When the main symptom of your condition is just “pain,” doing things like getting up and on to work feels impossible on bad days. Today is a bad day for me. The only way I am getting any relief from the pain in my legs is my reclining under my weighted blanket, and I am unsteady on my feet.

I am incredibly lucky to have a supportive work environment and supervisors who allow me to work from home when needed. I filed the necessary paperwork to receive ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accommodations, which include a set number of hours where I am allowed to work from home, but sometimes I need to call in for my regularly scheduled office time.

Having a supportive work environment makes all the difference. I have shown them that I will get my work done even when I am not feeling well, but I also work in a place which values taking care of yourself and not burning out due to work. I am scared that once my contract is over, I will not have such understanding supervisors.

I can do work. I can do good work. But if my worth is measured in how well I can conform to sitting in an office for set hours, as the majority of work situations are set up, I just cannot perform. I take the moments of clarity when they come, and I can meet all deadlines, but I must do it my way.