Managing career with MS
Just wondered if I could ask from some advice, I have been told I have to write a personal development plan for work and I'm really struggling to look to the future and face what that might hold. I have relapsing remitting MS, since taking Lemtrada/Alemtuzumab no relapses as such (all parts of my body are affected by the MS so not exactly sure how I can have a relapse but that's another story) but the symptoms are slowly worsening with time. Sadly, it's both cognitive and physical symptoms that are worsening.
My coping strategy has been to live in the moment and try not to think (worry) too much about what the future might hold. Not perfect strategy but it allows me some kind of normal life and stops the anxiety/depression taking over. Thinking about the future scares me. My best outcome is standing still and still being able to work this time next year, certainly no thoughts/hopes of any progression, more of a managed decline and slowing the decline as much as possible.
Any thoughts on how I might make a development plan for the future with respect to work? I'm supposed to add detailed steps to get to progression, which seems impossible when I don't know how my health will be in a few hours/days let alone a year from now.
Thanks for any help and apologies to those who have had to give up work due to their MS, my worries must seem trivial in comparison. I think all this is triggering the fears about the future more than anything else and I'm having a bit of a wobble mentally.
Emma
Hi Emma, carry on what you are doing. Don't over think the future. Base your plan on how you hope to be when the relapsing and remitting ease. I had R/R starting at 28 with all that incontrollable eyes sand in the eyes plus other awful symptoms. All these intermittent episodes lasted 12yrs climaxing into a full blown MS attack for weeks all of which gradually starting to recede. The up hill climb was hard but bit by bit by I gradually got my life back. The MS change as time went on into Secondary Progressive. That's when I decided I was going to take control of my life. Regaining my strength I walked with a slight limp. I decided MS was my unwanted lodger and go on with the important things in my life, my husband and son the only medication I was given was a cortisone injection. All that did was cause my body to balloon. No more intervention of any kind. I live a normal life not thinking of MS by the time I was 70 I had become an unpleasant memory. I started back to work. The job as a teaching assistant I enjoyed it thoroughly....try thinking of anything else when working with five year olds. My progression has been slow. Now at 87 and all this with just Pregabalin 50mg to ease the nerve pain. And I gave up driving 4 years ago... Am I lucky? A consultant said it's the woman. I still do small exercised. My husband/best friend passed away 30 years ago. I know he would be proud of me. I do hope this has helped someone. Bea