What do you do?"What do you do?" people ask when a newcomer is introduced. "I'm a long distance trucker." "I'm a housewife." "I'm vice president of distribution at Acme (company, jargon) ACME - /ak'mee/ 1. A Company that Makes Everything. The canonical imaginary business. Possibly also derived from the word "acme" meaning "highest point". 2. A program for MS-DOS. Widget Pronounced "wih-jit," for decades, the term has been a popular word for a generic "thing" when there is no real name for it. It is often used to describe examples of made-up products along with other fictitious names; for example, "10 widgets, 5 frabbits and 2 dingits. ." What we do is who we are. Our occupation defines us. The National MS Society's statistics suggest that 30% of people with MS are still working full time 20 years after diagnosis. This number reflects the enormous impact MS has on employment. However, it is based on research done before the MS drugs made their appearance. Most observers are confident that use of these drugs will be a factor in a notably higher percentage of people employed full time when long-term figures become available. A factor, but only one factor. Other factors favoring favoring an animal is said to be favoring a leg when it avoids putting all of its weight on the limb. A part of being lame in a limb. employment include an entire community of people with disabilities who are more visible, more vocal, and more self-assured than they were in the past. High-profile advocates with disabilities have helped. So has technology. Through common devices such as computers to high-tech mobility and communication aids, physical limitations that affect job performance are becoming minimized. Disability discrimination continues, but covertly cov·ert adj. 1. Not openly practiced, avowed, engaged in, accumulated, or shown: covert military operations; covert funding for the rebels. See Synonyms at secret. 2. ; the tide is ultimately against it. On the other hand, stubborn stubborn Vox populi → medtalk Refractory; unresponsive to therapy problems remain. Effective treatments for MS fatigue and cognitive problems are still to be developed. As our authors point out, these MS symptoms are responsible for most job loss and unemployability. Our December-January issue showed that many people with MS devise ways around these limitations and work productively as volunteers. Other solutions may involve retraining re·train tr. & intr.v. re·trained, re·train·ing, re·trains To train or undergo training again. re·train or reframing reframing (rē·frāˑ·ming), n the revisiting and reconstruction of a patient's view of an experience to imbue it with a different usually more positive meaning in the an occupation. A simple phone call could be a start: 1-800-FIGHT-MS. Do it before small worries become an employment crisis. Information provided by the National MS Society is based on professional advice, published experience, and expert opinion. Information provided in response to questions does not constitute therapeutic recommendations or prescriptions. The Society recommends that all questions and information be discussed with a personal physician. Martha King Editor, InsideMS editor@nmss.org |
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