You are a very intelligent, vivacious person. If you can find a job that still gives you stimulation and interaction with others, it might be a good idea...you are amazing!!

I am glad to hear you are giving this decision all your attention. I especially liked DebbieDs' response about the energy we have in our lives. My concern was exactly that. You don't want to burn the candle at both ends and burn out! If you care to, make a list of the pro's and con's of the parts of your life that will be effected by your decision. See which one has the most importance. That idea of a 9-5 job sounds good except for the commute, that travel time. My cousin has MS, so I know what it is your are facing with that condition. All the posts you received have valuable advice and council. This is a big decision, so do go back and read them all again. There will be words of encouragement any time you come back here, in which ever way you decide. Take the deep breath, with peace and guiet your heart. I hope your holidays are good ones. ginnie

Jules, you surely thought it through! You have planned well.

Ewizabeth, the desk job with the commute, if you can have that, sounds like a good idea.
For most people a desk job is maybe not as appealing as a standing up selling job, because you are more active standing up. But I gather this is a job in which you don't get to periodically sit down, which would make all the difference for a person with MS.

In my teaching job, I stood up about half the time, including walking between classes and between classes and office, and sat down the rest of the time. So I was up and down constantly, and this allowed me to take the load off my feet, legs, back, whatever might be sluggish because of neurological difficulty. But if you only get lunch break and two afternoon breaks out of 8 hours, or even more hours when you work late, that's too much time on your feet unbroken by sitting down.

A teacher at our college got MS and within a couple of years she took a secretarial desk job in the Business Department. I didn't know her well but I passed her every day on my way to class. I thought that this was kind and decent of the Business Dept. to give her a sit-down job so she could continue to work.

The commute doesn't sound too bad if you are riding a bus. Driving that much might be a lot to do, especially if it entails a polluted freeway on which you are right down in the pollution (on a bus you are seated higher than in a car). I used to commute 45 minutes to an hour to high school on a bus, and it was good day dreaming time after school, or even reading time.

I don't know if that would make it easier to take the classes--does not sound like it particularly. But maybe.

Wiz - It is a lot to think about and can easily become overwhelming. I can definitely see where having an MBA will give you more opportunities for a sit down type job in the future. And I do think you should plan and continue your education as education always pays off in the end.

Can you switch to part-time work at the store?
Can you stop working and just focus on school?
Can you find something that is home-based and work from home? (That's what I do and for me it has been a blessing)
Will taking the classes every other eight weeks make that much of a difference? Thirteen months vs 26 months?

These are just some questions that I would ask if we were sitting down and talking about it. I would make a list of pros and cons as well as what you feel you need to do. Listen to your intuition. It's telling you something, just pay attention to it.

I know that you will make the right decision for you. And, as others have posted, you are amazing!!! I admire you greatly for all that you do.

I want to add my two cents regarding not working to focus on school which is something I hear often from people who think they will be rolling in the bucks as they advance their education. To me it is kind of like the mindset that a mortgage is "good debt" or school loans are "a necessity" to justify overspending which in many cases is flawed logic.

Imvho as an adult, MS or not and most especially with MS, quitting work while you are still able to work is never a good idea. Even if you figure the amount of income part-time wages would bring in that is a tremendous amount of money over the course of a few years that you may never be able to recoup especially if you are a. old or b. have MS (sadly both of which I am)

I worked about 30 hours through nursing school which was discouraged but by the time I got my RN I would have missed out on over $120,000 worth of income. That is money I would never be able to make up and desperately needed should I have become disabled and unable to work during that time.

For me even though I'm exhausted most of the time I have a good feeling in that I am making hay while the sun is shining and plan to continue at this crazy pace for as long as I possibly can. I'm thinking I can rest when I'm finally disabled by this monster.

Jules- You make a valid point. Therefore, I take back that question. Working and going to school is hard. I took worked many hours while I was in college. In fact once clinicals started, I rarely slept and/or ate. But, I needed the money and it is just what I had to do.

I do want to add that you would not only lose that income if you completely quit but the work credits you may need if you apply for SSDI in the future. So, I don't think quitting, unless you find another job, would be a good idea.

What a great point I never considered the SSDI credits!

hi wiz,

you've gotten great suggestions.
as ann landers would say "are you further to than further from?"
i'd hate to see you give up school when you've worked so hard and long.
getting a masters is a very big deal.

if you could prolong school so you could do both that sounds good.
my niece is 22 and just did the same thing in order to get enuf good grades to graduate.

if both school and work would meet you half way that sounds ideal.
thinking of work credits is a very valid thought. you will be glad to have as many credits as possible when the time comes.

please let us know what you decide.
best of luck.

Really great suggestions and ideas here...especially regarding SSDI...I get a very small amount due to the fact that I always worked part time so I would be home for the kids, so my social security didn't build up very high. Still I'm grateful for what I do get...

Wiz, you're a very smart gal...you'll figure out what's best...

Heck - I don't know what to say here - I am going against most others, but, if this is something you really want - something that will give you more realistic job opportunities, and something that will make you feel like you have achieved something in spite of you damned MS - GO FOR IT!!!

You are YOU first, and an MS sufferer second. If this is something you want for YOU and not for others then push yourself. At the end there will be pieces to pick up and deal with, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have done it.

Try and take the time you need, get help wherever you can but don't let this disease take the essence of who you are.

Just my thoughts and maybe not popular with others.....but, this bloody disease takes enough already.

Lyn