I retired on ill health grounds this year after working in the NHS for 18 years. I was a cardiographer (ECG Girl) when my symptoms started and had 3 months off sick before returning full time. I was only 18 at the time so had age on my side! I was told to carry on as normal so I did my nurse training, worked the long shifts, nights etc with no problems. When I look back I realise I was more tired than other women my age. I went on to gain my district nursing degree and was team leader of 11 staff before fatigue (and stress of the job) finally exhausted me. I also have a 3 year old who uses all my energy! My advice is to stay off sick (on your pay) for as long as you need. It is better to have one long term sick than lots of little sicknesses. The sick policies become a bit more fierce if you look like a regular offender! Use the staged/phased return to build your hours up. Do not rush to change your hours/contract until you are sure as once they have reduced hours and pay it is hard to ask for them back. Your pay will have been swallowed into the big pot, never to be seen by nurses again! Use your MS nurse to fight your corner if you have problems. I found that because I had always declared my health problems, even before a definite diagnosis there was no way the Trust/s that I worked for could throw anything back in my face. You will know deep down what is right for you so don’t over do it. Use their policies to your advantage. It’s been quite a novelty retiring at 36 years of age! My colleagues were so jealous, but it was the right thing for me.
I hope this has been helpful. Good luck with it all.
Thanks Mandy, Only two more sleeps till I start treatment, I am not looking forward to it, its not the injection that I am worried about, its just the reality of the whole thing. But I suppose I will get there because I have to. the past couple of days have been pretty good as the kids went back to school on monday so I have just been chiling out with the pup.
I am only part time 23hours per week, should be able to manage that when I go back.
I have got the ok to go back from occ health, but still have had no contact from HR. Its been nearly a month since I saw occ health. I was expecting to at least discuss the adjustments before I go back.
I use to be a midwife. 8 years ago I was diagnosed with RRMS. I took several weeks off recovering from a relapse and diagnosis, then returned to reduced hours in a very busy clinic. I was unfamiliar with the work load had dodgy eyes so found computor work very tiring and suffered with vertigo which generally slowed me down.
Sadly my so called colleagues after working with me for just one week were making comments, putting me down and basically showing no support at all. The next week I was called in to the managers office to be told that one of the midwives had complained that when they worked with me there workload was increased as I was so slow. (So much for the caring profession hey?) I walked out and never looked back. Luckilly after fighting like crazy I was awarded early retirement on medical grounds.
Present day, good news. I am fully mobile, the lethargy is controlled, keep fit and enjoy my life. I am about to start a new job (as a phlebotomist!) Yes I am always aware I have MS and have several symtoms but think myself as lucky.
My advice if you want to remain in nursing is to take a very long time off sick, (is it still paid for 3 months then 3 months half pay?) go back supernumary to very reduced hours (no way do 12 1/2 hr shifts) this way you can become familiar with the job again. I lost my pin no and I do miss it!
I’ve had huge time off as I was on mat leave from January 2011. Then due to go back end of october, but was signed off sick from then. Because I had been working for NHS forever I get 6 months full pay and then 6 months half. Which runs out end of October. I have had hassle the whole time I’ve been off sick, about getting me back to work. Now when its decided that I am feeling better (much better but not my normal level, and I’ve had MS since I first qualified) and have been cleared to go back on increasing hours up to 15 hours a week I have had no contact. Have to say union input has not been that helpful. Its not so much the big things, my legs get a bit wobbly, my fingers can’t do anything fine (sometimes even buttons are a challenge), but its the fatigue. They seem to forget I have a family to look after too and somedays I can’t do that to an acceptable level.
I can relate to what ggmarch is saying. I’m off on longterm sick just now and on 6 months full pay then 6 months half pay and I have only just over one month of full pay left.
The fatigue is a biggy with me too, and looking after my mad, full of energy wee boy seems to take everything I have never mind my husband, the house etc… let alone work!
I’m starting Copaxone soon, so hoping that will help.
Hi, guys, well I have given myself my first injection. Not too bad, now I feel.as if there’s a bus driving over me then reversing and doing it again, cant take any more pain killers till later. Hopefully it wont last too long. Xx
Hopefully it wont last too long and you feel normal before long, my hubby is a bus driver so I am laughing while visualising your description.Anyway just to spoil eveyones positive thoughts, this is my 5th week back at work and I worked tues and wed slept all day thursday went in this morning till midday and have been in bed since. I am really cross because I was feeling so well and I hope this is just a blip and not the start of something else. Work itself up until this week wasnt so bad I know I am a bit slower but I just accepted that.
Anyway hope everyone else is OK and enjoys the wkend. We are meant to be going to our holiday home for the long weekend but I just dont have the energy to get things ready.
Its now 2 weeks until I am supposed to go back, still np contact from work. In the mean time I am really suffering from trying to arrange everything related to house moving. I still haven’t finished all the back to school stuff. The stress is really getting to me. On thursday i tried to have a day doing something else, so took one of my fellow Tysabri patients and her daughter shopping for fun. I’ve been completely floored since then, I’m tired, emotional, and I still have everyone to look after on my own as my hubby is working (home today after 4 days). He is home for 4 days (but in reality its 3 as he has to go back the night before as he starts work so early), and then back in again until the day of the move.
I really don’t know how I am going to be fit to go back to work. Its only a few days since I had my last Tysabri and its definitely not going to get me through the month if the stress continues.
I’ve just read a fair amount of your messages. If I’m honest, it’s made me ‘feel’ better psychologically (I’m still the same, physically - cann’ae walk properly). Thanks, you’ve done me alot of good!
mo-jo500 - How did it go? Having had numbness in both legs from the waist down, have decided to re-vist ‘Health and Wellbeing’ (Occy Health) and seeing them next week. Got to get a grip of the symptoms and bring it back under control! On Copaxone and not loving it!!
Hi, no side effects, don’t get me wrong on that, but just the whole one injection a day (1ml deep sub cut) and ensuring a different location to inject. It stings only for about 20 minutes post infection so choose your timings good. Personally I use the 8-9pm slot as generally do not go out after this anyway with having three children and easier to sit and watch TV or hit the internet! Have been coupling this with an extreme low saturated fat diet and excersise, taking it easy on the excersise part. This had led to a better toned body, more muscle than fat (thighs now out of the question for injections), leaving the injection sites fewer to choose from. Lost weight from 14 stone down to 11 stone and can fit into clothes I wore ten years ago! It has got to the stage where my daughter says with a bit more abs training I could have a ‘six pack’ but then that would lose two more injection sites straight away! My wife just says it shows how much rubbish I used to eat Listen to the advice on massaging the site from two days post injection to try and stave off the lumps that will form and rotate the site injections and use not just two sites, even if these are separated. I was speaking to the Paediatric Diabetic nurse who adivises that injection sites should be at least 2cm away from the previous injection site in that location but as they tend to inject less for each one it does not leave them with big lumps!
One other thing, ensure your injection is not either just before or after having a bath or shower. Am sure the literature says something about this but I learnt from experience. It hurts more than the injection does (which doesn’t) I also hear others stop using the auto-inject pen but I quite like it. Hope it goes well. Let us know how it goes
Thanks for your reply VinceA and well done on the weight loss, that’s great!!
The every day injection is a pest, but I was just figuring on getting into a routine with it …eventually, much like brushing your teeth, I’m not sure on autoinjector or standard needle as I was thinking that I’d have more control with the standard needle, perhaps…
I guess I just get started on it and see how it goes.
Hi guys, well I went to my meeting on tues, and the big boss does not think that I am ready to go back, she says that I was quite emotive about the whole thing. ( no effing wonder). She is going to get occ health to do a risk assesment on the ward to see if there is anything she can put in place to make my shift easier. All in all she was super and very supportive.
I have taken my second injection and I did not have a very good night at all, I had to take pain killers an hour before I got up, I felt that everywhere I have been having symptoms was on fire. ouch, anyway feel ing a bit better now. Coffee and chocolate helped. xx
