mornin' Frankie-me-boyo!

been pondering your dilemma, (to go back to work, or not...)

and I desireth muchly to share a wee bit o'wisdom, garnered over 2 decades of living with this charming companion we call MS.

but first, I have to ask, is it a need of yours to have fulfilling things to do daily, a meaningful contribution to society... a sort of a personal need?

or is your desire to work more based on a financial need, to contribute to your family?

because it makes a difference.

I know you're worried about Deb working herself to the bone and all, and also, it's hard to run a family on the pittance we get from SS or retirement.

I don't know much about your living situation, but is it possible to create a small truck garden, and get a few laying hens?

that way, your work is more flexible, and you're still contributing to the family... with something tangible and edible.

many neighborhoods are removing restrictions on backyard livestock, due to the economic crunch, and people's need for healthier, more local food.

the restrictions are usually under 6 hens, and NO roosters (lol!)

the nice thing about backyard livestock is how little they really need, you're a do-it-yourselfer kinda guy, and you can slap something together with scraps, for a coop, and nestboxes... (lol, my pal in Arkansas even got surplus AMMO boxes, and used them for the hens...) pallets, wooden crates, whatever... they're happy, with whatever you manage, as long as it protects them from wind, rain, and snow.

feeders can be made from scraps as well, and even crafting supplies, no need for fancy "bought" feeders and waterers.

and the work is spread out in BITS over the day, so you can rest...

anyway, for all I know, you live in a city apartment, but even there, you can still grow food on the roof, or the balcony, and again, it's good because the work is broken up into small bits... no need to wipe yourself out TRYING to do a whole day's work.

I know, I tried (with the SSDI assistance programs) to go back to work twice since I retired in '93.

it never worked... because I'd FORGET, and feel almost normal again, but I'm not, and never will be... I can go in spurts, when the energy's there, but the drag and toll of driving somewhere, getting showered, dressed, oh, just too much on enough days... to make it impossible.

there's always home-based businesses, everything from stuffing envelopes, to part-time home-daycare... for just one or two kidlets... whatever it takes to supplement the family income with a little urgently-needed cash.

anyhowitzer (to steal a lovely term from our Moose-Dude), keep thinking, and keep your mind open to possibilities, but mainly, look for home-based stuff that's under the radar (so to speak), because doing the paperwork to get BACK on disability can be just as taxing as work, and they get really strange about it ("You proved you COULD work, now get back to WORK!")



good luck with your search, and here's a