nurses with ms

[mortisha]

Oh, taking early retirement was soooo hard! Even after 7 years I still can't drive past where I worked without feeling a pang in my heart!

I too miss the mental stimulation, learning, just being with people and joking and figuring out tough situations. The satisfaction of actually doing a day's hard work and accomplishing something important. And not to brag, but after 25 yrs as an RN it seems like a huge waste of education and experience. Nurse friends and I have wished that we could do a Vulcan Mind Meld and pass on that experience to someone new in the field.

I gave up my license this year and that was a tough one too. It was like I gave away a huge part of my identity. Now that my hubbie has retired it is better because he can do things more often with me and my days aren't so empty.

I have been struck by how many nurses really seem to love their profession and don't want to leave. When we are forced to leave before our time we go through an intense grieving process. I wasn't ready to quit and I really had to bite my tongue when people would say how much I must love being retired. If they only knew!

[LuckyOneJLK]

Heavy Lifting

I work in a very busy rehab hospital and mostly take care of TBI, SCI and stroke pts. I am at my limit of working so hard for 12 hrs strt. there are no other positions open and I cannot understand the pain, diagnosed a month ago, but was worked up 7 yrs ago, there are so many plaques in the brain and my 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae are near cord compression because of my severe osteoarthritis. OPTIONS welcome... ~j

[tamkvue]

RN need to find job that is not so stressful

I am also a nurse with MS. Diagnosed in March of this year, I am only having mild and annoying s/sx. Luckily, it has not affected my ability to work although, like others, I find it is becoming more difficult to do 12 hour shifts. I am back in school so I will be prepared to take other nursing jobs that don't require shift work, such as case management, administrative nursing, teaching, etc.

I am a RN that works med-surge 12 hr. shifts at night and its getting the best of me. I want to find nurse work daytime that is not bed side nursing but I don't know what my options are. Dx 2005 SCHOOL I am willing.

[kelm10]

think outside the box

Sometimes you have to think outside of the box. Just because there is no openings at your place does not mean that there aren't openings else where.

Network, if you have not joined your local nursing association, that is one of the first places I would start. Any schooling that would take you to a position that you are looking for.

Unfortunately, there is not that many positions within the nursing field that doesn't require the mental focus that alot of us have trouble with.

But, there is lots of positions that doesn't require the physical labor of bedside nursing.

[kwaho]

look in to telephonic nursing

I was fortunate enough to find a part-time position that I can telecommute in utilization review. I know others do case management and disease management. The pay is lower than in than in the hospital but at least I can maintain my license.

Start by getting your resume together. Then troll the internet, career buider, monster, etc. It took me months but I eventually found something working for the insurance industry. "Walking" into a few interviews gave me a lot of anxiety. Thankfully, no one questioned my walking (I think it would be against the law anyway). Just stay confident!!!

I did have to go for several months of full-time training. There are probably more telephonic nursing jobs at office based call centers than ones that you can work from home.

Like working in a hospital, it seemed so complex initially but I've learned a lot over time. Like many of you, I would rather be in direct contact with patients and hospital staff but I just had to accept that I needed to let go of it.

All the best to my fellow RN's looking for jobs.

[kelm10]

thank you

Thank you for the telephone nursing. I had not thought about that. I will put that on my list of possibilities and researching.

[Tyralla]

Old Nurse New MS

I'm new here saying hello, I'm a nurse, the daughter of a MS patient, now newly diagnosed myself now. I've had MS patients and my dad had it for 40 years with it, I know it can be different in everybody.

So far my symptoms are dizziness, falling down a lot recently and unable to stand up without help and speech difficulties and tinnitis. Some symptoms I've had for several years and some new ones now. MRI still have the demyelinated lesions from a MRI 8 years ago and some new ones appeared. I guess I thought I knew a lot about MS but I know I have lots to learn.

[aqua fina bird]

Differences with MS

I'm still in the early stages of diagnosis although I have thoroughly convinced myself that there is no other possible diagnosis that I could have other than MS. I'm exhibiting the intense symptoms and they have progressed fairly rapidly over the last 3 weeks, convincing myself that I have primary progressive MS versus RRMS...which you all probably know doesn't have a great treatment plan. Does any one have some tangible advice on what I should expect? Just waiting to do the visual evoked test to "put the cherry on top" for the diagnosis. I have MRI findings, CSF and serum findings. Help : )

[UNDnurse2B]

I have been working as an RN in a small rural 27-bed hospital in Acute Care for a year. I was dx with MS in the fall of 2003, I was 19.

I struggled thru school with various exacerbations from eye sight changes and mobility issues. My instuctors were very willing to adapt to my situation and my job has been very good to me as well.

I am on the down-fall of a current exacerbation right now, I was numb from the waist down, and am now only numb from the knees down. Walking the floor is hard somedays, but it really helped me to go from 12-hr to 8-hr shifts and I was started on neurontin.

Went for an MRI and DR appt on 3/26...MRI showed several new leisons on my brain and only 1 at T9...so I got an ultimatum...Tysabri or Novantrone...I chose Tysabri.

Now all I can think of is that I am 25 years old and in a job that requires so much cognition and mobility, and I don't know how long those abilities will last for me! My MS has continued to progress since 2003 so much that it scares me. I was thinking about going back to school in a few years to become a PA of FNP...but now thats an uncertainty.

My neuro told me about the telephonic type nursing, that is happening now. MY problem is that I worry about my cognition, and how I know when it would no longer be safe for me to be making decisions that deal with a patients life. I am confused. Am thinking of getting back in to research part time, but even with that, there is a great amount of critical thinking. I suppose there really IS no easy answer.

[Jules A]

I'm still in the early stages of diagnosis although I have thoroughly convinced myself that there is no other possible diagnosis that I could have other than MS. I'm exhibiting the intense symptoms and they have progressed fairly rapidly over the last 3 weeks, convincing myself that I have primary progressive MS versus RRMS...which you all probably know doesn't have a great treatment plan. Does any one have some tangible advice on what I should expect? Just waiting to do the visual evoked test to "put the cherry on top" for the diagnosis. I have MRI findings, CSF and serum findings. Help : )

Hi, How are you doing?

I'm notorious for being cynical and wanting to face the cold hard truths but there is NO way you should label your MS as Primary Progressive based on your first flare! Please don't add that worry to your already long list right now.

The other good news is that I have read about many people that fully or nearly fully recovered from very severe flares. Hugs, Jules

[aqua fina bird]

Thanks Jules A

Thanks Jules A for your response : ) I think in order to accept the fact that this is ME being the patient and not someone else, I looked at the worse case scenario to help myself be prepared for the future.....BUT as I have read over and over, there really is no way to predict what the future will hold for me. I have a neuro appt tomorrow for discussion of medication mgmt--my evoked potentials were negative, MRI with spinal lesion, positivie clonal bodies, negative for myelin, positive IgG index--I'm all over the map with positive/negative results. I had a course of IV steroids with no change in my symptoms, but have gradually (over the course of a month and a half) have been less tired. The numbness, tingling and burning love me too much to leave me apparently. Hmmmm...this clinically isolated syndrome of transverse myelitis is here to stay I believe. I started back working half days today, we'll see what the future holds! Keep encouraging me-it's appreciated!

[teesee]

nurses with ms

I wonder if anyone can really understand what it is to have
to give up nursing unless it is another nurse? The thought
of not being there for your patients and your physician is
so sad that there is no way to explain it. I was a nurse for
twenty two years and having to leave and apply for disability was the very worst part of having ms. After eight
years of being diagnosed, it is still the worst part. I lost
part of myself, the best part of myself the day I walked out
of my clinic for the last time.

[aqua fina bird]

teesee, hang in there

I'm sorry for you teesee that you came to the time of when you needed to walk away from your job. It's true, our identity of WHO we are is coupled with our work, and when the work is gone, we find that we have lost a part of ourself. It's easy for people to say, "it's time that someone takes care of you, you've been doing it for others for so long"--HECK NO! I AM THE CAREGIVER!! I'M NOT THE PATIENT!!

I hope your condition allows you to do some work with patients, maybe as a volunteer? Are you able to do that?

What was the deciding factor that you stopped working? I'm newly diagnosed and am very uncertain about what the "signs" will be for me to stop.

Wishing you well.....and best of luck to you!

[teesee]

thanks aqua fina

Your post is so kind and understanding. I'm sorry that I have
not responded sooner. I'm relapsing now, and haven't been
online for a few days. As I've read from other members, I
had also had symptoms of MS for many years, but they were
so mild I never paid any attention to them. In 1999 I started
noticeing numbness in my left leg and foot,pain in the bottom
of my feet,(of course I thought I needed some new nursing
shoes,lol). Things progressed with multiple symptoms and
I actually changed jobs thinking that a less stressful en-
vironment would help. Well, it didin't and during this new
employment things became much worse. Vision and cognitive
issues became more prevalent and muscle fatigue from
"running" all day with my physician and patients. At this time'
I had been relapsing every three months,(and still do). At one really bad relapse my neuro said I had had a "complete
blowout"and he couldn't see how I could continue working.
I left from that appointment and went straight to the clinc
where I was employed and told them I was at the end. I had
been working for about ten days without being able to put
my left foot on the ground and walking on my toes. As a nurse I'm sure you can imagine how much fun that was. I had
been missing so many days from work, and I told my dear
physician that he had to have some one he could count on
and his patients needed the continuity of a nurse who knew
them and their needs.That day was much worse than the day
I received my diagnosis. Like many of us, it was almost a
relief to finally be diagnosed and have sense that all that we
have tried to explain to so many people has finally been vali-
dated. Thanks again for your kind words.