Do you all have jobs?

Nope, I am not working and I really miss it. I was laid off the same week I met my husband and had to move all at once, my stress level was so high. Thought I would lose the guy, job, home, new car etc. Then it happened the flare ups were coming in 10 folds. I married that guy, he is wonderful and he knows my pain been 8 years and no remission and surgery since then, which was a nightmare, med city, so he told me not work , stay at home and take care of yourself and the dogs. Yep, he is one in a million! But, I do miss working. Now in between flares, I am volunteering for the CCFC and the bike riders going across Canada as we speak for Crohns and colitis. We need a cure for sure. This disease really wears you out. Heading for surgery no. 3 but still hoping.

Good morning, all.

AS ALWAYS, thank you for your support. With fiscal year end being the 30th and our HR lady out, I am a little mushroom - kept in the dark.

I went in yesterday and Captain D got there at 8:00 a.m. for the first time in two years. Took a deep sigh and walked right into his office ready for combat or whatever (with an attempt of smile but probably looked like fear and dread). He would not even speak (think he thought I may be recording) or make eye contact. And so the day went - no communication/no eye contact. {sigh} The two other blokes in my department followed suit, no conversation/no eye contact. At the end of the day I, calmly with a smile (Snips), walked in and said, "Do you need to see me for something...anything?" He shook his head no rapidly and said nothing.

If HR person stays out all week I will get my three-year vested amount of 401K on Friday - so I will just keep my chin up and chest out... and maybe not even go in on Thursday, since I am scheduled out on Friday already and don't want them to sneak it in end of day on Thursday (firm is notorious for this).

I have already updated my resume and have already sent it out to one company this morning. Figure I better get on the ball quick. If by chance I somehow miraculously escaped execution by termination this round, Captain D is documenting and awaiting one single slip up.

... and yes, I am nervous again today. I just finally convinced myself, what will be will be and that's that. If nothing else, perhaps I got the little fart some mandatory sensitivity training so that the next in line will have a better life at the firm.

Okay. Round two here we go. Six pounds lost since last Friday - good thing I packed on some extra poundage during my last stint of feeling good.

All meds in extremely large purse that makes mega noise when I walk.

-Leslie a/k/a Texan with Crohn's

Good luck Veronica and I hope you get feeling better soon.

Snipes, you always make me smile and laugh - goooooooooood.

I believe you and I are quiet alike in this department. If only you could have seen his face when I told him I needed a digital recorder last Friday. I thought he was going to poop himself. lol Yep, when dealing with jerks, I tend to enjoy rattling their cages as much as possible. It's the little pleasures in life, ya know. hehe

People who have never been in pain or who have never been sick just cannot understand people who are!!!! I work full time for a boss like that. She is a wonderful person and a great boss, but she just has no idea how much pain I'm in. A lot of people are like that and I guess that us Crohnies will just have to forgive them if we wish to hold down a full time job. However, I'm not really one to talk since my disease is at the very beginning stages and apparently I may be in for buckets of added pain. When I feel like I can't walk I suppose I'll have to quit my job, but for now it is a distraction from my pain and so I welcome the chance to work each day. What I'm trying to say is that many people don't undersand or don't want to understand because they have a job that needs to be done and if we can't do it they will find someone else to do it. I think that you have to ask yourself if keeping your job is going to help you or hurt you and go from there, because the answer is different for each person. We are all in a different stage of our disease and we all have different strenghs and weaknesses. Good luck with your decision---because at the end of the day it is you that will have to live with the consequences.

I have worked full time since I was about 14 years old and still do today. 

I am in sales and marketing for a medium sized food company.  It requires a lot of travel since I am in charge of three of our market segments for the entire country.  I usually book over 125,000 flight miles a year and maybe 50 or 60 thousand driving.

Wouldn't know what to do with myself if i didn't work.  There are good days and then there are bad days.  As we all know you never know it is a really bad day until you are in the middle of it...and a bad day in the middle of week long trip 2,000 miles from home can sometimes be a bit overwhelming.  I have had to learn how to adapt my shcedule to the possibilities and I have had to learn humility and know my limits.

Actually...I tend to try and take care of myself better on the road than home because there is no safety net.  I am much more careful about what I eat...I get plenty of rest.... so maybe the travel is not so bad.

I would say I don't just have a job I have a very good career.

I've been working full time since my teens, however I wasn't diagnosed until I was 24. At that point I was in the service, so things were a lot more stressful. I've only had three jobs since then. Two of the jobs I left due to too much job stress. One actually ended with me in the hospital, which convinced me that having a job that involved travel wasn't going to work. I've been working as an engineer at a university for about 11 years now, and that has worked well. It can be a stressful job, but I think I've learned how to balance it pretty well. That seems to be important. That, and I've got a very understanding manager.

Unfortunately I'm laid up now with a broken hip, sort of an unplanned long vacation. My manager is letting me work from home. I'm very fortunate, and thankful that I have a good job and a very accommodating bunch of co-workers.
I can understand though, there are times when I'd rather not be working. I know now from experience that I'd go stir crazy without something to occupy my mind.

Nanners said...
I am like mmckenna, I feel better working. I don't know if its because I am kept busy and don't have time to think so much about being sick or what. But I do know I do feel better for the most part when I am working.

Same here!  My GI doctor actually doesn't like his patients to be at home and not work.  He has a good point, when your home you tend to think about your sickness more and dwell on it more.  And its so true.  When I'm out of work on FMLA because of it, I do dwell on it more.  When I'm at work I don't have time to really think about my health issues, except when I make the trips to the restroom. 

I now work from home. Life is much easier. I was turned down for disability.

Thanks to everyone (as always). You guys have become like family to me, and I don't even know any of you!! I am terrified to go back into work on Monday. I AM looking for a new job. I want a work-at-home job!! I am a bit fearful about looking and interviewing with CD. The only reason I have stayed in such a hostile work environment is my daughter. Being a single mother is difficult. I have to think about her and put he in front of me. That enables me to put up with the great deal of "stuff" that this poor manager. I suspect there are going to be people like this just about anywhere I go. I have accepted that there are jerks in the world that will not ever make an effort to step outside of their own little selfish world and think of anyone but themselves. Sad but true.

So one more day of re-cooperation and then it is off to battle again.


I am curious: Those of you who work from home, what do you do? Can you make enough to pay a mortgage, etc?? That would be idealistic. Then I wouldn't have to worry so much about CD complications.

Thank you again, my extended family, for all your caring words and support. I would be lost without you!!

-Leslie a/k/a Texan

Has anyone noticed how popular this thread is? 69,000+ viewers! That's more than Admin's CD resources thread, and that has been sitting on the forum for more than three years!!

I think that shows that the problems of working or not working are of huge interest and importance to all of us.

Thanks for starting this thread, Veronica.

I.

ivy6 said...
Has anyone noticed how popular this thread is? 69,000+ viewers! That's more than Admin's CD resources thread, and that has been sitting on the forum for more than three years!!

I think that shows that the problems of working or not working are of huge interest and importance to all of us.

Thanks for starting this thread, Veronica.

I.

You are so right, I think that is because our jobs show who we are, and the idea of can not do it, is terrifying, it hurts very deep.

Actually when I create the thread I was not imagining that would be that popular.

I am trying disablity now in the social security, which here in Brazil is a shame, I heard a story from my doctor that she sent um of her patients to disability and the Dr. there said that Crohn's Disease did not exist, that he was forging, can you belive that? This guy sued the social security and won, but this is ridiculous.

How does the disability woks in USA?

 

Veronica, can you tell us more about how the disability system works in Brazil?

Amazing that *anybody* could say that Crohn's doesn't exist. Just incredible. I'm glad he won his court case!