I’m a healthcare assistant on a busy orthopedic ward and totally love my job, but I recently saw the Occupational Health Department and this ‘advisor’ basically told me to quit my job and find office work . Not going to happen and I made that very clear to my boss. Especially after telling them I haven’t had a confirmed diagnosis of MS and am under investigation for it. Neurologist is only 99% certain it’s MS (his words) in my eyes that still isn’t a diagnosis.
Lucky for me my boss is fantastic and we’ve come to the agreement that I will no longer work night shifts and will work a 12 hour shift every other than rather than 3 in a go.
I just wanted to know if having MS has affected what work you do and if you’ve had to change jobs or even give up work?
Have you had to cut your hours? Lengths of your shift?
i was a staff nurse for 10 years then 4 years at home with kids then worked in a coffee shop for 5 years. after 2 years at coffee shop (which was also 2 years after diagnosis) i had to give up. but for 2 years boss did what she could-i more or less picked my shifts and got a stool for rests whenever i wanted. i had to give up when i couldnt make myself a cuppa let alone customers! am still in touch with that boss now-even tho she has moved job. now struugle to speak,cant hold a pen and more recently lost eyesight completely in left eye. but on a positive note-i get a powerchair soon
Hi I am in process of going back to work after my dx early this year. I worked 12 hour shifts including nights on a 4 on 4 off. I discussed this pattern with my neurologist who advised this wasn’t goin to be ppossible. Work have been great and have moved into a new role that will allow some home working. I haven’t started yet but hopin to sstart a phased return to work in next couple of week. I have a great boss tthat has really supported me as occupational health automatically put everyone with ms inthe ssame bracke and not rrealisin that eeveryone is different. Iam frightened sabout the return but I need to do this to get my life back and be able to look to the future with MS.
I recently lost my job purely down to the current economic climate so I’ve been working freelance at a couple of companies since, was due to start work on a new contract for 3 months on Monday but had to phone in sick as I had a relapse over the weekend, told work something else as I don’t wont to disclose my MS, my job involves a lot of mobility, meetings etc, seeing different people in different depts so my legs are fairly essential. I do feel that I could be getting to the end of my working life though but I dread to think how I will pay the mortgage etc.
Hi I am in process of going back to work after my dx early this year. I worked 12 hour shifts including nights on a 4 on 4 off. I discussed this pattern with my neurologist who advised this wasn’t goin to be ppossible. Work have been great and have moved into a new role that will allow some home working. I haven’t started yet but hopin to sstart a phased return to work in next couple of week. I have a great boss tthat has really supported me as occupational health automatically put everyone with ms inthe ssame bracke and not rrealisin that eeveryone is different. Iam frightened sabout the return but I need to do this to get my life back and be able to look to the future with MS.
I have a great boss too …I work part time well three and a half days, however this is due to having a three year old. I actually went back three days after having him and as he has got older increased my hours as I felt I didn’t want to be at home all the time when my son is at school everyday so whilst there were extra hours I took them. Your occy health dpt cannot tell you what to do. You know what your capable of and to be far you won’t know what you can cope with until you don’t. Your boss is obviously very good and sounds like he has adapted your shifts in a good way. I’m certainly not going to let it effect me in my job not whilst I feel capable. I’ve had some absences but in comparison to others in my workplace who take advantage they have not been anything major. Longest one was five weeks and even then I keep sneaking in as being at home drove me mad. So you do what you feel you can and don’t be bossed about and told what you can or can’t do. I was diagnosed 2004, and until my last relapse was doing well, I still think I’m doing okay just now its time for DMDs and I have a daft left leg. But it doesn’t stop me working. Stops me from wearing damn heels though xxxx
Hi - I was diagnosed last Nov and I’ve just asked my manager for a reduction in hours. When I spoke to her she said she was glad I’d come to this decision because “you look dead on your feet by the end of the week”. So I start my shorter hours at the beginning of June and I’m hoping that will mean I’ve got the energy to do some of the things I want to do, instead of struggling to get done the things I need to do.
I’m a secretary to 3 Directors and amongst other things, my MS affects my hands & fingers (tingling & numbness) but my bosses are all brilliant. I’ve not reduced my hours as such, but I leave home later in the mornings and arrive at the office at about 9.15am, as opposed to 8.30am previously.
They are all very careful as to what they give me with regard to typing & filing and try not to give me typing all at the same time and they are very flexible about when it has to be completed by. All in all, I’m very lucky with regard to my work.
I’m determined I’m not going to quit my job and as long as I can carry on as I am, I’ll be happy.
These posts are v.uplifting…it is good to know that adjustments are readily made, my last boss was crap,asked to be moved and reduced my hours…best thing I ever did,new boss flexible
No longer able to write (no strength or control in hand), speaking became hesitant and very difficult. No flexibility in right leg (use a walking stick and FES to move indoors or outdoors).
I used to be office-based computer support but now have difficulty getting from desk to desk/building to building, speaking to users either face-to-face or by telephone, typing emails (very slow with any dexterity in only one hand) and no longer have the manual steadiness to install/replace hardware.
Work were very good and we tried all sorts of adjustments before it was eventually accepted that even basic stuff had become too difficult for me, and let me go!!
…I really miss it, since I live on my own and rarely speak to anyone now
I have asked to reduce my hours, which will happen for September as they have advertised for a Teacher to take over my job full time, and I believe the plan is I will take smaller numeracy groups (which will involve sitting rather than moving round a class of 30 or more). They suggested reducing hours sooner, but since they have no-one to pick up any of the hours at the moment it isn’t looking likely to happen. Although since I am off again with another relapse I suspect they have renewed looking. Part of me wants to slow down asap. part of me wants the full time pay for as long as possible as it will allow me to accelerate paying off my car loan and take a bit of pressure off. Luckily my husband can cover most of the bills, mortgage, etc.
One thing I have heard about from a friend is the Access to Work scheme - they can fund or help fund things at work to help, including equipment, travel costs if you cannot use public transport or drive, and a support worker. My friend has a friend with ms and she gets a support worker in class with her 3 days a week funded through this scheme, which has allowed her to work longer hours than she would have otherwise. Worth a try if you think there are things that would help, there may well be computer things to help with secretarial work etc.
My company have been brilliant and I can’t complain. I work in an office two days a week and three days at home where I am fully set up to work. They paid for hand controls for my car and pay for cabs on days I can’t drive in. If I need anything at work like changing my hours it is not a big problem and for that I am very grateful. I need the money to pay for my mortgage and the bills and nice things like treats…
My company have been brilliant and I can’t complain. I work in an office two days a week and three days at home where I am fully set up to work. They paid for hand controls for my car and pay for cabs on days I can’t drive in. If I need anything at work like changing my hours it is not a big problem and for that I am very grateful. I need the money to pay for my mortgage and the bills and nice things like treats…
Ive just quit my job today after being on sick since last june. I was working on the steelworks as a plant operator, driving earthmovers. I was dx’d with rrms in august and started taking tysabri in november. My right leg is still weak and my balance poor. Work gave me the choice of staying on sick with the prospect of having to take a works medical or to take severance pay. As I’d fail a medical i took the latter option and accepted the severance pay. I’ll miss my workmates and the money but it was a very dusty and dirty enviroment plus i worked a lot of hours, between 54-90 hours a week on shifts which now would be impossible for me to handle. Still the severance pay was quite generous and i can use it to pay my debts off. Still not happy about how my lifes changed so much
xxxx