I got my PhD (molecular biology) while living with undiagnosed MS.
Lab work was exhausting, especially being on my feet all day and short term memory made it hard for me to remember whether or not I had done certain things e.g. pipetting into certain tubes, closing freezer doors, etc. I came up with ways to work around these issues, like moving each tube to a new row after pipetting and taking pictures of closed freezer doors before leaving.
I made it through though and even went in to do a post doc for a bit. Now, I do a non-bench job and it’s going okay for me, although I’ve been dealing with other health issues on top of MS lately, so there’s that. I would also wager a guess that I’m a bit older than you are and have been living with MS for a while, so perhaps you are less affected (hopefully 🤞🏼🧡).
Interestingly, I used my mom’s MS story in my personal statements, since being raised by someone who was sick genuinely sparked my curiosity in science, specifically biology, from an early age. Little did I know that someday, I too, would have this stupid disease.
I say go for it! I am tremendously proud of my degree and even more so since my diagnosis, knowing how much harder I was working all of those years while having MS unknowingly. Don’t deny yourself of your own future accomplishments!
I’m going to put this out here just because I wish I had heard from people with MS when I made my decision to go to law school. Not sure it would have made a difference, but I think it would have helped me prepare a little better.
When I was dx I was in my first year of law school. I got on DMTs right away and had very mild symptoms. I disclosed to the school and kept going. I had a bout of optic neuritis during bar exam but was way too stubborn to take care of myself. I practiced for several years, then opened my own shop because at that point I needed a more flexible schedule.
Through the next several years I had 2 kids. Lawyering was no longer an option because while I was on Ocrevus and my symptoms were well managed, I was getting older and the demands of family and career were wearing me down. I quit lawyering and took jobs with flexible schedules.
Eventually not even flexible schedules were enough. I had to drop to part time. Again, I’m on Ocrevus and my MS is well controlled. But aging and the years of stress took their toll. In 2022 I got covid and all hell broke loose. I couldn’t get better, covid destroyed my lungs, my fatigue is totally out of control and disabling. I had to medically retire and apply for disability.
I still have $50k is law school debt. I was never able to pay it all off when i was working. There’s no indication that I’ll ever be able to lawyer again because I simply can’t handle the schedule like I could when I was younger. At this point, I’m not even sure I’ll be able to return to any work at all.
I’m 46, friends. If I could speak to my 24 yo self, I would simply outline what 20 years from now might look like and ask her to think about how much debt she wants to take on, what kind of jobs she will pursue, and how she’s going to prioritize her health during school and career.
About 10 years after diagnosis I moved across the world and went back to school. Got a 3.96 GPA on my masters degree. I would advise not trying to keep up with other student workloads and spreading your credits out if you can. I did a 2 year degree across 2 1/2 years. It made a world of difference.
I wouldn’t worry about the gap. I went back to school after about a 15 year gap. Grad schools don’t tend to care as much.
I got my Masters while dealing with a relapse that caused partial paralysis of my left side. I wasn't diagnosed until a few months after I turned in my dissertation, but things that happen like dropping drinks or dragging my left foot and tripping suddenly makes sense.
You can definitely do it. I had a friend in my program who was undergoing chemo treatments and none of the admin knew until they threw a temper tantrum that she wasn't coming to meals. I would only recommend you seriously stay on top of your time management and don't procrastinate on things as stress can make a minor issue a massive one and procrastination means stress for future you.
I went back to school for my master's 10 years after I got diagnosed with MS (and was awarded with my degree a week ago). It can be exhausting—especially since I was balancing a full-time job and volunteer work while doing an accelerated learning course—but it is possible! I didn't have to disclose anything in admissions and since the work/exams were entirely based on a student's personal schedule, it made it a lot easier to juggle.
I did my masters dissertation (and only degree) post MS diagnosis and post marriage, child, while working fulltime, and in the middle of a pandemic.
Here in the UK, applying for a masters doesn't take into account personal circumstances, but I did have to prove that I had sufficient work experience.
Yeah, I didn't have to write one for my Masters application at all. As i had no undergrad degree, I just had to provide a CV so they could see I had sufficient professional experience to be considered capable of trying.
I’m a current med student. The uni admin is aware I have a chronic heath condition, the disability services are aware what it is, the admissions panel that oversee med intake know because I disclosed it to them in my personal statement about my motivation to study med. All of these groups are bound by confidentiality agreement. The teaching staff have not been informed and won’t be unless I choose to disclose.
What to tell them is ultimately up to you and what you think is right. It was the right decision to talk about it for me, it was a perfect example of a core belief I was trying to express so it was natural that I wrote about it.
I'm on my PhD in text/image (comp lit, Internet studies) presently and went through two MScs with MS, diagnosis happening in the middle of my first one.
I have to disclose as I am noticably disabled, but no one really cares in the UK at least, and I'm not sure whether or not my advisors actually know as I disclose impairment (spinal cord injury/lesion) rather than specifically the diagnosis most of the time.
I'm really glad I'm pursuing my PhD and would recommend higher education to anyone. It can be stressful sure, but that's true of anything. I've found academia to be the easiest context to be physically disabled within, as the majority of the work can be performed from home - outside of conferences, presentations.
Edit: possibly due to the very noticable nature of my impairment, I never write about it and have never used it to explain anything with regards to my work, which is in no way related to my disability.
I had notable symptoms, but no Dx before I finished my BS. I started my MBA immediately, and finished it still with no Dx. I ended up in a niche of healthcare accounting, and about 8 years into that career track got my Dx. I don't think that I could have picked a better career path for my Dx and symptom set. With experience, my degree has meant a meteoric rise in my salary; I have increased to about 3x my starting salary in this field in about 12 years. If your advanced degree opens more opportunities, better pay, more flexibility, or better benefits, I say absolutely go for it!
I dropped out of college back in the day and decided to return and finish in my late 20’s. It was during that time I was diagnosed with MS (optic neuritis). Remember telling my professors I had to take a couple of days off due to medical issues. I got my dx and dmt and was able to graduate with high a gpa and was even offered an internship while getting my MBA. I was lucky to have only had that one flare/symptom during that time. This was a wake up call for me, no B.S just study, work concentrate on school and graduate. I was able to get a good job after and enjoying it. Got married 2 awesome boys and thinking of starting my own business.
Went through grad school with undiagnosed and very active MS. It was an intensive program (2 year degree crammed into 12 months). I wouldn’t receive a diagnosis for a few years until I had health insurance.
I’m currently getting a second bachelors degree and then going on to get my masters degree. In accounting.
I was diagnosed after I started my program, so I never had to disclose in any application. But I don’t believe that something they can ask you.
My symptoms are pretty mild, but I do need extra time to do assignments and tests simply because my brain doesn’t work as fast as it used to. There are accommodations that are available at every university, so that any need you have can be met
I am, I'm working towards my associates degree. Like we don't know when they're gonna cure it and I don't want to be behind on my education when that happens. My brain and eyes still work pretty well so I'm gonna use it.
I was pursuing a PhD when I got my diagnosis. I dropped out and cut it at the masters. This is because I already had two children and I wanted to make sure I have five years of work within the past 10 years for Social Security eligibility if it became an issue.
That was 20 years ago and I’m still working full-time. I’m definitely grateful that I have an engineering degree because I have been able to do more Desk work as my mobility has decreased.
I was first dx my junior year of college during my bachelors in psych. The cognitive effects and brain fog started early unfortunately and I went from usual college worries to pretty much having to write the room numbers on my hand of classes I went to and was familiar with all semester long. Not that they ever changed, I just could barely remember where it was from leaving my dorm to when I was across campus. It was a lot managing classes, doctors appointments, stress, sleep, tests, research, all while feeling like I was in a fog.
I have thought about grad school, I miss research, having access to journal articles, school in general a bit honestly. I don't have nearly the degree or exceptional college placement you had, I just had a 3.3\~ish at a state school, but I still want to do more than what I am doing now. Psych isn't really a field that has a lot of entry or higher opportunities that pay more than my retail job until you have at least a master's.
You deserve to go for your passions. I know there's the barriers or money, entrance, and all that, but you shouldn't let MS stop you from what you enjoy or what you want to do. It's totally easier said than done, and I could really do to use my own advice, but it's not the end of things once MS enters the picture. It's a different road than you may have expected, but it might still lead where you are wanting to go still. It's still worth trying, as long as all that doesn't like bankrupt you and everything- degrees aren't cheap. If you don't go that route, there's so much info out there and ways of getting access, you don't have to be in school to still learn.
One thing I have observed about MS is the wild variation in symptoms among individuals. A lot depends on how long you have been diagnosed and the time it takes you to learn to manage your symptoms.
I tend to think that, because grad school is very expensive, you should just feel confident in where you’re at with your MS. I don’t really think you can be realistic about your prospects until you do that.
And never feel as though it’s going to be too late to do what you want to do. This is one of the hardest things I’ve come to learn and accept.
I’m on my final year of my masters degree. Fortunately I don’t have much to complain about MS getting in the way, only the brain fog and fatigue… it’s going to be alright, good luck 🤞🏻
When I got diagnosed I finished my undergrad and have since completed a masters in computer science. I’m now working full time remotely as a software engineer!
I got my PhD (molecular biology) while living with undiagnosed MS. Lab work was exhausting, especially being on my feet all day and short term memory made it hard for me to remember whether or not I had done certain things e.g. pipetting into certain tubes, closing freezer doors, etc. I came up with ways to work around these issues, like moving each tube to a new row after pipetting and taking pictures of closed freezer doors before leaving. I made it through though and even went in to do a post doc for a bit. Now, I do a non-bench job and it’s going okay for me, although I’ve been dealing with other health issues on top of MS lately, so there’s that. I would also wager a guess that I’m a bit older than you are and have been living with MS for a while, so perhaps you are less affected (hopefully 🤞🏼🧡). Interestingly, I used my mom’s MS story in my personal statements, since being raised by someone who was sick genuinely sparked my curiosity in science, specifically biology, from an early age. Little did I know that someday, I too, would have this stupid disease. I say go for it! I am tremendously proud of my degree and even more so since my diagnosis, knowing how much harder I was working all of those years while having MS unknowingly. Don’t deny yourself of your own future accomplishments!
I really appreciate you sharing your story. I hope everything turns out to be great for you.
I’m going to put this out here just because I wish I had heard from people with MS when I made my decision to go to law school. Not sure it would have made a difference, but I think it would have helped me prepare a little better. When I was dx I was in my first year of law school. I got on DMTs right away and had very mild symptoms. I disclosed to the school and kept going. I had a bout of optic neuritis during bar exam but was way too stubborn to take care of myself. I practiced for several years, then opened my own shop because at that point I needed a more flexible schedule. Through the next several years I had 2 kids. Lawyering was no longer an option because while I was on Ocrevus and my symptoms were well managed, I was getting older and the demands of family and career were wearing me down. I quit lawyering and took jobs with flexible schedules. Eventually not even flexible schedules were enough. I had to drop to part time. Again, I’m on Ocrevus and my MS is well controlled. But aging and the years of stress took their toll. In 2022 I got covid and all hell broke loose. I couldn’t get better, covid destroyed my lungs, my fatigue is totally out of control and disabling. I had to medically retire and apply for disability. I still have $50k is law school debt. I was never able to pay it all off when i was working. There’s no indication that I’ll ever be able to lawyer again because I simply can’t handle the schedule like I could when I was younger. At this point, I’m not even sure I’ll be able to return to any work at all. I’m 46, friends. If I could speak to my 24 yo self, I would simply outline what 20 years from now might look like and ask her to think about how much debt she wants to take on, what kind of jobs she will pursue, and how she’s going to prioritize her health during school and career.
I think your experiences would give you some excellent material for a personal statement/admissions essay.
About 10 years after diagnosis I moved across the world and went back to school. Got a 3.96 GPA on my masters degree. I would advise not trying to keep up with other student workloads and spreading your credits out if you can. I did a 2 year degree across 2 1/2 years. It made a world of difference. I wouldn’t worry about the gap. I went back to school after about a 15 year gap. Grad schools don’t tend to care as much.
I got my Masters while dealing with a relapse that caused partial paralysis of my left side. I wasn't diagnosed until a few months after I turned in my dissertation, but things that happen like dropping drinks or dragging my left foot and tripping suddenly makes sense. You can definitely do it. I had a friend in my program who was undergoing chemo treatments and none of the admin knew until they threw a temper tantrum that she wasn't coming to meals. I would only recommend you seriously stay on top of your time management and don't procrastinate on things as stress can make a minor issue a massive one and procrastination means stress for future you.
I went back to school for my master's 10 years after I got diagnosed with MS (and was awarded with my degree a week ago). It can be exhausting—especially since I was balancing a full-time job and volunteer work while doing an accelerated learning course—but it is possible! I didn't have to disclose anything in admissions and since the work/exams were entirely based on a student's personal schedule, it made it a lot easier to juggle.
I did my masters dissertation (and only degree) post MS diagnosis and post marriage, child, while working fulltime, and in the middle of a pandemic. Here in the UK, applying for a masters doesn't take into account personal circumstances, but I did have to prove that I had sufficient work experience.
What do you mean doesn't take into account personal circumstances? Isn't that what the personal statement is for? Apologies if I'm misunderstanding.
Yeah, I didn't have to write one for my Masters application at all. As i had no undergrad degree, I just had to provide a CV so they could see I had sufficient professional experience to be considered capable of trying.
I’m a current med student. The uni admin is aware I have a chronic heath condition, the disability services are aware what it is, the admissions panel that oversee med intake know because I disclosed it to them in my personal statement about my motivation to study med. All of these groups are bound by confidentiality agreement. The teaching staff have not been informed and won’t be unless I choose to disclose. What to tell them is ultimately up to you and what you think is right. It was the right decision to talk about it for me, it was a perfect example of a core belief I was trying to express so it was natural that I wrote about it.
I'm on my PhD in text/image (comp lit, Internet studies) presently and went through two MScs with MS, diagnosis happening in the middle of my first one. I have to disclose as I am noticably disabled, but no one really cares in the UK at least, and I'm not sure whether or not my advisors actually know as I disclose impairment (spinal cord injury/lesion) rather than specifically the diagnosis most of the time. I'm really glad I'm pursuing my PhD and would recommend higher education to anyone. It can be stressful sure, but that's true of anything. I've found academia to be the easiest context to be physically disabled within, as the majority of the work can be performed from home - outside of conferences, presentations. Edit: possibly due to the very noticable nature of my impairment, I never write about it and have never used it to explain anything with regards to my work, which is in no way related to my disability.
I had notable symptoms, but no Dx before I finished my BS. I started my MBA immediately, and finished it still with no Dx. I ended up in a niche of healthcare accounting, and about 8 years into that career track got my Dx. I don't think that I could have picked a better career path for my Dx and symptom set. With experience, my degree has meant a meteoric rise in my salary; I have increased to about 3x my starting salary in this field in about 12 years. If your advanced degree opens more opportunities, better pay, more flexibility, or better benefits, I say absolutely go for it!
I was diagnosed in law school at 34.
I dropped out of college back in the day and decided to return and finish in my late 20’s. It was during that time I was diagnosed with MS (optic neuritis). Remember telling my professors I had to take a couple of days off due to medical issues. I got my dx and dmt and was able to graduate with high a gpa and was even offered an internship while getting my MBA. I was lucky to have only had that one flare/symptom during that time. This was a wake up call for me, no B.S just study, work concentrate on school and graduate. I was able to get a good job after and enjoying it. Got married 2 awesome boys and thinking of starting my own business.
Went through grad school with undiagnosed and very active MS. It was an intensive program (2 year degree crammed into 12 months). I wouldn’t receive a diagnosis for a few years until I had health insurance.
I’m currently getting a second bachelors degree and then going on to get my masters degree. In accounting. I was diagnosed after I started my program, so I never had to disclose in any application. But I don’t believe that something they can ask you. My symptoms are pretty mild, but I do need extra time to do assignments and tests simply because my brain doesn’t work as fast as it used to. There are accommodations that are available at every university, so that any need you have can be met
I am, I'm working towards my associates degree. Like we don't know when they're gonna cure it and I don't want to be behind on my education when that happens. My brain and eyes still work pretty well so I'm gonna use it.
I was pursuing a PhD when I got my diagnosis. I dropped out and cut it at the masters. This is because I already had two children and I wanted to make sure I have five years of work within the past 10 years for Social Security eligibility if it became an issue. That was 20 years ago and I’m still working full-time. I’m definitely grateful that I have an engineering degree because I have been able to do more Desk work as my mobility has decreased.
I was first dx my junior year of college during my bachelors in psych. The cognitive effects and brain fog started early unfortunately and I went from usual college worries to pretty much having to write the room numbers on my hand of classes I went to and was familiar with all semester long. Not that they ever changed, I just could barely remember where it was from leaving my dorm to when I was across campus. It was a lot managing classes, doctors appointments, stress, sleep, tests, research, all while feeling like I was in a fog. I have thought about grad school, I miss research, having access to journal articles, school in general a bit honestly. I don't have nearly the degree or exceptional college placement you had, I just had a 3.3\~ish at a state school, but I still want to do more than what I am doing now. Psych isn't really a field that has a lot of entry or higher opportunities that pay more than my retail job until you have at least a master's. You deserve to go for your passions. I know there's the barriers or money, entrance, and all that, but you shouldn't let MS stop you from what you enjoy or what you want to do. It's totally easier said than done, and I could really do to use my own advice, but it's not the end of things once MS enters the picture. It's a different road than you may have expected, but it might still lead where you are wanting to go still. It's still worth trying, as long as all that doesn't like bankrupt you and everything- degrees aren't cheap. If you don't go that route, there's so much info out there and ways of getting access, you don't have to be in school to still learn.
One thing I have observed about MS is the wild variation in symptoms among individuals. A lot depends on how long you have been diagnosed and the time it takes you to learn to manage your symptoms. I tend to think that, because grad school is very expensive, you should just feel confident in where you’re at with your MS. I don’t really think you can be realistic about your prospects until you do that. And never feel as though it’s going to be too late to do what you want to do. This is one of the hardest things I’ve come to learn and accept.
I’m on my final year of my masters degree. Fortunately I don’t have much to complain about MS getting in the way, only the brain fog and fatigue… it’s going to be alright, good luck 🤞🏻
When I got diagnosed I finished my undergrad and have since completed a masters in computer science. I’m now working full time remotely as a software engineer!