To Tell or Not to Tell

To tell or not to tell, that is the question.

As I am in the process of finding a job, I have to think about how MS is going to fit into that part of my life. The question if disclosure is a big question when it comes to if and when I tell my new employers and how that will affect my on the job.

A part of me is inclined to be honest up front because it feels almost dishonest if I’m not. MS can have an impact on my job performance. There could be days where I am so fatigued I could barely get out of bed, I have more doctor appointments that an average person, and there is the potential for other issues. Not saying anything means that I have to be vague about absences, sick days, leaving early, and that could reflect negatively on my work ethic. I could wait to get hired and then say something, but it feels like some sort of bait and switch, the company hired me with one expectation and then learns that there may be limitations on my end. Once hired, I could not be let go because I had MS so a company could feel stuck.

However...

Being upfront can definitely hurt me ever getting a job. I still cannot be discriminated against, but it is much easier for a company to find other reasons not to hire me even if I were more than qualified.

Things are getting better MS wise, and it’s getting easier to almost forget that it’s there. The chances are, there would be no issues MS wise when I start working again, but I’m anxious. The only job I had since my diagnosis was with the school and it ended with me in the hospital. That’s not a positive experience to draw from, and I’m worried that it will happen again.

So, to tell or not to tell... that is the question.