Reasonable accomodations and returning to work post flare and diagnosis

Hello all, first post here :slight_smile: I am a 34 year old female just recently diagnosed after a flare up causing pretty severe diplopia and ataxia in my left side with some degree of numbness. I had similar symptoms and also some speech issues over the previous years but was never diagnosed so in one way i’m grateful to have found some answers and to get on DMTs ASAP (I have chosen Kesimpta)

But now after all the doctors appointments, steriods IV, Lumbar puncture ect. have been done I wanted to return to work ASAP but am a bit unclear in accommodations ect. I should ask for or things to be wary of.

Unfortunately as a large part of my work is scuba diving (I work in marine monitoring) I will not be able to dive again until I have clearance from a doctor which may not be until I have had no relapses for 12 months :confused: but anyway there is other fieldwork I can do and data analysis but this involves long hot days or staring at a computer screen all day…

My ataxia is nearly gone and numbness is fully gone after the steroids. My diplopia has improved ALOT but still having double vision further away. My concerns are:

A) not giving myself long enough to heal (Got discharged from hospital a week ago and returned to work today)

B) but am very concerned about feeling useless at work

I’m very lost as to how to navigate this and to give context…last year I worked a full field season doing over 300 dives and field work in extreme heat with no active relapses although did crash out a few times with fatigue and wasn’t aware this was MS related. I am still physically fit (did a half marathon in jan) so feel I am able but also wary to not making anything worse.

What kind of accommodations would people advise/recommend in my situation?

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That sounds like a very involved job to be pushing through with your new limits. It sounds like you really need an OH assessment for that role now. I know it doesn’t sound great but, it will help to keep you safe whichever way your day to day work goes now. My MS has put some large lesions and demyelination on my brain. It does effect my vision but, it also causes epilepsy for me. This cost me my railway career and, I’m pretty sure that no one in their right mind would ever consider letting me work under water.

Sorry to sound like sutch a doom monger but, I think that any advise you get from here aimed at helping you keep that job now will just be well intentioned guess work.

OH really are the ones that can gather info from your doctors and collate with info on your current role to give a plan and sound advice to you and your employer. It’s a great start that you’re still fit and in good physical shape - maintaining that will serve you well both mentally and physically in the months and years to come.

Take care and, All the best :+1: x

Jon.

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This is general information and not sure if it will be much use. Working life | MS Trust

I hope you get the accomodations you need.

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Hi @m.mccracken20171991 and gosh! Most people asking about reasonable accommodations are UK office based with a few exceptions like @jthatcher . Never a scuba diver doing marine surveys in hot conditions. Reasonable accommodations isn’t defined anywhere and I’m thinking that you will know far better than anyone else what is reasonable in you rather specialised line of work. However, I think that if I were you I would be asking first for some time to come to terms with the diagnosis, to see how you deal with the Kesimpta and any side effects ( on which point reasonable adjustments might include time for treatment and any after effects) and to get over the ataxia, diplopia ( it can take a few weeks or months for any symptoms caused by an MS relapse to return to something like normal).

This period should also give you time to consider your options and explore what other jobs your employer could offer . If it’s field work in hot conditions then e.g could your employer provide some sort of shaded area with fans to retreat to? The nearest I’ve got to anything like working in extreme heat since I was diagnosed is doing some work in my garden in the UK summer! One thing that was helpful was a neck fan (actually very helpful) and there are also ice pack jackets .

Not knowing your employer or job I’m working in the dark here but I think that I would be asking for some sort of agreement or understanding that for the next 12 months your situation would have some sort of mutual rolling review. It might well be that once you are on Kesimpta your MS stabilises, you have no new lesions, relapses or symptoms and you can get back to diving at the end of the 12 months

Sorry I don’t have anything more to suggest but I hope I’ve been of some help

P.S where and what sort of marine survey do you do? sounds interesting!

PPS I am thinking that before any discussions with your employer it’s going to be worth your while to learn as much as you can about MS so that you can take the lead in any discussion about what MS is, how it might affect you etc, how the more recent treatments are pretty good at reducing the number of relapses, new symptoms etc and how , unlike e.g heart conditions or strokes, MS isnt going to suddenly incapacitate you or create a medical emergency ( lots of people know little or nothing about MS and have various preconceptions)

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