Chron's and employment

Hi everybody! sry if my forum etiquette isnt great my 1st ever.
Noticed over 131000 post replies for Chron's disease and im thinkin this is a good source for advice.

In 2001 i was diagnosed with Chrons of the ilieum, it happend fast 2 hours before i finished work i was felling sick. as soon as i got home i called a taxi to bring me to the ER. Once there i was on painkillers and then surgery. I needed a resection i think they called it. (they cut out infected intestine) I belive i was on Prednisone? after the surgery and that was the last time i took any meds for Chrons probley not a great idea but i didnt care i willed death being manic depressive as i am.

Well, my question is what is medicine going to do for me?? from what ive read here so far i have the same complications as anyone here difference is... i refuse meds. I have good days an some bad days diareaha 1-2 times a week an itchyhole excuse me.

What im saying is i dont want to trial n error pills with, who knows whats in them or depend on them physically or mentally. Plz if im wrong i need someone to help me with sound advice thx for reading :)

The people on here tend to be severe regardless yes, but this does not mean that it holds true for every person with Crohn's. It's quite possible that taking medication may greatly reduce your symptoms.
Not only this, but it will help prevent further, more serious measures that may need to be taken to help you stay healthy.
There are some of us who would literally waste away without medication because our disease was even allowed to get to that point.

I highly suggest looking into different diets (many of use the SCD as a sort of guideline) and at least into some maintenance medication like asacol or pentasa.

As far as work is concerned, we have people from all walks of life with Crohn's. Some do heavy labor and some do less involved work like typing at home. It comes down to knowing your limits and sticking to that. Also, always be sure to look into reasonable accommodations that your job can offer.

As for trial and error, that's really something we with Crohn's will ALWAYS have to deal with whether it comes to food, medicine, exercise, people, etc. you name it. That's just the nature of the disease. I would suggest at least asking a good GI for advice on what you should take and try asking him/her about some simple maintenance medication.

I'm actually in my last year of nursing school right now. I do work at the hospital as a nurse aid, usually 12 hour shifts. I have to say that they are incredibly understanding of everything... since obviously the nurses and doctors know the disease process. When I'm not feeling well they let me rest and understand that I sometimes need frequent breaks.. especially when the arthritis hit.... ugh. 12 hours on my feet was less than a picnic! haha, and if needed, I always have the ER a couple floors away!

As far as medications go, its totally your own preference. Personally, for me, I'd probably be in bad shape without them, even with them its not great. If you're doing well without em, try other methods, diet, herbal supplements, stress management techniques. If I could go without meds, I totally would.... who knows what the long term effects of these are.. ect.

Welcome! This is a good group to be a part of. I only get online occasionally as my kids hog the computer, but there is always good advice here whenever needed.

Give meds a reasonable try I say. They have made my life better since before I got dxd, even though sometimes I flare up despite my good efforts. Still better than no meds though.

As for jobs, my last one (and first one since I was dxd) was as a hotel front desk clerk part-time. There were 2 bathrooms close by and I never had to call in sick. Now I've been at my current job as a cashier for just a month and called in sick for the last 3 days. Not sure if my current symptoms are cd or not. I'm hoping to make it in tomorrow and will bring my dr's notes.

Common profession - I think the toilet paper companies should hire us all as we give them the most business!

Medication put me in remission and I've been doing great for about 5 years. I'm an appellate attorney. Pretty much a desk job, with decent hours if I am disciplined about meeting deadlines.

Welcome!

Medication, for me, keeps me 98% symptom free. Can't put a price on that for sure! People rarely pick up on something wrong with me and it's nice to be "normal" for long stretches of time. IMO, being symptom free is definitely worth trying some medication!

I have found that when I'm flaring, getting off the couch is difficult and painful so it doesn't really matter what line of work I'm in in that regard. Even if it is a desk job, when I'm flaring I can't even do that well. So, I followed my passion and work as a minister at a local church. My church family and colleagues know my issues and sometimes, they step in to help cover my areas. That's pretty rare; I can typically do anything my job calls for.