Editorial: Multiple Sclerosis, the Workplace and Me.
Salutations~
Hi~ My name is Dana and I have MS.
I used to be a Chef. A Bartender. I catered weddings and hosted parties.
But then one day... I went blind in one eye. I actually thought it was a bad hang over and went to work. It took the prodding of co-workers over 10 days to convince me to call a doctor. And thus began the gauntlet of bloodwork and specialist appointments that brought me to my MS diagnosis.
My last workplace was a very busy brew pub with me working the bar, putting out a ton of drinks, handling the customer base and dealing with the constant pressures of a newly opened multi-million dollar restaurant. I spoke with the owner and reluctantly told him about my diagnosis.
I told him, I was crushed- physically and spiritually. I had a newborn baby boy, a new mortgage and was still recovering from a broken leg, the speed of the bar was too much for me and I requested to transfer to the kitchen where the bulk of my experience lay. I love cooking more than anything.
But then I started feeling faint, dizzy, losing feeling in my hands and feet. The summer heat in the kitchen getting to over 120f pushed me to new lows. I learned that extreme heat could trigger dangerous symptom relapses, even paralysis. I worked less and less each month and the bills stacked up.
Despite the best efforts of my awesome coworkers and owners trying to find a safe position for me, it was clear- I would have to give up the profession I have lived and loved for almost 20 years.
My social worker, my psychiatrist, my neurologist and family physician urged me to "take it easy" and that my health should be my only concern. I agree. I was granted a 1 year period of disability. That year is almost up and now I need to figure out what to do next.
I am writing this blog from bed while my 3 year old builds a train set nearby. He's pretty cool, but he requires a lot of attention. We can't afford child care, so I'm the full time caregiver when my wife isn't taking care of all of us.
I started writing the Critical Bowl as part of my multi-pronged defense against the ennui that comes from not working. The despair of not being able to provide for my family with the skills I had trained for so... many... years. I did NOT want to leave,so some suggested a "lateral move."
Cannabis legalization intersected very well with my passions; I could still use my language skills to convey flavors and experiences like I had with food and drink... and I could do it from the relative safety of this old laptop. Turns out- I really enjoy writing. Maybe I could get paid to do this?
So...How do I go from passionate internet blogger, to employable cannabis expert living with a disability? I'm not 100% sure... so,
Let's find out together! FOR SCIENCE!
Hi~ My name is Dana and I have MS.
I used to be a Chef. A Bartender. I catered weddings and hosted parties.
But then one day... I went blind in one eye. I actually thought it was a bad hang over and went to work. It took the prodding of co-workers over 10 days to convince me to call a doctor. And thus began the gauntlet of bloodwork and specialist appointments that brought me to my MS diagnosis.
My last workplace was a very busy brew pub with me working the bar, putting out a ton of drinks, handling the customer base and dealing with the constant pressures of a newly opened multi-million dollar restaurant. I spoke with the owner and reluctantly told him about my diagnosis.
I told him, I was crushed- physically and spiritually. I had a newborn baby boy, a new mortgage and was still recovering from a broken leg, the speed of the bar was too much for me and I requested to transfer to the kitchen where the bulk of my experience lay. I love cooking more than anything.
But then I started feeling faint, dizzy, losing feeling in my hands and feet. The summer heat in the kitchen getting to over 120f pushed me to new lows. I learned that extreme heat could trigger dangerous symptom relapses, even paralysis. I worked less and less each month and the bills stacked up.
Despite the best efforts of my awesome coworkers and owners trying to find a safe position for me, it was clear- I would have to give up the profession I have lived and loved for almost 20 years.
My social worker, my psychiatrist, my neurologist and family physician urged me to "take it easy" and that my health should be my only concern. I agree. I was granted a 1 year period of disability. That year is almost up and now I need to figure out what to do next.
I started writing the Critical Bowl as part of my multi-pronged defense against the ennui that comes from not working. The despair of not being able to provide for my family with the skills I had trained for so... many... years. I did NOT want to leave,so some suggested a "lateral move."
Cannabis legalization intersected very well with my passions; I could still use my language skills to convey flavors and experiences like I had with food and drink... and I could do it from the relative safety of this old laptop. Turns out- I really enjoy writing. Maybe I could get paid to do this?
So...How do I go from passionate internet blogger, to employable cannabis expert living with a disability? I'm not 100% sure... so,
Let's find out together! FOR SCIENCE!
Comments
Post a Comment