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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009 Posts: 856
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Hi Jenni
Thanks for your useful posts on the thread about not working. It was good to hear from someone in the same job as me. At the moment, I would say my RA is mild to moderate although it's been getting worse over the last month. I'm due to see the rheummy in 2 weeks so I'll see what he has to say.
I keep telling myself that with a change of meds I might improve and can continue but I think that maybe I'm in denial and fooling myself and stuggling to come to terms with it all. I really hate the thought that I might have to give up and feel that I'm looking for any excuse not to and tryng to find any way round it. Your right- cutting back on classroom time is one thing but it's all the extra such as meetings etc. that add up.
How long did you continue before you had to give up?
Maria
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 2,237 Location: nr Southampton
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hello Maria-
I started with the RA in the last yr of university and took my first post in 1997, teaching yr R and yr 1.
I worked full time for 3 yrs. in the 3rd yr i taught yr 3-4 in the primary dept.
In the 3rd yr my ra took a bit of a dive and I had a lot of time off that yr,- I was put forward for the Enbrel trials in 2000 and had nearly 3 good yrs.
I changed school- going for a promotion up the scale and did 2 jobs in effect, 3 days p-t at one school and did the occasional day as supply for an agency.
Then the school wanted me to go full time and set up a new Key stage dept when all the foundation stage stuff came in. I was well on the Enbrel and thought I could handle it, as it was not f-t in the classroom, I could do a lot of the management side from home and through the office. By then I had the children and so was at the negotiation stage when my marriage suddenly ended and I came down to Hampshire as a single mum.
I lived with my parents for a while- I was in a bit of a mess tbh!
The RA remained stable and when Gemma started the local infants school she introduced me to her new teacher and I recognised her. We had qualified together and over the next few months I went into help a bit and they then offered me supply.
In sept they offered me a Specialist teacher (advanced skills) role at the school. I started doing mornings with 5 children who all had autistic spectrum disorder- in effect the class teacher and I team taught. It was a great little job.
As the group of 5 moved to y2 I started to look for a new post that I could do 3 days in one hit and I got one job sharing at a school with a very mixed catchment with yr 3 class- 3 days a wk. I had been there 2 terms and they asked me to job share with the deputy head. I agreed but didnt want to take on the senior management role at that time (RA was a bit more iffy- enbrel not doing so well)
I job shared with the deputy head in yr 5 for 2 yrs- 2 days a wk. I was music co-ordinator and built the whole creative arts dept at the school from my 2 days- doing extra bits on my days off for the christmas productions etc.
at the end of the time there I had had to stop the enbrel (had serious kidney prbs that kept putting me in hospital) they tried me on another drug regime and then another one. None worked
The RA was in free fall and I used to cry hobbling to my car in the mornings. Richard used to get all the stuff into the car the night before and move my knees round so I could drive. The secretary used to come and get me and my stuff out the other end. I fell twice on playground duty and the school did a risk assessment and were very keen to have X Y and Z adaptions done to keep me in my role.
But
They did not understand that RA is not a disability it is an illness and I just couldnt be reliably well.
I opted for some intensive physio and hydro therapy and wrote to the head explaining that I desperately wanted to keep teaching but understood if they needed to make more permanent plans (I had been off for over a term by then) and she rang me. came to see me and said dont you dare resign, ring the union and get medical retirement. So that is what I did. My consultant wrote in support.
It was incredibly hard to read the words "severe rheumatoid" and no further treatment options at this time, permanently unfit for work.
I was 31 when the retirement came through officially- all in all thats 10 yrs.
I got 6 mths full pay and 6 mths 1/2 pay
If you can manage to go back for one day at the start of the term, the 6 mths start from there.
My union have been brilliant (NASUWT) they have a benevolence fund and they paid for my stair lift, ramp to the back door and lowered surface in the kitchen.
A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then, because of my interest and passion for the less advantaged children in society I have become a bit of an expert in adoptive and traumatised children including how to reach and teach them more effectively.
I have helped set up a adopters support grp- doing all the presentation and research when I have been well enough at home, which launches in April. The model we are using is quite unique. I went last wk with 4 other fellow adopters and presented it to Hampshire CC who like the model, following a 3 mth trial they are going to fund the project and if it works well, roll it out across the county.
I have just been invited to do 2 days inset training for a primary and a secondary school on becoming "attachment friendly" sharing effective techniques and practical ideas for addressing children who have had less than ideal early starts or are simply on the more vulnerable end of the scale emotionally.
Last term, I went to speak to the Home start volunteers about supporting adoptive families and all the stuff about how early trauma effects the way brains are physically wired up, explaining the modern processes of adoption (placement average age is 4.5yrs currently) and how to do therapeutic reparenting and why.
This went down very well and now the local health visitors want me to do it to them! I could never do a contracted hours job as I am not reliable- I really did suffer after doing the Home Start 3hr session, which was a shame as I felt so positive about this possibly being a way forward and making a little business out of it. Being unable to move in agony is just not a price I can pay regularly- but for a few one offs worth it!
for money, I do get some teachers pension, incapacity and DLA, plus we get disabled persons tax credit.
I have only talked about what I have done professionally here- but I like to be part of the NRAS forum community and also do a lot for the Adoption Uk Message boards.
We are a supportive family here and I have got really rubbish RA now. BUT I have had a very fulfilling personal life with 3 children, a personal Christian faith and some aspirations for things I would still love to do in life. There is a big change here as my adoptive daughter is about to move to a therapeutic boarding school so I will be taking some time to just "be" before I do these inset days in September.
I hope you are still awake!
Jenni xxhow to be a velvet bulldoser
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009 Posts: 856
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Bless you Jenni for taking the trouble to reply so promptly- and in such detail!
I'm absolutely stunned at what you have been through in such a short time! And full of admiration for your determination and positive approach. It's really helped me to put my own situation into perspective.
My head has been supportive in that he has taken me off breaktime duties and I'm not a form tutor anymore. He has also allowed me to have lessons covered in the afternoons when I have parents' evenings, so I can rest.
However, I'm not sure if that's out of consideration for me or he's just covering his own back!! At the risk of sounding a bit unprofessional, I must say he has a bit of a track record when it comes to staff with long term illness/ older colleagues and I know he has had his knuckles rapped in the past. I won't say any more on the matter except that I don't feel completely secure-he did try to get me to step down as Head of Department when I was first diagnosed!!
To add to my problems I have a new departmental colleague who is , to put it politely, a challenge to work with! Although I have explained how the RA affects me, I don't get any support from her and she can be downright unpleasant and destructive. Not a nice person. She has caused me a lot of stress. Thankfully, others in the dept are great!
Anyway -I won't bore you any more.
I'm glad to hear that your skills and talents are in demand. It's reassured me that if I do have to give up teaching, there's still hope for being involved in education.
Many thanks again-you're a great inspiration.
Hugs
Maria x
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 2,237 Location: nr Southampton
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oh maria I have just lost a long post (grrrrrrr) but in a nut shell; I am never bored to hear, my head also was firm with a couple of older teachers whose practice was poor in general and they claimed sickness when this was not really true but she made it clear there was no question over competance in me and that she did not view me in the same way at all, when I took early retirement I had a mind to do educational psychology, I did 2 yrs of OU for this (which was great- free laptop, voice recognition software etc) but I have had a re think because you have to do at least 1 yr f-t post qualification and I cant do this.
What career paths are you considering?
There are more options in secondary I think. maybe as an educational advisor or something or do you fancy headship?
Jenni xhow to be a velvet bulldoser
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009 Posts: 856
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Hi Jenny
I really don't know at the moment. If I do give up teaching, I'm not sure that I want to stay in education-at least, not in a school. I haven't really got all that long to go anyway, being almost 53, and I'm not sure what the prospects would be for someone of my age. It's all so confusing at the moment- I need to sit down and have a long think.
Thanks again
Maria x
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 872
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...me too Maria but at least we are not on our own, xxxxx ...for me i think it's the fear of the unknown ~ what else can i DO....  - LOTS possibly but i think its a strange mixture of how it is perfectly natural to feel - PLUS the RA thrown in.... You're right ~ a good long think is just what is needed, I think we need to put the kettle on and dig out the hob-nobs! xxxxxx Jenni - i've said it before but its true, so will say it again ~ YOU are inspirational as well as being really lovely! xxxxx
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 2,237 Location: nr Southampton
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 aww thanks xxhow to be a velvet bulldoser
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009 Posts: 856
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You're right Liz- it is the fear of the unknown- especially when you've been in a job for a long time. Also- in my case it's stubbornness- I don't want to accept that I can't do things like I used to. I suppose that's all part and parcel of living with a long term illness. I need to start making a list of all the positives to cutting my hours- apart from the benefits to my health, I'd have more time for myself, wouldn't have to cram everything into weekends when I'm shattered anyway. More trips to my favourite coffee shop for their superb hot chocolate with all the trimmings and their carrot cake to die for... 
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 872
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 1,110 Location: London
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Really interesting topic, especially for those of us who have worked in education. Jenni, you have done so much, and achieved so much!!! Maria, lets hope you can continue for as long as you want to, its so hard being put into a situation you cant control, I have been there too. Really interesting and valuable posts, thank you so much  BARBARA
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009 Posts: 856
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you're right Barbara- I hate not being in control of what happens to me.
Liz- was looking at a baking book the other day- couldn't believe the calories in a slice of cake. Hasn't put me off though......
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