My Life with MS

By juneofark

1 min read

I was diagnosed with MS in 1998. I had been teaching school for 13 years. A job that I loved! I had gone to college when our two daughters were teenagers. If it hadn't been for my family I could not have fulfilled my dream of teaching. They took over cooking and cleaning and my husband helped and encouraged me from the start. I was working as a teacher's aid during the day and I would leave there and go straight to class at our local university. Sometimes I wouldn't get home until 10:00 at night, then I would have to study.With their help, I was able to graduate in three years and with honors.

I have my family to thank for this. After only teaching 13 yrs I started seeing double vision. It took a while but I was finally diagnosed. I worked two more years before I had to leave teaching. I cried every year when school would start. I did the right thing I know because I would be much worse if I had stayed under the stress that teaching causes.

The worst thing about MS is that any little stress can throw me into an exacerbation. Many people don't understand that I have to rest so much or that I have to cancel plans at the last minute. I am one of the lucky ones to be blessed with a husband that does understand and always takes care of me. My daughters try to shield me from stress, but that's not always possible.

I'm so glad there are places like these that we can go and talk to others that understand what each other are going through. :)

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dawnh Member
I too returned to school when my sons were in high school to fulfill my life long dream of being an RN. I have been a pediatric ICU RN for 7 yrs and I love the work that I do. My job is very high stress and physically demanding. My symptoms began to really appear 18 months ago but now that I have been on the MS websites and blogs I truly believe that this has been going on for years. My career path has required my to have multiple vaccines over the past 9 yrs as well which may have contributed to my immune system going into over drive as well. I am have been off of work since 10/02/13 and I am scheduled to return in the beginning of January which I hope continues as the plan but I am starting Betastron in the next couple of weeks so I guess I will be playing it by ear as to when I may actually return to work. As a Nurse I have a whole new understanding of what it means to be the patient and its not a role that I am accomplishing well. My husband has been amazing and supportive and he has turned into quite the nurse himself, I guess he has learned through osmosis, lol.
juneofark Member
You and I are both very lucky in having a supportive family. I, too, believe I had MS long before I started noticing the symptoms. When I think back I can remember many things going on that I didn't connect to the MS, such as severe migraines going on for years. Good luck to you!! You will be in my prayers.
hadel Member
This is a ridiculous story but it is very true. I have come to realize that stress definitely causes exacerbations in me. I am Canadian and the Canadian Football League is in playoffs right now. My favourite team needed to win to get into the semi finals. The game was close, like one point difference. It was in the last 5 minutes I started to stress. 5 minutes is like 15 minutes of play in the CFL. I was pacing, and rocking and yelling at the tv like any good fan. All of a sudden I felt tingling in my fingers, my body started twitching, my hands were shaking and they kept getting worse the closer that five minutes came to being done. In the end my team won. Within a couple hours my symptoms subsided. I started to laugh at how susceptible my body is to stress, but I also learned a great deal about limitations. Sunday is the Super Bowl of Canadian Football and my team is in it. Watch out MS here I come.
1. juneofark Member
 Hi Hadel, You are certainly right! Stress definitely brings on exacerbations with MS. The symptoms may be different for different people, but they are definitely there... My family says "you always are sick on holidays", and that has a ring of truth to it. That's when everyone comes to our home and even though they tell me not to do extra cleaning or cooking for them, I always do, then end up having to lay down while everyone else is enjoying the holiday. I (we) must learn what our limitations are and stick to them! Good luck with your stress and with your team!! June
michlith Member
I needed to read this. I am a teacher as well. It is very hard to teach the way I want to. Stress aggravates my MS as well. Few people really understand that. Thanks for sharing.
1. juneofark Member
 I do understand. If you have your doctor's support you won't have any problem getting disability. As a matter of fact, my doctor had been trying for over a year to get me to quit. But, being a teacher, something I always wanted to be, I didn't want to quit. Finally, my health got so bad that I was in a wheelchair and I saw the terror in my little 2nd graders faces and that's when I knew I had to leave. It was sad but it was for the best. Good luck to you, Michlith! June

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