None of us think we have time to get sick, living in a wellness crazed society. Too busy. Too many responsibilities. Simply no time to get sick.

In reality, if you are among the 100+ million Americans who live with chronic illness, you know that you do have time to get sick and even if you don’t, you can still get sick. In fact, the Health Insurance Association of America reports that 30 percent of all Americans age 35 to 65 years old will suffer a 90+ day disability sometime during their careers.

Often there is no bright line between being sick and being well. Some people are unable to work, some have obvious diminished capabilities, and others face illnesses that few people know about. Perhaps you are among the walking wounded, with "invisible" illness.

So, how do you deal daily with illness while you maintain a productive life in the workplace? How do you overcome the added challenges and feel healthier on the job, whether that is a job out of the home, an in-home business, or the challenging role of managing a household?

Living with illness changes how you view your job and requires many subtle and not so subtle adjustments in your life. These changes include resetting your expectations of yourself, maintaining a healthy attitude and sense of humor, getting better at learning when to say "no" without feeling bad about it, and learning how to communicate your special needs to others without feeling like you are complaining or whining.

Patient Press sponsors www.Icantgetsick.com to provide a window to some valuable resources to help you find the time, and more importantly find a way, to live with illness on the job. Many of these resources are available at www.patientpress.com. Among the many resources you can find are:

• Survival Tool Kit, which includes practical information about various ways you can proactively work to lift your mood and enhance your attitude
• Resource Links, which takes you to over 50 Web sites that our authors have found helpful and informative, including government, disease-specific, and alternative care Web sites.

Two issues in particular stand out in importance for people living with illness in the context of their work. As a preventive measure, having a good long-term disability insurance plan is often overlooked. The following Web sites can help you know what you need to know when deciding on a long-term disability plan:

• www.about-disability-insurance.com, sponsored by insurance broker Steve Crawford, this site provides definitions and explanations of the various aspects of disability policies, how to read an insurance policy, and what features to look for in choosing a plan, if that option is available
• http://www.benefitnews.net/Disability-Critical%20Illness%20Page.htm , an excellent 2002 article from CNN/Money article by Annelena Lobb, "Ouch, Don’t forget disability insurance"
• www.life-line.org/disability/, sponsored by Health Insurance Association of America and the Agency for Healthcare Policy and Research
• http://law.freeadvice.com/insurance_law/disability_insurance, a legal information site for consumers and small businesses
• www.ssa.gov/dibplan/, the Social Security Administrations "Disability Planner"

The other area of special interest is the Americans with Disabilities Act (Public Law 101-336), offering people with disabilities protection—often not well understood—in the workplace for. It is an important area to be well informed so that you can work with your employer to help you be as productive as possible, which ultimately serves both you and your employer. Most public libraries maintain a copy of "ADA Information File," a comprehensive source for detailed information, much of which is also available on-line. Here are some Web sites where you can find more information:

• www.disabilityinfo.gov, the U.S. government’s "comprehensive federal Web site for disability related government resources.
• www.ada.gov, Americans with Disabilities Act Home Page, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice
  • www.ada.gov/q&aeng02.htm, "Questions and Answers"
  • www.ada.gov/cguide.pdf, "Guide to Disability Rights Laws"
  • www.ada.gov/workta.pdf, "Guide for Persons with Disabilities Seeking Employment"
  • www.ada.gov/smbusgd.pdf, "Guide for Small Businesses"
• www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-ada.html, Facts and Myths about the ADA
• www.jan.wvu.edu, sponsored by the Job Accomodation Network’s ADA Hot Links and Document Center

Please contact us for more information by e-mailing doug@patientpress.com

Living Better: Every Patient’s Guide to Living with Illness

Living Better: A Christian Group Study Guide, by Carol and Doug Langenfeld

Faith & Illness: Reflections on God’s Sustaining Love, by Nancy Groves