Dear all who may have advice.
I returned to teaching (Head of dept) in September but with very little support and with teaching a practical subject, I was signed off after only eight weeks with exhaustion. My union helped me to organise better support (a couple of cleaners help me tidy, I have gone part time and I have rest time whilst others take a tutor group),
However, even with part time hours 0.6 and some rest I am exhausted. Deeply exhausted. After only one week? I also had my plegridy this weekend so have flu. Arrrrrgh.
I truly love teaching and need the money, and I am not stressed, however, you need good adrenaline to entertain 32 teenagers. After one lesson my symptoms increase. After two lessons I can’t feel my legs and after three lessons I feel as though I have been punched in the face. I can’t seem to recover in the evening.
Have other people struggled similarly? Do others work and just put up with increasing symptoms. It is though I can’t recover. Shall I try to apply for early retirement or just struggle on?
any advice welcome.
Ali
Good Morning,
I am due to return early February (signed off since September 2018) after another OH appointment and one with my C of G and HR.
This will need to be a phased return and when I explained to my neurologist that the local authority expect a phased return to be over 4 weeks only, he was mortified and will notify OH according. I have searched this forum and others to investigate teaching and MS and, like with all other MS related topics, there are no common trends - each to their own. Most appear to reduce hours before eventually retiring/doing something else.
Dr A
I was a primary school teacher for about 14 years with the ms diagnosis. It was very hard but I got support. Had to fight for it, union involved and took years to come. I had time out of class to rest, duties taken off me I physically could not do such as playground duties, PE lessons, putting up displays etc. In the end though this just wasn’t enough and I took ill-health retirement. Keep asking for help. Having said that as much as I missed the banter with the children, I’m in a much better place now. I can still go in to my local primary and volunteer if I want to, but haven’t for ages. Even a short visit is too much now. Good luck!
You’ve got to consider the health of all involved here. Are you SO exhausted you are putting the kids at risk? are you going to make yourself MORE ill? whats the knock on effects on your OWN family?
You may love your job but it seems to be too much for you. at the moment. Time for some re-thinking on the path of life maybe?