up the new vegetable garden by putting up compost bins, new fences.
One hour a day only
I can do one hour only, not every day when I am home or the weather is fine and cool. My partner- Rusty, is often home during the weekend and he reminds me when the time is up. I am not allowed to do repairing jobs such as replacing the rotten fence, lift out the large bulbs or shrubs, making garden edges or carry the wheelbarrow to the compost bins. I have to ask Rusty to help when he is home and during his absence, I have to rely on a timer and carry with me.
I can’t do every two or three days a week to do gardening BUT if I am lucky to be well enough to do the gardening and to wear the compressed bandage after doing the gardening. We don’t have any money to pay someone to do the gardening for me because of the other people charge quite a lot of money e.g. $45 an hour or $50 an hour including travel or mileage. I know most people don’t like large dogs as well.
I attend the physio when I need the treatment and pay for the ACC cost. It is not cheap and I am paying the treatment up to a year or more.
I am not allowed to carry the heavy load of shopping bags or boxes. I have to ask for help even the persons I am supporting.
Keep records of pain flared in my diary and let my GP know what happens. It is my daily diary. The diary helps me to know when I have a bad day or a good day, how bad the pain was before or after and what kind of activities I do each day.
I do a lot of restings from work and activities and I try to sleep better. It is not about stress and having trouble sleeping!
Always ask for help when doing preparing meals and feeding our three dogs even let our dogs out for a long run on our large property.
Sooner, I will ask ACC for the home/work assistance on the loss of my hour of works and to pay someone to do the job for me.
Some days are good than a bad day for me. My hope is to return a normal activity and to continue to do Deaf History project for the community even to do the gardening project which I love the most and enjoy.
Life in Eureka 
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