My neuropsych test showed I'd lost 14 points on my IQ; memory issues, organizational problems, oh shoot I can't remember what other stuff it revealed... anyway, I applied for SSDI after my neuro said the test will probably qualify me for disability.

Before MS I always felt 2 steps ahead of everyon else. I just caught on faster, and understood it before the rest of the class. With MS, I feel blunted, and I am a step behind everyone else in the world. I hate it!

I am glad you will finally qualify for some financial aid

I was a critical care RN when I had the big excacerbation that made me quit work. I am glad that I did not have to make the decision myself. The disease itself did. I was just never able to get back to work. But being off work took such a stress level away my body could concentrate on getting stronger. I know though that if I went back to work I couldn't do it. Shoot, I can't even remember a password for an internet site without writing it down.

Gosh many of us were nurses.

After a few years, I could not lift, turn, or go near a patient with the hand tremors like I had. I didn't want to hurt anyone either.

When I was working earlier, it was in NYC, brokerage, mortgages, stocks, bonds and mutual funds. So I went back to sitting at a desk. I also had a flower business running on the side. I had to stop that too.

Then I could not multitask, and had so many relapses from the stressful job, I had to quit that career too.

Catch, I went on SSDI when I gave up work.

I was struggling trying to remember things and had been thinking about changing jobs, but then I was told I needed major bowel surgery (a hemicolectomy).

That unexpected surgery really was the last straw job-wise, and helped me decide my future rather quickly. With MS related memory problems and lots of post-operative complications that went on for many months, I really didn't even consider going back to work.

I applied for disability and was approved immediately. I know I was lucky there, infact I've not heard of anyone else being fast tracked like I was. I put in my initial paperwork, was interviewed and approved in under a month, but please remember I don't live in the USA, and things are done differently here.

I have found that many MS places I go to have a gaggle of nurses. I think it just comes naturally to us to go research stuff, look it up, and compare notes. Someone once asked if I thought more nurses got MS because they saw so many on the websites.

I would simply be unable to do my job today. I would be a danger to my patients, and myself. not good.

I went to a conference once and at out table of 8 nurses, 6 of us had MS! Only 3 of us knew each other.

I do not know at all what my physical status would be if I had not been able to quit and go on SSD. I know your check isn't nearly what your regular pay was but still I didn't have to have the daily grind of work and taking care of kids. We were just glad that at the time our last child was graduating from high school and had a good college scholarship (which she wasted). We also worked at a good hospital that gave us good benefits. I was on LTD form my hospital at the same time I was on SSD!