Who works? Who doesn't?

[pocoapoco]

I don't work anymore and miss it.

I was an interior architectural designer for many years. I worked on commercail design projects from office spaces to designing retail retail stores. After having kids, my MS starting getting worse. My husband offered me a job managing his business and I did well. I worked at my own pace. But eventually I got worse and I was burning a candle at both ends and I decided to apply for disability and I got it a couple of years later. But I miss working. I have a BFA and still want to use it. But I know I wouldn't handle having a job now. So now I focus on creating art and enjoy painting.

[spoiledbrat]

Nope, but going blind, excessive fatigue, and pain, etc... may stop that. HA! However, now I work for free! I am a stay at home mother who home schools, does the cooking, cleaning, counseling, laundry, makes the appointments, and well everything I am capable of.

[Scooter24]

I worked up to a year after dx, I can no longer stand any length of time and sitting for any amount of time makes me stiffen up badly and have more trouble walking. I have been on SSDI for 2years now (started at 54) and VA disability for one year. My nuero suggested I go on it and he backed me 100% and was approved in 2 1/2 months.

[PsyDreamin]

I still work . . . a lot. I work 4 days in the office and 1 from home. I commute nearly 98 miles one way so around 200 miles a day for the 4 days I am in the office - - that comes out to over 3 hours on the road each day. I work at least 10 hours a day in addition to the commute.

I have a sit-down job but am in analytics and process-auditing so vision and cognitive issues are often problematic. I also suffer from fatigue, have balance issues from time to time, and am more often than not very clumsy as manual dexterity is reduced.

I plan to increase my work from home days to 2-3 days a week sometime before the end of this year. I would like to continue to work as long as possible - hopefully for another 24 years so that I can work until retirement age I'll just have to see how that all goes, though. Year by year; month by month; week by week; day by day.

I am very fortunate and my employer is unusually understanding. I never take that fact for granted.

[MarkLavelle]

I'm working on a 65% Cabernet, 35% Merlot right now, Mark.

Nice! (wise guy )

FYI, my wife & I claim full credit for bringing Merlot to the USA. We discovered it in Switzerland, on our honeymoon...

[muse_7]

My MS was sort of sudden onset so I actually had to quit working before I was diagnosed. I think it was probably one of the best things we did, my husband agreed there was no way I could go back to work while I was still on sick leave from surgery. I've worked full time from 15 to 43 plus college, raising kids, etc so I'm still adjusting and trying to figure out a hobby I can manage and afford.

So now I am a mom, homemaker and zookeeper to 6 dogs, 3 cats, 4 birds. My symptoms are all over the map, but much better without the stress of working. We are extremely lucky, my husband is an electrical engineer. We went down to insuring one car to save money since I wasn't driving much anyway and he is allowed to work from home on my doctors appt days so I can take the car.

[Ceci]

Still in the game. 40 hours a week as an AVP at a credit union that serves the military.

Have had to make adjustments. More notes, reduced stress, accepting limitations, etc..

Hope to hang in there for another 10 years.

Rex ... I'm 60% Pino Grigio 40% Fat Bast*ard.

Be well,
Ceci

[KateA2]

I work 40+/week as a graphic designer, audio & video editor, and illustrator (15+ yrs, LOVE IT!) I originally went to school for business and math (degrees attained...and still paying for them, meh) as "you'll starve if you study art". I studied it anyway on the sly..mwahaha!

I spend 95% of my time at work on my Mac-Pro, which actually makes me MORE tired than a day of walking around, chores, social outings, etc...maybe the extra brain-power needed? Perhaps I need to budge from my 'puter more often...*ponders*

I am occasionally nervous about losing sight or right hand dexterity (I can draw quite well with my off-hand, but would prefer both working decently) but so far those things have been spared. I have mainly sensory issues (TN and TM) and a short bout of vertigo a few years ago before my current probably RRMS dx. I hope to work another 30+ years

[tellnhelen]

You Go Mark.....yeah I really miss those days. My Cabernet or Merlot consumption is fairly rare now....only with meals on holidays. If I have more than one glass, family starts warnings and compliants.Its true that I pay a price but isn't it my decision?

[jojo18]

i don't have a 'job', but i am in college. i chose not to work in college b/c college ans MS is hard enough without a job in there.

[spring]

still working...

I'm a full-time middle school teacher. The only way I can cope is to get up at 4:50am to be at work at 6:50.
( Teachers have to come in at 8am). This way, I can usually leave right at 3:30, unless there's a faculty meeting. The worst days are the Open House and Parent conference nights. I live 16 miles away so it's too much to go home & come back; so I literally am at school 14 hours on those days.
The fatigue, cog fog,and depression really make my job hard to do. I can retire in 2 years( at age 62) but won't have any health insurance if I do. I get depressed just thinking about it. In 2 years, I'll have been "in the system " for only 12 years, not 30 like most teachers. So I only hope I can hang on for my small pension ( I know I'm very lucky to get one at all). But my legs are protesting, my vision gets blurry, and I have word-finding problems.

I just cross my fingers that I can stay ambulatory for those next 2 years. I know I'm lucky to have a job but I'm plain worn out !!

spring

[Tracelyn]

I work full time on a computer help desk.

I have had to take short term disability twice in the last few years where my cognitive problems and fatigue took me out for 4 to 6 weeks.

I have times where I wonder how long I will be able to keep it up. I have thought about going back to college, but then that fear creeps in where I worry that I will not be in any better shape.

[kingrex]

You Go Mark.....yeah I really miss those days. My Cabernet or Merlot consumption is fairly rare now....only with meals on holidays. If I have more than one glass, family starts warnings and compliants.Its true that I pay a price but isn't it my decision?

Is a glass of wine contraindicated with MS?


rex

[kingrex]

Still in the game. 40 hours a week as an AVP at a credit union that serves the military.

Have had to make adjustments. More notes, reduced stress, accepting limitations, etc..

Hope to hang in there for another 10 years.

Rex ... I'm 60% Pino Grigio 40% Fat Bast*ard.

Be well,
Ceci

Good to, uh...see your voice, Ceci


rex

[onlyairfare]

I work full-time in public health/health care, though I had gone from very long days and overnights to a Monday-Friday day job as a health insurance executive.

When I got tired of pushing papers I got back into clinical work but "Monday - Friday 40 hours a week." However, now the boss has me back on overnight shifts saying "Oh yes you have to work all day and all night on call, but then you get the next day off." I am finding that I can't do anything the next day because I am too worn out from being on call.

My neuro told me I shouldn't do that and now I can see he is right. I've been working in northern Arizona but I am going back to North Carolina to see my neuro in a couple weeks, get him to write a letter saying I can't do the on-call work. Maybe they will adjust me back to normal weekdays or maybe I will have to find a new job, not sure.

I am tired of hopping all over the country though just to have a good job. I like working, I usually like my work, I would keep doing it to support my travel habit. But I can't do overnight shifts any more.