What does everyone do for a living?

Sore Tum said...
I'm a registered nurse, working in a post op recovery unit, but worked predominately in a critical care setting before this (ITU), so I get to see the lovely folks that are just coming around from their surgery and make sure they are comfortable before they go back to the ward. It's a fantastic job and there are 6 loos at the end of the corridor!!

SoreButtMan said...
I received a congressional nomination and later an appointment to the United States Naval Academy but took a full ride scholarship to UIC instead. All because of Migraines and Unknown Gut problems. After 2 years of ROTC and College, the Navy said I would never be awarded a flight billet because of my medical problems... namely Migraines. Well, at 19-20 years of age, after getting straight A's in H.S. and college, working my ass off to get a flight billet (Pilot like another fellow crohnie in this forum), I quit. Got depressed and rebelled for a while I guess.

I later went to work as an electrician... worked my way up to management... IBS and Migraines led to inconsistencies in my performance. I got fired. So, I started my own business in Window & Door & Glass distribution and replacement. It allowed me the flexibility to be sick.. sort of. The economy crashed, construction stopped as well. Crohn's set in this summer while unemployed/ out of work and without insurance. I sit here going bankrupt, in pain, wife running around on me (She doesn't support me a bit), waiting for the economy to turn around... or Jesus to come back.

I am of Polish/ Jewish descent. I have a cousin with Crohn's. I have a 130 IQ (Kinda smart I guess), am good looking (Presentable in society), am (was) a go-getter. I'd say most Crohnies are go-getters. I bet stress may be a key ingredient to our disease. We ignore stress and keep driving? I don't know how most of you stay employed. I just can't do it right now... not yet anyways.

I wonder who the disease chooses. I thought about applying for disability. I am 33 years old and a huge mess right now. Problem is... I appear "well to do" and have a way of presenting myself like all is well... even though I feel like I am dying. I doubt I'd be approved. If I don't though, I'll lose it all.

Crohn's sucks!

CrazyHarry said...
i get paid to watch people work and when i'm lucky, i get to watch other people watching other people work. but trust me, it is more stressful than it sounds seeing how it is in the construction industry, thus it can be very fast paced and some of the contractors are cheats and weasels. one time i got paid to watch paint dry (no joke).

if being educated warrants me membership in the "higher class" club, i would think i'd be a member as on my resume you'll find a BS in environmental engineering, an MS in chemical & environmental engineering, and i hold a professional license in civil engineering in california (arguably the hardest state to get licensed in for civil engineers). i am very proud of these academic accomplishments as i did them all shortly after being diagnosed with crohn's and going through what seemed a constant flare up while in school and some how managed to pass with a B average and then get into grad school and get an MS. so for all of you in school, be it undergrad, grad, or post grad, and regardless of your major, i totally sympathize and emphasize with you as i have been there and done that. i know the disease affects us all differently, but imho, if i could do it, so can you. sometimes it just takes longer. it took me a while to gather these credentials. but in the end it is worth it cos you did not let the disease conquer you and you stuck it out and persevered and achieved your goal. so best of luck to all of you in school right now.

CrazyHarry said...
NostraHistoria:

i work for the department of transportation in california (caltrans for short). i wear very many hats - inspector (hence the watching other people work - feels more like running a chain gang), field engineering, office engineer, project engineer/manager, assistant resident engineer, etc etc. i do A LOT. i'm not the type of public employee people like to stereotype - who does nothing and gets a pay check. yes, some do, but you have that type of person in every job and they are always impossible to fire (i wish we could trim the fat and streamline things as sometimes i dont know what is worse - fighting the contractor or the other depts of caltrans cos they drag their feet as they dont understand what a deadline is). i work in the construction department of caltrans, so i'm very busy, be it in the field, in the office, in meetings, answering phone calls at every hour of the day/night, working messed up shifts (right now my boss is on vacation, so i'm the boss and i have 2 jobs going simultaneously, one during the day and the other at night and one starting up (so make that 3 jobs), so i'm working double shifts right now with all i have to do and there is no OT cos of california's budget crisis but the work needs to get done (monday last week was almost a 15 hour shift for me); sometimes i work weekends). i look at at as i'm getting paid to learn civil engineering instead of going to school to learn it where i'd pay someone. the nice part is the benefits and pension the state has. makes it worth it. i'm hoping to be one of the lucky ones to retire at the age of 55.


important safety tip: do not put yourself into ketosis while under stress and switching your body on to a nocturnal schedule and sleep less than 5 of interrupted hours per day. bad idea. i so cant wait for this week to end.