I am new here, in fact I just joined today. I started this group because I personally deal with a disease that affects my employment and/or life. I have Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and it has been a challenge for me to decide whether to tell prospective employers of my disability.

I wanted to start this group to let others have a chance to vent or just share their experiences. Whether it is a personal disability or just someone you know who is afflicted by a disability, it all can be stressful and having support or a shoulder to lean on always helps one to not feel alone.

Thanks, Erin

Hey Erin, I for one can benefit from this group. My son is developmentely delayed. He's 15 months but looks and acts like he's about 8 months. Weighs 13 lbs 14 ozs. He wasn't premature. He was fine at birth. But the days following his birth were just the begining. He's been  in 3 hospitals. One was in Indianapolis for almost 3  months in the PICU. In and out of hospitals since he was discharged Aug. 2007. The doctors still have no clue as to what started it all. He had failure to thrive, MRSA, meningitis, respiratory failure, anemia, sleep apnea, para-influenza, his Pda needed closed because it didnt do it on its own. Bilateral inguinal hernia repair. I lost him a few  times due to the blood, during blood transfusions, being to cold. He came home on O2 and a sleep monitor. Which he recently came off of both. He has a slight hearing loss in both ears, astigmatism in both eyes and needs a cranium sculpting helmet due to being in the hospital so much his head flattened out a little. With all that being said he's doing great. But every once in awhile when I think about all he's been through it really gets to me. I sometimes wonder if what ever caused his health issues is what caused me to miss carry my 1st pregnancy. Although I've had 2 healthy children since than. I dont know the causes but i do know god wouldnt put us through this if he didnt think we could handle it. (Sorry for such a long post!)

I also know a nurse who worked with MS.  It is important to let your employer know so that they can make accommadations to your job.  I wish you the best and hope that your group can develop to give others support.

I have two children.  One has mental health issues so even though it is not physical disability it still is very stressful and difficult to deal with.  I have to have accommodations at work so that I can attend to his appointments and issues.  I have a very supportive management group that will try to work with my situation.  Thank God for great people.