How Working Women Are Managing Chronic Health Conditions

Chronic health conditions are long-term health conditions that last for a year or more and require regular medical treatment. They include diabetes, arthritis, autoimmune disease, and more. 

Studies show that women are more likely to have chronic health conditions than men, and some of the conditions specific to women include endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and fibromyalgia.  

Trying to live life with these chronic diseases can be challenging, not to mention building a career. For professional women, these challenges include limited productivity, little to no career advancement, and difficulties even in attaining a job. 

Drawing from the experiences of Samantha Salvaggio, Aimee Esther, and Heather Bladek Rubinate, we’ll explore how to build your desired career while living with a chronic health condition by detailing tangible tips and tricks.

In a detailed TikTok video, Samantha Salvaggio, a certified patient leader who has had Multiple Sclerosis for 18 years, detailed how people with chronic health conditions should approach work.

“Chronic illness doesn’t completely take away your choices, it changes the choices you have,” she said.

When it comes to work, she recommends tracking how you work so you can know when and how best to work. These tips include:

1. Track how your body and mind feel throughout the day. Track how much sleep you’re getting, how much you’re eating, your activity levels, and your symptoms. After a few weeks, look at your data for patterns and prioritize the lifestyle behaviors that help you feel better.
2. Outline your needs and the limits of your health. What do you have to do every day to feel your best? This will help you understand what your ideal situation is.
3. Observe your energy flows during the day. Pay attention to what recharges and depletes you, and create a work schedule that caters to this. 
4. Be honestand realistic with what you can do, and take breaks.
5. Create an optimal work environment to minimize energy drain, such as getting a comfy chair and setting up screens that are easy to see.

Samantha Salvaggio also advised how to approach disclosing to the Human Resources (HR) Department of the company:

• Know your rights and what is available to you before disclosing to HR. You are required to be able to do the essential requirements of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. 
• Be careful with whom you tell about your diagnosis. The only person required to keep your diagnosis confidential is HR. 
• After disclosure, you can ask for reasonable accommodation like longer breaks, working from home, a flexible work schedule, an ergonomic chair, and assistive technology. 

Aimee Esther, who has multiple chronic illnesses, POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), fibromyalgia, chronic migraines, PCOS, endometriosis, and more, details how she approaches work.  In her explainer YouTube video, she talks about knowing your needs and limits. Some ways to do this include:

• Assess your financial needs. Determine how much money you need to cover expenses and savings, not just your dream salary. Consider whether you have financial support, which affects whether you need immediate income or can build something long-term.
• Choose a suitable work structure. To be an entrepreneur or work independently, you need strong self-discipline, and if you work better with external structure, a traditional job with a boss might suit you better.
• Decide on work hours and flexibility. Do you need full-time or part-time work? Do you want to work on someone else’s schedule, need to set your own consistent schedule, or require complete day-to-day flexibility?
• Understand your physical limits. Consider what activities you can do without triggering symptom flares. Tailor your job choice to what your body can handle and for how long.

Although jobs might seem scarce for people with chronic conditions, experts suggest how to approach them. 

Identify your passions. Choose work that you are passionate about to help maintain motivation despite physical challenges. Aimee said passion helps push through difficult days and makes work feel rewarding rather than burdensome.

Choose the ideal career. In an article with Health Central, Heather Bladek Rubinate talks about refusing to allow cystic fibrosis to end her dream of pursuing a profession in the medical field. She wanted to work in medicine to help people the way her doctors helped her, but she switched her focus from being a doctor to a physician’s assistant (PA) after getting some post-college advice from someone whose opinion she valued, who said she’d be better able to manage her chronic condition and still work in medicine.

Heather took her mentor’s advice and went to PA school. After graduating, she started out in the emergency room and now works in an oncology infusion outpatient clinic. She still works in her dream field, but has modified her role to cater to her disease.