I need honest perspectives on my situation, which involves disability affecting my job performance.

I need honest perspectives on my situation, which involves disability affecting my job performance.

I am 57 years old and have worked in my field for 25 years. I am an excellent market researcher, which is the core of my job. I have deep and broad health insurance industry expertise as well. I can summarize medical and industry literature as well and worked for myself part-time for a number of years when my kids were small.

I have, however, become increasingly disabled cognitively (I have ADA accommodations) which has affected my project management, time estimation skills and short-term memory. I also have been ill with chronic fatigue and other chronic and acute illnesses for over a year which also significantly limit my ability to deliver in a predictable and timely manner. I try to schedule appointments in off hours and at lunch, but still miss work for appointments and illness. Nobody at work knows how sick I am and how much that limits my ability to do most physical tasks. In short, I’m a mess.

Despite ADA accommodations, my work delivery time has become unreliable. Sometimes I deliver on time and sometimes I don’t. My performance is not good and I know it. I also hate letting my team members down. I’m still great at the research but can’t keep up with the ever-shortening timelines.

All this is cutting into my sense of competence and self image. Not helpful.

I’m looking to switch to a job in which timelines are not so short and variable so I can think and plan properly. I don’t even know if such jobs exist.

Should I apply for long-term disability at this point? Has anyone here had experience doing that? What was that like for you? Was it worth it?

Should I negotiate a termination with my company, with some number of months of pay and perhaps benefits, before they let me go because I can’t do my job?

Are there entities out there that might be able to help place me in a job where I can be productive?

I also have a child in a state university with expensive tuition who incurs high medical bills and was planning to help her with both. So, I am hoping to find a job, with health insurance.

Perhaps there is some version of ruby slippers out there for me that I could tap my heels together to find the perfect job. ?