MS friendly jobs-any advice or direction?
 

Hey everyone!
I am having problems at work.
When I was diagnosed I had to quit my job as a server, for many obvious reasons. I tried working 8 hours as a cashier after and found that 8 hour long shifts were too much because I was having pseudo-exacerbations everyday. Then after that I got an office job where I sat for 8 hours, that was okay at first, but two weeks into that job I started having vision problems and my fatigue was so bad that I would work til 5 come home and go straight to sleep until I had to wake up for the next day of work (along with many other problems). So I know that I cannot work 40 hour weeks, that I cannot stand for more than 4 hours, and I cannot be in heat.

I finally found a job, where my employer is very understanding and willing to work with what I can and cannot do. Bad thing is, it's at a tanning salon. The fall and winter seasons aren't very busy, so I didn't have to worry about it getting hot in there. But now the business is picking up and the salon is getting hot and there's alot of multi-tasking going on. I am finding that I lose my peripheral vision, my legs/feet are going numb and I just suffered a chest hug the other day that was so bad it literally dropped me to my knees.

I want to work, but I know that all these things that are happening to me while working are doing serious damage to my body. So I am thinking I am going to have to find a new job for the spring/summer season.

So I am asking for any ideas or advice on where I should work. My boyfriend thinks I should take these two seasons off because I have enough trouble with them while NOT working, but I have bills that must get paid.

Any advice/direction would be great and appreciated.

Thanks!

I was told that medical transcription is a good job for MSers.

I was actually training for that kind of work when the MS hit me. I havent gone back to it yet (because anytime I decide to go back to finish the classes, I get a flare that keeps me from doing it. I swear the MS is out to get me)

I'm hoping I can start back this summer. I really want to do more than just sit here going numb.

Hi Anya! Good to see you post again.

I am not sure what your skill set is but I would probably look for positions that are somewhat sedentary but ones that give you the flexibility to get up and move and change positions. There are many of us that work in various jobs depending upon our abilities/limitations.

Erin - I do medical transcription and while it is great because I work from home, it is more physically demanding than one thinks. I can't sit for long periods of time at all so I am up and down. I have to be barefoot and/or have only socks on as I can't feel the foot pedal when I have shoes on. (Oddly though, I can feel the gas pedal with my shoes on.:confused:) Also, when my tremors are bad my hands flop all over the place making it not only harder to type but frustrating as well. It does have it's perks though. I can work from home. I have no distractions and it is not a position that requires multitasking. Mind you, I work less than 10 hours a week. I could not do any more than that.

I think I wouldnt mind trying to do transcription again. At least it would give me yarn money. Or support my Kindle book buying habit.

Thanks!
 

I appreciate your responses!

I have actually thought about a work at home job because that way if I am having a bad day I don't have to push myself. I am pretty sure that's why I am having issues now, pushing when my body says sit down. My work ethic definitely hurts me, and I don't want my co-workers thinking I am lazy. My motto has always been.. 'you have time to lean, you have time to clean.' And that's what I do.

I also have days where my hands tremor so badly that I mess everything up on the keyboard and then I get very frustrated/mad and then more problems come my way.

My employer is so understanding about my position and I have a feeling I will NEVER find that again so I really don't want to leave.

Maybe I will start bringing the stool up front and sitting when I have nothing to do. I hate that MS puts so many limitations on you. I feel like a porcelain doll sometimes.:eek:

Have you tried wearing cool scarves around your neck and wrists, or cold vests, when it gets hot. I take it, you don't have A/C at work.

:hug:

Try this link: http://www.nticentral.org/work-at-ho...-disabled.shtm

I've not tried it myself but I remember someone posting about it a while back. I'll keep looking for the thread it was in and, if I can find it, I'll post it here.

Good luck!

I will definitely invest in some cooling scarves and wristbands. I know that will definitely help (I got too hot one day and lost my eyesight and my friend threw a cold wet towel around my neck and my vision came back very quickly).

And I started to fill out the app on the website but am having a hard time locating my resume when I try to download it so I got super frustrated, I'm putting that off for this evening when my boyfriend is home and he can locate it for me.

Thank you so much! Those were both very good tips for me! Thanks again!:grouphug:

I work in a bank (the largest in Canada) and I must say, with almost 10 years there, they know about my disease and have accommodated me in so many ways. Shifts during the day only, not changing my hours and breaks around, they're sending me to start working from home this month... so great employers are out there, but it can be tricky, and in some cases it's better not to even mention to the employer that you have MS (If the conversation can be avoided).

Any inside sedentary type job where you can determine your own work pace works better.

The biggest thing is the availability of a sick room or the like where you can have a nap in the middle of the day. Even a half hour of rest can buy you another couple of working hours. Perhaps you can arrange with your current to set up a nap room?

I second the cooling neck bands. A fan right in front of you can really help as well.