Teaching With Lupus

[teacherwithlupus]

Hi there! New to blogging all together!! I have had Lupus for almost 20 years. I am 38. I have glomerulonephritis and the antiphospholipid antibody. I have been teaching for 8 years and am currently on a medical leave. I am just now dealing with the fact that I have Lupus and I may have limitations!!! I feel dumb about this, but I think I've been in denial! I look back on the last 8 years and I have really not done well with all the stress of teaching. Am looking for people with Lupus who teach and what your limitations are and how you cope? I have so many doctors appointments between my daughter and I (childbirth was downright dangerous), I am so tired I feel like all I do is work and sleep and for the first 4 years I think my career came before my family.

Thanks

[MandaM]

Hi, i know how you feel! I was diagnosed with SLE in 2000 and first stages of kidney failure due to glomerulonephritis. By the beginning of 2005 i had reached the end with my kidneys and had to go onto heamodyalisis but was lucky enough to find 3 matches in friends offering me a kidney for transplant! In March 2006 i had a so far, very successful transplant. Luckily at 47 years of age i have no dependant children to look after, they're now 29 and 27 and i have 4 grandchildren! I too feel wiped out, exhausted and weak most of the time, therefore like you it feels life is about sleep, housework and work. Stress is a killer for SLE, it only acts to make you feel a lot more unwell and more liable to have to take the odd day off at work therefore flagging up the attentions of H.R.!

I have no solutions to offer you apart from the obvious in that we all have to try to take the best care of ourselves, take our meds religiously and to try not to overdo things as the following day or so you will be exhausted.

[jomul]

Hi

I am a primary school teacher but I have not worked now for 4 years. I also have 4 children of my own, older now but still need much of my time. Teaching is a seriously stressfull job! I have friends that work in an office and the pace of their day is like a snail compared to the full on intensity of teaching! I have done a bit of supply which means you can work less days but you miss out on hol pay and on that lovely relationship you can have with your own class. I am looking at work that uses my skills but not directly teaching...maybe becoming an advocate for children or working with people with communication problems......

I realised a while ago that I could not have it all and be healthy, but each person has their own limits to work out.

Have you been in touch with occ health?

Are you in a supportive school?

Do you work full time?

I hope you feel less tired today, I know how hard that can be.

x

[teacherwithlupus]

Thank you, both!

Yes, I work full time. I am at my 6th school in 9 years, so, no, not supportive staff, admin, etc. but it's because they never know me! Reason for 6th school is because of surplus (2x), tagged positions (2x), this past one was an adminsitrative transfer b/c a kid in my gr 8 class did something off the internet and got me investigated... that stress was unreal. Anyways, that's the story and I am going to have to quit or go into a different area soon. I'm burnt and quality of life is not good. The problem is that the paycheck, the benefits and the pension is really too good to give up so it's a very hard decision.

Why did you go off? And are you still with the board (long term disbility)?

[AlisonM]

I work full time as a primary teacher, and have been diagnosed for 5 yrs. it's hard, but I have a supportive management team who send me home if I've came to work n shouldn't be there!!

I'm in Scotland, so we get 2 1/2 hrs non contact time a wk for preparation n correction etc. I have mine 1 hr on tues aft, last thing do I can go home n rest and first thing till 10.30 on wed, giving the opportunity to sleep in. I use it sometimes, but don't take advantage!! I also dont stand at front of class v often- I sit. Less tiring!! My class also know when I'm 'not well n tired' then they have to help me!!

I don't have kids, but think it'd be harder to manage cause some weeks all I do is sleep n go to work, then other weeks I can make dinner, visit friends etc.

It's hard but I love my job n couldn't do anything else!!

Good luck xxx

[emtsilly]

it's certainly not easy, supportive management and collegues really help but are tough to come by. I was diagnosed under a year ago after 16 years of teaching. I'm not lucky enough to have children but still hope for a happy relationship and family. Work and sleep do seem to take over though. Parent consultations are sometimes a bit scary as the fog sometimes hits but my class are aware that words are sometimes tricky and I know if I ask then I can get some down time- I never do though and have yet to learn the word 'no!'

[charm81]

Hi,

I too am a Teacher(Secondary & post16), but haven't worked since Oct 2009. I was diagnosed with SLE in 1997 and it has impacted on my kidneys. This was the reason I eventually had to resign in 2010 due to end stage renal failure. I have now been doing peritoneal dialysis for just over a year, The pace of teaching is such that I can't imagine being in a classroom again pre-transplant.

I am 30 years old and I do not have any children. If you can continue to work then you must. Working gives you self-worth, confidence, social contact and hopefully stamina. All of which I feel I have lost. For me if I was to go to work now I feel I would be doing my students a disservice with being ill and having numerous appts at this time.

The school I worked before resigning was great. However, I was very open with them from the outset. Nobody could have envisioned that I would have to resign, but during this time my school were very very supportive and understanding. Their response overwhelmed me because I expected them to be funny with me.

Presently I have become a personal tutor and work when I can. This is great as I get to keep my hands in education and on my terms. I am hoping to do some voluntary work in a primary school this September, so that should be good.

Take Care