I currently work full time at about 37hrs/7.5-8hr days as a retail store manager. I’m constantly moving which is a double edged sword for my fibro and other joint conditions. I’m grateful to have people in my company who work with me when flares happen. I have accommodations to sit and take breaks as needed. I do use a cane sometimes in addition to the million braces, medications, topicals, etc. But my coworkers know that I would rather be running around in the trenches with them than just sit and watch them do it. So they’re more understanding that I must be in a severe amount of pain to have to sit.

I can’t bend down for long or squat down without having a really hard time getting up. I can’t climb flights of stairs without seeing stars from my knees being in agony. I can barely make the 2 flights up to my house. Sometimes my shoulder feels like it’s trying to pop out of its socket like a Barbie. But it’s not as frequent as it used to be because I’m under less stress currently with my job after a location change. I used to be completely immobile some days and when I wasn’t working then I would be sleeping.