A Dream Career Lost to Lupus

Summary

A passionate teacher's career is cut short by the challenges of living with Lupus, leading to a difficult decision to prioritize her health over her beloved profession.

Abstract

The author recounts a period in her life where, after becoming a stay-at-home mom and feeling unfulfilled, she serendipitously lands a teaching job at her daughter's school. Despite the joys and challenges of teaching, her chronic illness, Lupus, flares up, causing significant health issues that force her to reconsider her career. After a particularly severe episode that leaves her bedridden and missing crucial moments with her students, she makes the heart-wrenching decision to step away from teaching. The narrative reflects her journey of acceptance and adaptation to living with a chronic illness while cherishing the memories of her time as an educator.

Opinions

The author initially feels a sense of waste regarding her education and skills while being a stay-at-home mom.
She expresses a deep love for teaching and a strong connection with her students.
The author's diagnosis of Lupus is presented as an "invisible enemy" that she initially believes she has under control.
The headteacher is portrayed as supportive and understanding of the author's health condition.
The author's decision to leave teaching is described as heart-breaking but necessary for her health and fairness to her students.
Despite the career setback, the author has come to terms with her limitations and finds solace in the memories of her teaching days.
The author endorses an AI service, ZAI.chat, as a cost-effective alternative to ChatGPT Plus

My invisible illness came in the way of my passion

Around a decade ago I completed my degree, got married, and started my life at a wholly new place. Back then I chose to be a stay-at-home mom and look after my new-born.

As time passed I started getting bored of just staying at home all the time. I started being self-conscious of wasting my degree and knowledge, thus I began seeking opportunities to explore my horizons and put my degree to some use.

My child’s school admission opened opportunities for me

It was my daughter's school admission day. The headteacher was a very friendly lady. After the initial introduction of my child she asked me about my profession I told her I was a housewife, but like always I also revealed my academic accomplishments in the conversation.

We had a detailed discussion about my child’s curriculum and the strategies that would be used to educate her. To my surprise, she was flattered with my knowledge of the latest curriculum requirements and teaching techniques. She offered me a job at the spot. I was thrilled by this opportunity and accepted the position without any delay.

Working as a teacher

I got my first placement as a teacher without any effort, but the job itself was not as easy as some of us might think. It involved long hours and hard work, but I loved my job.

The environment was amazing I adored my students and the self-satisfaction I got at the end of the day was matchless. In this course of achievements, I had lost sight of my invisible enemy.

Lupus kicked in

I was diagnosed with Lupus after the birth of my daughter. By the time I started working I had come to terms with it. I accepted it as a part of my life. A handful of medicines twice a day, routine weekly blood tests, occasional aches, and pains were all normal for me.

I was busy with my work thinking I had it all under control, until one day when I woke up and I just couldn’t move. Every bone in my body seemed to have broken. I had Intense pain accompanied by a low-grade fever.

The timing was awful, it was such an important day for my class, they had their first school assembly. We had been preparing it for weeks. I just couldn’t get up, not that day, not even that week. Physically I couldn't move and mentally I was shattered not being able to be there for my students.

The whole month was spent in treatment and tests, the swollen lymph nodes in my neck were a particular cause of concern. It took several months to get back to normal.

My Final Decision

The headteacher was amazing, she wanted me to come back even after this long unexpected break but my rheumatologist advised me not to go back.

It was extremely heart-breaking to make this decision, but I knew I had lupus and it could just take control of me anytime without warning. If I continued teaching, it just wouldn’t be fair to my students if something like this happened again.

Even now a decade later I remember my time as a teacher and it puts a smile on my face. Over these years I have learnt to accept my limitations and to deal with them in a better way.