Hi Mer, I am a secondary science teacher who is still working with my MS. I was quite lucky as I had already gone part time before my symptoms got really bad so only work three days a week. I am now using a wheelchair as a result of a nasty relapse last year but am still managing to cope the reasonable adjustments that I have made as a result of my MS are attending no after school meetings or doing cover lessons, duties etc I simply do my own classes and concentrate on that. I find that I have had to change my teaching as I cant move around the room as much but the students now all except that they must come to find me and also I use them to do jobs in the classroom which they really enjoy eg scribe for the day, handing out text books, doing practical demos etc. The students are very forgiving with my condition but I have found the problem has been with some of the staff who seem to think if I havent been off ill for sometime I must be better. It is really important that you find your own fatigue limit and recognise when you have reached it. It has taken me along time to do this but am really trying hard this year. I have found that being at work is the only place where I am still treated as me not a person in a chair and so I think that keeping going is really important to my own well being. If I can help in any other way please let me know

Thanks so much for this insight Wil1, it's really helpful. Your story is very inspirational. It's interesting what you say about the children being more understanding than the staff. Did you talk to the children directly about your MS? I know what you mean by wanting to keep going, but also being aware of your own fatigue levels. It's good that you don't have to do any extra stuff and attend after-school meetings - I find running after-school clubs and attending long courses and meetings push me over the edge after a stressful day and lots of work still to do before the next day. I think it's a good idea to try teaching part-time and see how manageable that is before making further decisions. Fatigue, cognitive problems, pain, stiffness, dizziness and balance problems are the main culprits that make teaching primary kids difficult for me personally. My mobility is fine just now and all the symptoms are very much invisible. The job takes a lot out of anyone, let alone people with chronic illnesses. The younger the kids, the more 'up and down' physcially you have to be on your feet. The high-pitched noise in primary schools is something else that gets to me as I've developed a sensitivity to some sounds in my left ear. Being mentally sharp is another thing that one needs to be in classrooms - and I feel more like a blunt butter knife than a sword these days. And then there's the stress, the responsibility, the expectations...the list could go on and on, as I'm sure you know... Thanks again for your reply and keep well x