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When someone retires, it should be a time to celebrate and then to relax; no more worries about job-related problems and responsibilities. Right? Well sure, if your retirement was planned as the wrap up of years of devotion to your profession. But what happens when your retirement does not begin as you had planned? It is not the reward for your years of hard work.

Retirement may be brought on earlier than intended, not as a plan but rather as a life change because of disability. I know because this is what happened to me.

After decades of a devoted career as a high school teacher, (and even longer as a multiple sclerosis patient), my symptoms got the best of me. Problems with fatigue and balance, interruptions caused by incontinence, and chronic bouts of “cog fog” lead to the demise of my life as an educator. It was suggested by my neurologist that I investigate retirement. But I was only 49 years old. I was responsible to take care of students who depended on me to teach and guide them. I had another 12 to 15 years until I reached retirement, but my MS had other plans – apparently, I was to begin a new job.

At first, this “job” did not seem right for me. I felt sad, lonely, and useless. It seemed I had lost my grounding, as if I had no true purpose. I then realized there was indeed a purpose in this new job – I was the new boss and I was solely responsible for taking care of me.

I had spent my life taking care of others, leading, and demonstrating life skills. But now, I had no students. Or did I? I had to realize the student was now me. I had to learn the lessons of living, to the best of my ability, in this new chapter of my life.

My new job has specifications for which I had to be responsible. I was now in charge and related tasks were to be dealt with immediately:

1. Organize my finances – include savings, potential future income, disability monies and medical expenses.
2. Focus on my wellbeing – develop a routine, maintain healthy habits, stay social, and find focus.

We all have expenses in life, and the paycheck I was used to receiving was now gone. I did have disability insurance, but that was a temporary solution. I needed to find a stable income. I began my search by asking questions and making connections to find the way to an answer. This path led me to collecting Social Security and disability. I was able to continue paying for my medical insurance until I reached eligibility for Medicare. I found out all the hard work in my past ensured some financial and healthcare stability in my new life. Though researching possibilities was a time-consuming task, it had to be done as a part of my new job.

Wellbeing was my next task. As a retired teacher, I was well-versed in planning and scheduling, skills that I found were very helpful in this next step. I made time to exercise with a fellow retiree. This hit two goals – maintaining healthy habits and keeping a social network. I also plan to see friends each week for lunch, a walk, or just a cup of coffee and some chat time. Again, these are scheduled activities to keep me busy in addition to going to doctor appointments as needed.

As this routine became second nature to me, I started to feel a bit selfish. I wanted to feel needed, but I could not be traditionally employed; there must be something to do wherein I could be useful. Then it came to me – I could voluntarily give my time. My compensation would not be in the form of finances, but rather in feelings of pride and appreciation. I would be able to use my many professional skills and talents in writing, organizing, and mentoring by donating them to a worthy cause. This became an important facet of my new job. I am now a volunteer at MS Focus: the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and I have found true focus. Volunteering gives me a sense of purpose which strengthens my overall well-being.

As overwhelming as this new job may seem for a disabled retiree, it has become empowering. Yes, there is a lot to do, many responsibilities to handle, but it is all being done for an important purpose – it is being done for me. I am now working for my benefit, for my life, and I like being my boss.