Reply To: Dermatomyositis now, too. Contemplating disability…

Wow!  Hang in there!

I was diagnosed at the end of June and kept trying to push through life  i was promoted at work right after I was diagnosed.  For the last few months, I was trying to keep up with everything and kept thinking I’ll just adjust and it would all be ok.  I just recently decided to take a leave from work so I can focus on my health and figure out how to make adjustments in my life in hopes I can go back to work soon and prove that I am capable and deserving of my promotion (I think it was being questioned right before I left).  It has been quite a balancing act with speech and physical therapy, treatments,  doctors appointments and regular life.  I don’t have kids, just animals and I couldn’t imagine if I had kids!  The stress of this disease is a lot to deal with and I have finally accepted that I need to focus on my health so I can focus on everything else once I’ve made necessary adjustments.  I felt like it was a sign of defeat at first to take a leave but a few days in and I can tell my stress levels are already better and I KNOW it was the right thing to do.

Good luck and kudos for all you’re doing