How to start this? I always found that my body never felt quite right. I always felt cold or really hot when temperatures were considered “normal” for others, so I kept going for blood tests. When the blood tests came back sound the doctors wrote me off as “whining.” So I forgot about it and went on to finish my University, I got married, and started looking for work.
In 2011, to my surprise and delight I discovered I was pregnant. My husband was worried it was not the right time since I hadn’t worked yet, but we still wanted a baby. So after a horrible period of morning sickness that lasted six months, I found a contract job for six months doing data entry. I finished my contract without any problems and waited out the rest of my pregnancy.
When my time came, I had a horrible three day labor that ended up in a c-section and had a horrible time breast feeding. Three months after delivery I woke up to discover that I could not feel the lower half of my body. I was numb. I thought this was because of my c-section. So I waited a week for it to go away. When it didn’t do away I went from doctor to doctor trying to find an answer. Finally I went to the ER where they did an MRI. They discovered inflammation on my spinal cord and ordered more testing to be done. When they did my brain MRI, they discovered many more lesions there. I was officially diagnosed with MS. My life felt like it was crashing down on me. Here I was a new mother with a three month old baby who had a suffered a horrible relapse. My husband worked in the West Island and could not help me and I had no other family around to help. After getting help from certain services, I could rest so I would not go into another relapse.
To my dismay I had another relapse in November 2012, and my husband’s worked let him go because he had to take me to my doctor. So here we were both with jobs, a ten month old baby, and I was on steroids. My mother who had been wanting to help, jumped in and offered for us to move in so I could get better, and my husband could figure what to do next.
It’s now January 2014 and I am still getting back on my feet. My husband opened his own business and my son is in a great daycare now. But where do I go from here? My brain gets foggy when I work too long, I have horrible stamina, and can only work at most four hours a day! I wonder what job will take me? Most jobs where I live offer full-time employment. I can only do part-time. This diagnosis has taken much from my marriage and my role as a mother. Any advice on what I should look into?
Aviva
Canada
Submitted 01/05/2014
The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.
This story is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.
Hi Lovely,
My story is very similar to yours, apart from that I have yet to become a mother. The rest though, doctors not listening and then the inevitable flare up causing devastation. I have been there and it’s truly rubbish! I have SLE and know that when mine flares up I am too exhausted to do anything. The one piece of advice I can give is to keep your head held high and try to keep smiling. For some reason everything is better when you smile.
A for jobs, I work and have found it has helped with my confidence – just be honest with prospective employers. Keep your chin up!!
Love Cass