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When did you disclose your PD at work?
Depending on how old you were when you were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, you may have been working and had to consider disclosing your diagnosis to your employer.
Did you do it? If you did, when did you disclose and how did your employer handle it?
If you’ve chosen not to disclose, why not?
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10 Replies
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I was 52 when diagnosed, since my work was very physical it became difficult to continue. I told my employer same day of diagnosis he handled it well. Worked about a year off and on helping to train my replacement. Dealing one on one with customers and managing all the company employees it was very tiring towards the end.
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I’m glad your employer was supportive and you were able to ease out of work. Do you miss your work?
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I mention it because I sometimes get a spaced out look during class and I didn’t want my students thinking I was getting bored!
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lol lou, you have a great sense of humor which i am sure serves you well battling this disease.
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It was really hard the first year still get up early just have a different routine now. Enjoying life in the slow lane.
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I disclosed nearly 2 years ago and was treated no differently before or after. 8 months later I announced my plan to retire in 6 months. The company worked with me to recruit and train a successor, and I was able to retire on schedule.
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Jeffrey it is so nice to hear a positive story about how a PwP was treated.
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That’s wonderful, Jeffery. I am so happy to hear you had such a supportive and fair employer. Happy retirement! How do you like to spend your time now that you are retired?
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For me, the best route was to tell everyone right away. I had no shakes – just a leg that dragged and absolutely awful posture. It didn’t affect ether the quality or quantity of my work. I was a senior partner in a private ObGyn practice and I wanted both my partners and my patients to see that Parkinsons patients are still the same people they have already gotten to know and appreciate. Like a regular person, not a person who looked and acted disabled! I wanted them to know that this diagnosis does not mean an immediate drop in your IQ or your ability to perform!!!. I continued to deliver babies and perform surgery (yes, a few people felt they had watch me to make sure I was “OK”, but after awhile, they got bored and quit!) At 65, I “retired” and moved to Chicago, where I work part time and spend several months each year working in a hospital in Africa, still delivering babies and doing surgery. At 71 now, God has blessed me with a benign Parkinsons course thus far. While that will not always be the case, perhaps my early public acknowledgement will allow other PwPs like me to be regarded as competent, great employees with a lot to contribute.
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Gail, you are an inspiration to us all… A positive attitude is so important when dealing with this disease, something I do not excel at LOL
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