About 300 of us have been made redundant at Telecom New Zealand and now I have to try and dredge up the energy to find a new job. Its very daunting, how am I going to manage it? Telecom has been so good too me and this is very scarey. My RA is under control but the fatigue is very debilitating.
It was just a long weekend this weekend, I spent Saturday and Sunday relaxing, resting, sleeping and reading. Yesterday I was up and about in the sun and taking photographs, it was so nice. When we got home I napped for 3 hours and then didnt stay up too late. I slept the whole night and this morning at work I am yawning my head off. I feel like I have sleeping sickness (African tropical disease). It seems I can never get enough sleep, I hate it! Sometimes I wish I could just go to sleep and never wake up.
In a month I have no job and no income!
You are so obviously going through the grieving stages. It makes sense, losing your job is a huge loss. I am still grieving losing mine. Eventually you will find things to get out of bed for. You will get another job. Just remember - worrying is totally unproductive. Maybe you need some extra sleep to deal with all this. Things do work out though. I was in the same position and very scared. Slowly but surely my marriage has improved, we have cut expensives (selling my car, I can't drive anyway) and accepting the losses. You will too. Nurture yourself and don't blame yourself for how you are feeling. Blame is another destructive, unproductive emotion. Go take some pictures and figure out how to share them with usYou are a talanted photographer. Why aren't you making a career out of this. I looked at your website and the photographer's in my area that do work like that make a fortune. Can you use this time to make the leap and do this fulltime?
I'm not kidding; your work is beautiful. Maybe this job loss is a sign from above that you should be doing something else with your life. Maybe make a living out of a passion?
She's not your average picture taker......she's really got an eye for it. Check out her website. It's really awesome.
I'm really sorry you are loosing your job. I know that has to be stressful; but I'm a firm believer that when a door closes another one opens. Hopefully by this time next year you'll look back and say "Had I not lost my job with Telecom I would never had found myself here and so, so happy." Everything happens for a reason. I just hope this will be a smooth transition for you.
Hang in there.
Thanks so much girls, I have been trying to think of these good things but I do feel such sorrow to be losing my team after working with these great people for nearly 7 years, day in and day out.
I have been thinking for a long time about my photography as I do work part time as well, as a photographer for stock and other work that comes to me through my web site. I applied and had a good interview last week for a full time photography job and am holding thumbs, but the competition is stiff. I made it onto the short list of 5 and should hear this week, but am not too hopeful. Also, I dont know if I am up too it, its a much more physically demanding job!
Thanks for the compliments. Photography is my real love and it makes me really happy.
Wendy~I wasn't just being nice. (Although I am a nice person!) But your photographs are absolutely outstanding. We have photographers in our area that are raking it in on what you do.
Do you develope them yourself. Can you do everything? Why not put the word out to do some family pictures and go to their house....or a park and do them. Weddings are a gold mine!! There's a big call for that. I'd love to have some one near me that could do what you do for a reasonable price. The ones that do it around here charge a fortune! I dabbled in a little photography in high school so I know the cost aren't nearly as high as they charge. DO you have a dark room or can you rent one to develope.
I'd kill for your talent! That's your ticket girl. You could do what you love and make a living too. The American Dream. (Or should I say the New Zealand)
I'm facing the tired thing too. I was blaming it all on my anemia, but yesterday the hematologist said my hemoglobin was up after the iron infusion I had in December. Now I'm thinking that the tired is here to stay and not just something that can be fixed. He asked me if my job was too much for me (3 afternoons a week) and I really had to think. I really don't like feeling like this,even more, I don't like thinking that it is ongoing. All I seem to do is nap. We went camping to Wilsons Promontory (Victoria) last week and I spent the whole time sitting doing Sudokus and napping. Went in the ocean once. I went on one walk (flattish and about 5 km) slowly but still got back to the car totally wasted and when I got back to the campground I had ANOTHER nap.Wendy, you absolutely have the talent to be a professional. You should investigate the US markets. New Zealand is such a beautiful country. I'm sure that travel magazines, ad agencies, other stock photography places would love your work.
Regarding the fatigue, is FM a possibility for either of you. RA brings enough fatigue, but FM will sink you to the depths.
Thanks Deanna, but what is FM?Fibromylagia. It makes you really, really tired and a lot of people get it secondary to RA. If you need more info, we can post stuff for you.Lovie, I use film for black and white but not much. I use digital (have a FORTUNEs worth of equipment) and being a designer, am an expert in Photoshop if you'll excuse my immodesty. So for me, its really easy to crop or change lighting on computer.
I am doing a wedding for a friend in Feb (17th) and its on the beach, I am quite worried about the day as its going to be long, hot and walking about in the sand dunes and on the sand isnt going to go down well. My asthma is playing up too. This is my point, why I am worried. Bloody RA!
No doubt I can understand your hesitance.
I remember before I started taking Humira; I would come home from work and be absolutely exhasted! Humira made a really big difference. Have you or your doctor considered it or a simular medication.
I've since been taken off Humira; and it's only been three weeks off; but the horrible fatigue hasn't returned as off yet. I was thrilled with the results I got for more than two years. I'd highly resommend that.
Deanna has some really great ideas about the travvel mags. That's a great idea.
Re FM, I dont have that terrible pain that I had before treatment of RA, so the MTX has really really helped me. But some of the FM symptoms (I looked them up) are familiar, the shooting pains (I still get those mildly), the deep muscle ache, the TMJ (tempero mandibular joint) problems, the waking up exhausted, restless legs (not often tho) and muscle jerking when falling asleep.
I think I may ignore it for now because there doesnt seem much you can do about it....and RA is bad enough to deal with
The fatigue is like torture though....
Physical therapy or swimming might help if you can do those. Water therapy starts out really slow so that you can build up. The other big thing is deep REM sleep. This means that they need to rule out any sleep problems like sleep apnea, Restless Leg syndrome. Some people get help with either a sleep aid or an antidepressant.
But you are right RA on it's own is enough. Why do they have to add anything else? I hope you get some kind of relief soon.
That water therapy swimming thing is a good idea Deanna, and I called the pool but on my way home from work time, its not available. I havent had the energy to do anything more about it. I should, its jolly hot here right now.
I started some iron tablets last night and I swear today I feel less tired even though I forgot about it, I remembered earlier, wondering why I was feeling so good! I hope it is the iron and its helping, wouldnt that be fantastic!
Starting Weight Watchers this evening I am so sorry. This must be devastating! I am sending you ((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))) and prayers.
Nancy
Wendy, don't give up on the pool idea. Some people have been able to use the pools only at fitness centers, senior centers, YMCAs (if you have them), schools, etc. Then there are exercises on the the net and I believe the Arthritis Foundation has some at their site at www.arthritis.org. Weight Watchers is a great idea.
Also see the article I just posted on FM. Maybe that will give you some ideas as well.
Hope you feel better soon. It does take time and baby steps to build your body back up.
Hi wendy, The pool is a great idea if you can get to one. Its the only place I feel as if my body isnt dragging me down.The temp has to be right though.The fatigue can be more of a burden than the pain itself.I am always tired, it disrupts my whole life.
The photographs of New Zealand are beautiful. We have friends in Browns Bay and have attempted to go and see them but so far everytime we make plans I get ill and the journey from UK IS 24 hours so I really dont think I will ever get there.
Sorry to hear about your job.
Pin Cushion Browns Bay is a hop and skip (ha ha) from where I live, its beautiful and hopefully one day you can visit, you will love NZ. Hi Wendy - it seems you are going through a bad patch at the moment & hope things improve for you. Are you able to work full time - I believe unemployment is low in NZ