DMT and work
Hi all, hope you are keeping well and safe in these unusual times. I am newly diagnosed in March, first symptoms 18 months ago and 1 minor relapse 6 months ago. Other than that I am lucky not to have any symptoms of note. I discussed with my MS nurse DMT drugs early March and my neurologist recommended 3 drugs, of which I decided on Ocrevus. COVID then happened and everything was postponed. I have now been contacted and booked in for my first course in 2 weeks time.
After diagnosis and with COVID and no symptoms my life went on as normal, I could forget I had MS. I’ve only told a couple of family members and good friends. I’ve not told my employer. I have quite a senior job and it worries me that people will treat me differently and I don’t want to be different - I don’t know if that makes sense. I know it would be kept confidential from majority of staff but senior managers will know and I’m worried it will change things at work. But I’ve been told I need to either work from home or social distance for 4 weeks after treatment - so now I have to tell my boss? My work has put in place good social distance measures already - I am in a dilemma, should I tell work or not.
I’ve even thought should I delay starting DMDs? In the last 12 months I’ve changed my diet, I run regularly and feeling fitter than I have ever done so in my life!
I am definitely still in denial, I was offered counselling but said not needed. Is it time to get real? I am grateful my symptoms are currently mild, I really don’t want to come across as selfish, I guess I am scared of what the future brings and I am holding onto the past.
Sorry for rambling - it’s taken me 3 months to summon up the courage to post on here.
Hi, and welcome to Shift! I get where you're coming from, with the nervousness of telling work and having other people know. I have found, however, people tend to treat you the same. My whole store knew when I worked at KFC, and the manager (a pr1ck) still had me work close-opens, and no one treated me any differently. I then moved to a call centre job, and I told my manager there too, and HR was involved. It was a good thing, I got my shifts altered so I didn't have to work late nights or long days, and if I was ever off for anything to do with my MS, it didn't count towards my sickness and absence. I'm my opinion, it's always good to at least tell HR, and maybe the person above you. If it does get out, and people start asking what it is, I tell them that my immune system is attacking my brain (maybe with a little anger, if I dont really know the person). They usually leave it at that. HR are good. You legally can't be discriminated for a disability, and if people, who arent close to you or need to know, start mobbing you about it, tell them to shove it where the sun don't shine. I'm pretty open about mine, but that's mainly because I now use a stick. I've also had days where I felt like sh1t and feel like my life is over, and cried for my future, but if you have someone who understands and can console you and make you laugh about the whole thing, it makes it better. If you need anyone to chat to, everyone here will listen.
Hello @newbie, bless you for waiting for three months to post! Welcome aboard. Sound like you are taking everything in your stride which is fab, and not least because you obviously haven't got symptoms. First thing I'd say is - do not delay your treatment. That would mean you were putting work before your health. Nope How about a middle-ground; that of taking something that isn't disruptive at all, such as Tecfidera? It's really great that you don't feel affected, but actually, your body has sustained damage already which has led to your diagnosis. Is your employer quite an enlightened and progressive company? I say that, because employment law is there absolutely to protect you. You could speak to your HR department in confidence; this would then really help if you did have to take time off for hospital appointments, or if you had a relapse. I told my employer, and had an Occupational Health assessment, who pointed out lots of reasonable adjustments that might be useful should I need them. That was two years ago and following my decision to cut down to part-time recently it was really easy to arrange that with my employer. Do you mind me asking how old you are? :-)