Jobs - Forum - Vitiligo Friends

Randy K November 18, 2009 at 1:51pm

LEO for 21 years, now teach, never has affected my careers. Will people look sure, some have even asked, no big deal for me I would just explain what vitiligo is. It is what you make it out to be, it affects how you allow it to affect you. JMTCW.

J Cruz November 18, 2009 at 5:23am

I feel the same way. I am going to school to become an accountant. Im a little scared of the after process especially since being a female and going into the coprorate business is hard within itself. Right now I work in with a small business that deals with investment properties and I deal with a lot of tenants. I dont think its so bad now because I dont have too much vit but if I learn to accept it now I think it will help later.

amr assaf October 29, 2009 at 3:09pm

well now am a fresh graduate , and the whole situation about me going to interviews is kinda hard to deal with specially in where i live !

i worked as a cashier in a lot of stores during my stay in the us "for study and work" , my hands had spots and 99% of my job was about my hands ..lol ...giving change , bagging ...etc
sometimes it was hard , specially when you come across all kind of people ....anyway what iv seen in so many people made me notice that VITILIGO is not a huge issue ...

Cara Twillie October 28, 2009 at 3:35pm

I teach Elementary Physical Education. I work with kids all day 5 days a week. The love me for who I am and I find that if I am in public and I see my students and they run to hug me.....it helps other people around accept me for who I am. Not that I am really looking for the acceptance. I quit walking with my head down a long time ago. Now I hold it up high....look me in the eye or look away.....not my problem!

I dont suffer from vitiligo nor do I live with it.......Vitiligo has to live with me!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tonia Martin October 28, 2009 at 12:01pm

Well Amy, I've worked as a bartender in a major restaurant chain for about five years and not once did someone treat me any different. I handled food, made drinks and placed fruit in their drinks with my vit infected hands. Not one time did someone say something out of the ordinary or treat me any different. Now, I work for state government and the people here treat me like I have the plague or something, and they are suppose to be educated folks. My boss was the only one (initially) that treated me like a human being and shrugged it off. I never forget the first or second day working for him as a temp he says to me "oh, you have that skin disease/disorder" and he kept it moving like it was nothing. Now since then, the other folks that act like they are going to catch something from me have influenced him and he now treats me differently (wiping his hands off after I hand him a document). I just try to stay calm and make it through my day. Since working at this job I've become self conscious about having vit and have become more secluded. I know that I shouldn't let them influence me this way, but after nearly five years of working there, they have broken my spirit. I now have to find a way to climb out of this slump and push forward. With the job market the way that it is, it is going to be tough to look for something else. I will agree also that being positive and upbeat about it really makes a difference. I developed vit while working at the restaurant but never let it get me down and people saw that and reacted to the positive "vibes" I gave out. Now where I work my vit has spread atleast 25% more than when I first started there and it stands out even more -- so I don't know if visibility plays a part or my broken spirit. I worry about going to apply for other jobs -- wondering if having vit covered hands will keep me from finding a job.

Mayra > Tonia Martin October 28, 2009 at 2:22pm

hi tonia. I hate that anyone would have to deal with what you're currently going through. What upsets me most is that these "educatededucated" ppl don't even consider googleing our skin condition. It would only take about 5 minutes tops for them to find out that it's not contagious. I wish you the best of luck.
- Tonia Martin > Mayra October 31, 2009 at 10:05am
  
  Hi Mayra. You hit the nail on the head by asking why haven't these people considering googling our skin condition and finding out that its not contagious. I believe that some people just want to put others in a box and just leave them and not learn what is actually going on with them. I've never been judgmental of others, and especially people with medical conditions. But I will try to find some positive aspects of this condition and concentrate on those. Thanks for the luck lady ..... because I definitely need it. :)
AMY > Tonia Martin October 28, 2009 at 1:31pm

awww.. Tonia, i totally understand where you are coming from. I am having a hard time myself dealing with finding another job, the anxiety that comes with it is hard! people at my job tend to not have eye contact with me when they are handing me something. it hurts alot. i once confided in another co worker about my skin then one day when we had a falling out she said, you are so ugly with that skin disease. just to hurt me. sometimes the most educated people are the most ignorant ones sad but true! also having vitiligo hinders me from getting a job that i really want, i tend to settle for something less. it is very hard! i don't care what anyone says, when it comes to people saying that if you put a good face on and be positive that everything will be fine, it's hard because if you don't feel good about yourself how can you possibly show that on the outside? thank you so much for sharing and know that you r not alone. :)
- Tonia Martin > AMY October 31, 2009 at 10:00am
  
  Thanks Amy, I know that I'm not alone in this struggle. We will all have to keep each other motivated to do what's best for ourselves. I know that a lot of people are like why are we being so negative about our condition, but it's not us, it is how people treat us and unless you are in our shoes it's hard to understand. That was very mean and hurtful what your co-worker said to you and I know that it hurt you deeply. But some how, someway we are going to rise above all of the foolishness and become the great people that we were put here to become.

Diamondgirl July 9, 2009 at 4:35am

From my experience, I have been told by my Derm.(skin doctor) that the sun can help with proper sun block and with vitamin D pills is what I have been told. I do remember when my skin first started turning it was very noticeable at work and I felt like as soon as someone walked in that is all that they seen. However, I don't think that no employer makes reference to our skin It is all about being productive and getting the job done. Vitiliigo attacks us inside and outside. It is emotions that affects us mostly. My job(s) have always been public service work I am right out in the community in the open. And I do get looks and I get questions. And I have also meet those with the same skin condition, however I love my job and love community base position. But I think with me it me it is how I feel that day or what I chose to wear. I must sayime and I will say it time again, I still have uncomfortable moments but for the most p part I just go about my day. I now see that life can be taken at anytime so I try to just learn to appreciate where I am today. But still real hard when new spots come. I am just glad that I have life today. And still continue to seek out new methods. People are going to be people we all look at others side ways for one thing or another it could be a person walking with tons of kids (we judge them) it could be a man at the bus stop on with suit (we think he should have a car), some of even look at handicap person and attempt to make no efforts to assist (we try to figure out why they won't move faster) so even thou we see our skin as being unnormal there are so many other things that people would want to change to be in one of our shoes. So I say all this to say with a job they are looking for skills and dependability and if they are educated enough they are aware of vitiligo.

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