This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I've been offered a good job with a large organization that has full benefits, yet I am struggling with the decision whether to accept or not. I also have an opportunity to join a small start up company that I find to be a lot of fun (same kind of work, just different environment). This start up may offer benefits in the future, but it is uncertain and not something that is available right now. I'm absolutely torn about what to do. Logic tells me to get in with the company that offers benefits and security, but I haven't always followed my head. If I didn't have ms I would take the risk and go for the start up. But I do have ms...another reason why I hate it so much, the uncertainty.

Hi Mary,
This may be the second big slap in the face from MS.

My wife and I have health insurance and I can't imagine trying to deal with MS and not having insurance.

I understand the excitement and chances to advance in a small start up company (IF it does succeed). This kind of decision might be a toss up for someone in the general population but it might be downright foolish for someone with MS to pass up an opportunity for employee paid health insurance.

Of course the decision is yours so you have to ask yourself which potentially wrong decision, in hindsight, is going to be harder to live with.

Bob

Dear Mary,
I will come in at the oposite side of Bob's position. Imagine the satisfaction and exileration of being fully alive and manifesting your dreams. Life gives us no guaranties. Tomorow say , I am crossing the street and I get struck by a bus or lighting for that matter, I would want to be complete or closer in my effort to live fully.
MS already tends to scare the poop out of us sending our minds down the dark path of despair. The best way to fight back is to be fully alive and pursue our dreams.
You know the details of your two options better than anybody but I mean, if this start up takes off, you will not only have fame and fortune (and health coverage) but also you'll be part of something great. You will have been part of creating something out of nothing. Stepping into the unknown is scary but its also the most rewarding part of life. It's a chance for you to slap MS in the face twice as hard.
My rambling 2¢.

Hi Mary,

I can appreciate how torn you must feel. I went through a similar decision making process about 1/2 year ago. However, for me, it wasn't about the availability of benefits. Rather, one position included a very respectable salary with a large, stable organization. There were also other people performing similar tasks, so if I did became sick again (I've had one attack), there would be others to cover for me. The other position had a small base salary (about 1/2 of what the other salary offered), but seemed that it would be much more fulfilling and had a significantly higher upside (both personally and financially).

Part of the decision process I toiled through involved "what would be the safest" vs. "i don't know how much time i have...can i really afford to pass up something that could be really fulfilling?" I went back-and-forth for about a month.

I ended up breaking things down to their most basic level, based on best case and worst case scenario. I am not married, but I have family members that I can count on that are pretty well off financially. We don't have universal health care where i live (in the US), but my state offers a decent insurance (for a reasonable amount) and nobody can be denied. Thus, I have a fall back in the worst case scenario.

You may want to assess, who and what do you have to fall back upon if you get sick. Also, what would the differences be in your quality of life between both jobs, based on both the best and worst case scenarios.

Before I end this long and winding entry, I am sorry you are even in this position. It really sucks that we have to make these types of decisions based on this incredibly annoying disease.

Best of luck with your decision,

ThinkingOutLoud

I admit that I frustrate my wife in that I've always felt the need to play things "too" safe.

in reality I'm a little envious of people who "go for it" but the chances that things won't go the way I hope they will has always kept me from it.

Bob

You don't say what you currently have for health insurance. My opinion is that it is best to own your own insurance rather than accept employer paid insurance. My reason is that if you terminate your employment you may have difficulty obtaining replacement coverage, find that it is very expensive, or find that it excludes preexisting conditions at least for an extended period of time. If you currently have your own health insurance, or can get your own insurance, you should ask your next employer to increase your compensation instead of being added to the employer's group policy.

There are very rarely any major financial decisions where you should follow your heart. That sounds cold and callous, but when it comes to something like that, it's my opinion that you should stay in your head. If it is so bad that you could not live with yourself unless you went with the job you enjoy. You basically answered your own question when you said "If I didn't have MS I would go for the go for the start up. But I do have MS".

I think the old motto "Hope for the best but prepare for the worst" is always a good standby. If something were to happen and you weren't covered, it could potentially be devastating financially. I don't know the particulars, but that's my $0.02 with the info. you provided. After I read this I sound like Spock, but with major financial decisions, I go with logic.
I hope you come to peace with this!

I say go for it. We're all terrified, but you've got to live passionately. Hope whatever you decide it works out for the best.

Loobie says it all and I agree with him.

The most important thing with this disease, is good health insurance.

Another factor in the job decision should be if the larger company has disability insurance for you in case you are unable to continue working further down the road.

gwa

What Loobie and gwa said...

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Had ms for over 19 years now.

Thanks everyone for your responses and insight. In the end I pretty much did nothing, which in itself was a passive decision. I currently have a job with benefits but it is a contract situation and the start-up opportunity is on the horizon in the next few months (but I found out that they now offer benefits). The 'big' job I declined, it involved a move across the country (but back to a familiar city) but for some reason I couldn't make a decision so I guess something just wasn't right about it or I wouldn't have had such a difficult time making the choice. I do know this though, stress, for me, is a real trigger. I had myself worked up into such a frenzy that I set off a reaction in my body that resulted in my left lower leg going to pins and needles for a day. Not an attack, it didn't last, but a demonstration of how bad stress is for me (of course it was mostly self-induced). Either way I'm glad it's over for now.
Thanks again.

Hi there

Sorry to come upon this so late - just wanted to say that it seems that your contemplation of the decision worked in your favour and you ended up doing what was right for you anyway. The new start up job may still be on the horizon, now with benefits - so something to look forward to!
Also sorry thatthe stress got to you - it is so irritating that we are so affected physically by things that others would probably sail through, certainly without the scary physical symptoms. The docs can't seem to make up their minds about whether or not stress is a trigger for a relapse or worsening of symptoms, but your post says what most of us are learning the hard way!
Take care and I hope all goes well for you.

Ally

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Al