Neuropathy and Employment
Hello folks. I’ve suffered a rapid onset of symptoms followed by all the tests and imaging, culminating in a diagnosis of small fiber neuropathy in my feet and legs due to a delicious buffet of chemotherapy. I fought my way through the cancer only to be palsied and made a fall risk for, apparently, the rest of my life. I’ve ‘enjoyed’ reading about everyone’s adventures here and wanted to ask for any experience, strength or hope regarding employment. I am currently a high school culinary arts instructor which requires me to be on my feet and moving daily. We’ve just begun our year and I’m already struggling with the foundational class work prior to entering the kitchen, and I’m not confident I’ll be able to do the job long term. My admin is supportive and I’m in the process filing ADA paperwork, but at the end of the day, I can’t run a kitchen full of youngsters from a chair. Like most, my income and employer sponsored health insurance are a necessary shield against financial collapse. Coming from a kitchen/education background gives me lots of transferable skills but finding a compatible job without a four year degree, especially in this market, seems unlikely. I’m a few years away from 65, and could take Social Security, but Medicare wouldn’t kick in until I hit that age. I’ll assume that I have too many resources to qualify for Medicaid. So has anyone dealt with this sort of thing? Any ideas for a way forward? I could get insurance through my spouse, that’s one plus, but the money would still be lost. I could start my own business as a ServSafe instructor/proctor, but there would be a long ramp up to hit anything like my current income level. Oh, and let me say it first, “Welcome to America “. Thanks for reading my post.