You need to think this situation through beforehand, and rehearse what you might say. It is very important that your employer knows something about MS before you speak to them if possible. Any negative, or less than positive, reaction to what you say may be due as much to ignorance of MS, as to any particular problem with you personally. The Multiple Sclerosis Society has produced a helpful leaflet called Employing People with Multiple Sclerosis – some questions answered, and this would be worth giving or sending to your employer.
When you are talking to your employer, you must remember that, in terms of his or her response to you, they are thinking in business terms, however much they might like you personally. So it is important that you understand this and present in effect a ‘business case’ to them. A business case would emphasize your training, experience, commitment and your value to the organization, and would present a realistic – and thus modest – view of the likely problems that you might ‘cost’ the organization in terms of absence for sickness in the foreseeable future. It would also indicate that your abilities in many areas of your work were unlikely to be affected. If there are minor changes in working practices or additional equipment that you might need, not just to compensate for reduced mobility, for example, but also your productivity and hence your organization’s enhancement, then try arguing for them. For many employers, keeping skilled personnel who know the organization and its objectives and clients is more preferable to finding new employees, especially if they are convinced that you will continue to perform well in your job.