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    Just looking for thoughts

    Hello,
    My MS specialist has me off work for 3 weeks as the left leg spasticity has been unbearable and we are hoping the pool therapy and changes by physiatry help strengthen the leg.

    I work 12 hour shifts as an RN and I love my job and the area I work in. I worry the length of the shifts may be becoming problematic. I am sure my union would help find me a different job to accommodate my condition if needed, but what if I hate it? I love the people I work with, but I struggle to get through shifts on many days and wonder what happens to my patient care if I have a bad spastic flare and I become "the patient."

    i have been off ~2 weeks of the 3 now and I do feel the pool therapy is beneficial. I also feel the increase to Baclofen 90mg daily taken at the same time as my Zanaflex 12mg daily split into 3x per day dosing is helping slightly.

    Sorry for getting wordy, just wondering where should I head with this work thing? I've only been a nurse for 2.5 yrs and loved every moment of it. I don't want to throw in the towel and feel capable of working in some capacity. I just love pt care and that seems like it may be a bad idea now?

    Thanks for listening to my ramble. Feeling confused on which direction I should head.

    Happy Easter,
    Sazed

    #2
    Hi and Happy Easter!

    I personally feel there is great benefit to seeing the writing on the wall and making the necessary changes before they are thrust upon us. Unfortunately this is a chronic, progressive disease and in most cases seems to get worse rather than better over the long haul so being proactive before we are in a jam is preferable to me.

    My guess is you will enjoy any form of patient interaction/care even if it isn't directly at the bedside. If it were me I would start exploring what other options are out there that look interesting and might be more MS friendly.

    Best wishes and I hope you are able to continue working in some capacity for many years to come.
    He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
    Anonymous

    Comment


      #3
      I have to agree with Jules A. The handwriting is already on the wall. If you're already struggling to get through shifts and already off work because of only one kind of MS symptom (there are many more possibilities than just a bad spastic flare), the time has come to plan a change.

      You might be concerned that you'll hate a different job, but the chances are you'll hate it even more if you wait too long to be proactive and all of the choices are made for you. (Right now you have the power to choose -- use it before you lose it.) You might not be able to stay in the specific job you want, but there are opportunities out there that can allow you to stay working in the field you want, hopefully for a very long time.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Sazed View Post
        I am sure my union would help find me a different job to accommodate my condition if needed, but what if I hate it?
        Hi Sazed

        Hope you don't mind the intrusion here, as I'm not a nurse. I agree with what both JulesA and jreagan had to offer. And also, I had experience with MS affecting my work.

        I worked for the US Postal Service when I was diagnosed with MS, and really enjoyed the work I had at a processing/distribution center. I was always busy with various tasks, which took me all over many areas of the huge building, and time just flew by.

        When I could no longer do many of the duties due to the gradual progression of MS, I requested a light duty job, which I was fortunate to be able to have.

        I didn't especially like it because of the monotony of the work, and the crummy hours, but it kept me working for as long as possible.

        It would seem nurses have a wide range of job opportunities. Hopefully you will be able to keep working at the profession you enjoy for a long time, even if it's not exactly what you had hoped for.

        Take Care
        PPMS for 26 years (dx 1998)
        ~ Worrying will not take away tomorrow's troubles ~ But it will take away today's peace. ~

        Comment


          #5
          Great advice

          Thank you,
          I appreciate all of your responses. I will start seeing what is available within my hospital upon my return first of all.

          Thanks again,
          Sazed

          Comment


            #6
            have you talked your employer about the possibility of modifying your work schedule? And like has already been said, there are many possibilities for you.
            hunterd/HuntOP/Dave
            volunteer
            MS World
            hunterd@msworld.org
            PPMS DX 2001

            "ADAPT AND OVERCOME" - MY COUSIN

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Sazed View Post
              Thank you,
              I appreciate all of your responses. I will start seeing what is available within my hospital upon my return first of all.

              Thanks again,
              Sazed
              Best wishes and please keep us posted!
              He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
              Anonymous

              Comment


                #8
                Hi sazed,

                I am also a nurse and really struggling through my shifts. I've been in the SICU for 30 years as well as doing some teaching and love my job and patients/families/coworkers. Nursing does offer many different areas/levels of physical work. There are many jobs that you are still with patients but not doing the heavy physical work of a unit/ ward nurse.

                Many of these are full time days if that's a possibility for you? Areas like case management, doctors offices, etc would allow a lot of patient contact without as much physical work. Because of other commitments, I can't work full time days, the rotating shifts work best for my schedule so these type of jobs dont work for me. But maybe for you? Also, many nurses are going the NP route which could be more flexible but requires a financial and time commitment.

                I have chosen to keep going in my position until I can't any longer, which may be very soon. It's a personal choice but you really have to consider the consequences. If you are young, you may want to be more proactive than I am being. At my age, if I decide it's too much, I could retire early and survive financially, although not best scenario.

                I do take time off periodically to catch up on rest or get through a relapse which helps. Even taking 12 hours of a week and working just 8 hour shifts helps. Good luck with your decisions. Nursing is a wonderful career and it is hard to think you may not be able to continue in your current job.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Off work again

                  Well, I am off work again. This time it has been 3 weeks of about 5 or so. The left leg is just not holding up.

                  My HR, manager, and union are not as supportive as I had thought as far as finding a new role or reducing work hours. They are not obligated to do so or to create a position, but I can try to find one that fits my needs within the organization.

                  I have used up my FMLA hours for the rolling 12 months due to these 2 leaves plus some intermittent days throughout the year. I am in a scary place right now. When I go back to work, any further missed days will accrue points and start me down a road toward remedial action / termination.

                  Missing 8 weeks on short-term disability really added up hours fast. I don't know how I'd get hired elsewhere with all of this going on. You have to work at a new job for a year to be eligible to earn FMLA and to lose my insurance and benefits would be unbearable.

                  Sorry for the wordy post. I'm feeling lost. I've been trying to look for options and coming up blank. I don't think I qualify as disabled and would love to keep working. My leg just doesn't want to.

                  Sazed

                  Comment


                    #10
                    If your leg is the problem and you don't' have cognitive deficits, it sounds like you would be a good candidate for a desk job like phone triage, case management, or medical records analysis, which can be performed sitting in a regular chair or a wheelchair and allow you to work at your full capacity. The latter two jobs can pay quite well, and some jobs can be worked remotely.

                    Yes, you might (probably will?) have to leave your current organization. The longer you wait to start searching actively and aggressively for a new job, the longer you'll be without pay and benefits. The sooner you get hired at a new job, the sooner you'll get back to receiving pay and benefits. When I got my new job last year, I was eligible for full benefits after only 30 days.

                    As was discussed earlier in this thread, the handwriting was already on the wall 3 months ago that you wouldn't be able to continue in your current job or even in the same role with another organization. So again, the sooner you start your job hunt in earnest, the faster you can find another job.

                    Finally, if you aren't already on Tysabri, you should be getting another opinion from another MS specialist. Not all neurologists are at the top of their game just because they're "MS specialists." Some MS specialists are duds. If your MS specialist wanted to simply "wait" until you got "bad enough" before putting you on one of the most effective medications in light of your physical decline, I'd say your doc is slow to react to that handwriting on the wall.

                    Seriously, time is brain. Your MS meds clearly haven't been meeting the goal of reducing your relapses and slowing your progression. The most effective meds for MS are currently Tysabri and Lemtrada. You haven't said anything in your posts to indicate that you've explored the risk-benefit ratios thoroughly.

                    I'll say it again. Time is brain. Without actually taking the risks of being on one of the most effective meds, you'll never know if you can tolerate them and get their benefits. What are you waiting for?

                    It sounds like you have some work to do.

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