I have recently been diagnosed with MS. I get very tired all the time, struggle with energy levels and concentration. I get short term memory loss and it’s rare I get days when I don’t feel like a sack of spuds. Luckily I have only two bouts of serious replapse in two years but the tiredness occurs weekly. Headaches get awful too. I am a police officer in one of Londons busiest boroughs and until a bout of Optic Neuritis in january was on response team. I struggled for years before I was diagnosed and even had 50% of my hair fall out through the tiredness and stress of it all. I am about to return to work and after recommendations made by the Chief Medical Officer I will have to do a day job (no shifts) in an office but cannot be frontline due to my symptoms and the levels of stress involved. My deepest concerns are what I will be doing as I don’t think there are many roles in the Met that don’t require high stress levels or flexibility when I’m at my worst. They are currently suggesting I be in the front office of a police station but it’s something I did not want to do for a career and due to unexpected scenarios occuring in a police station I could do late days and even have to deal with people who come in drunk, agressive and large levels of initial investigation from dynamic situations. (Someone once came in with a bullet in the eye from a shooting). I tried to explain my situation to the Medical Officer but he kept referring back to the RRMS description and kept saying things like “well you can be a Safer Schools Officer” to which I explained that it’s not rose tinted job as there are large levels of gang fights, stabbings, bullying reports and harrassment cases that occur in the role. I tried to say that I needed something where, if I get a relapse, it would not affect victims cases or potentially jeopardize court cases. What I’m ultimately trying to say is I’m terrified for my future as it seems as if it has been taken out of my hands and put into somebody elses. I want to work but I want it to be in something I want to do as opposed to something put upon me. Are there any other police officers or the like that have MS and know of any good jobs I can suggest with my symptoms that I can do? My tiredness is a real barrier and I struggled before the diagnosis but I don’t want to struggle anymore. I know they will be limited but I still want to work and am just terrified I will be put away in a corner somewhere in a role I will hate or stress over because its not what I want to do. Any help will be gratefully received.
Hi, I was very interested in your post as I have also been diagnosed with having RRMS and at present I am two months off from completing my probationary period as a Met PC. As you can imagine I was totally devastated learning I had a mild form MS and realising how vulnerable I was within the job by still being a probie. However, I received a Formal Warning Notice on Friday stating that my probation will be extended while they basically decide if I can perform the role as a PC. When I told the job in March last year (2013) that I had MS I was immediately removed from team and placed in a desk job on the crime management unit. ( CMU) as this role does not require me to go out on the streets. But as I’m still a probationer they are looking to get rid of me. Before I was diagnosed I had completed my book of competence and the required training. I have never had a day off sick but was placed on reduced hours , which now they are saying is the reason my attendance has forced this extension. I see from the date of your post that it’s been almost a year and I was interested to know how you got on. I will be onto day contacting the disability Fed Rep for some advice and support. Hope to hear from you.