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career goals with Crohn's?

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Posted 11/21/2008 3:45 AM (GMT 0)
I'm definitely only interested in smaller firms. The bigger firms just don't seem appealing to me, what with all the super crazy long hours and competitiveness. I know I wouldn't be happy or last in an environment like that. So I'm going to try and see what I can do to find something that fits me and the kind of law I want to practice. Oh and sidenote, Fitzy could I get your email address again? I have a couple questions I wanted to run past you. Thanks!
Posted 11/21/2008 5:15 AM (GMT 0)
Wow, I can't believe how many people went into law! Kudos to all of you!

gardenlady, I'm currently a psych major. I originally wanted to get a PhD in experimental psych so I could do research. But I know getting a PhD is even tough for a healthy person and after this horrible 9 month flare, I don't think I could do it. I've been thinking about getting a Master's in social work or counseling, but I've heard social work has a high burn out rate and counseling is limited.

My GI told me I can do whatever I want while on Remicade, but would it be a bad idea to have a job/career in a hospital?
Posted 11/21/2008 6:03 AM (GMT 0)
In a hospital: I don't know. There are people w. Crohn's who are docs and nurses, I would imagine that if you are really conscious about your hand sanitizer and washing and everything, you could probably pull it off. That's good for patients, anyhow, though...

Social work does have a high burn out rate -- its' a really frustrating field to get into if you really want to help people because you're restricted by the state/county/legal system, and often those agencies are at odds with what's really going to help people, in a timely manner. You might want to talk to some folks who have been working in that field, just so you know the reality of it in your area.
Posted 11/21/2008 5:57 PM (GMT 0)
Brit - click on the little envelope under my name!
Posted 11/21/2008 6:30 PM (GMT 0)
ComedyDork, I guess it would depend on what you were doing in the hospital and what kind of treatments you are on.  I know I get URI quite frequently now and that would be a bad thing to give to everyone at the hospital.  I work at a Cancer Center, but I'm in the business office and in a separate building from the patients.  If you don't get sick frequently, I think it would depend on what you are doing...can't leave a patient who needs you because you have to run to the bathroom or because your joints are killing you and you have to sit down.  I've thought about all fo these things and am just finding that it's ruling out too many jobs and even volunteer opportunities that I'm interested in! 

Posted 11/21/2008 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
I actually had a nurse in the hospital who had IBD. I was just told I had Crohn's, I was quite upset, naturally. She came in and told me that she had it as well. So they are out there for sure. Kudos to them for being able to handle that kind of job with such a crappy disease! I don't know how they do it!
Posted 11/24/2008 7:13 PM (GMT 0)
My GI actually has Crohn's himself.  I also know someone who was an ER doctor with Crohn's but she quit due to the stress of the job.  My neighbor is a nurse now and she has Crohn's (in remission for many years).  So yes, they are out there. 

Posted 11/24/2008 7:42 PM (GMT 0)
Ditto on the law thing! I'm a lawyer. I was diagnosed the year before I started applying to law school. I never let my CD stand in the way. That being said, right out of law school I went out and got the big firm job. I left a year later for small firm life. My health was one of my many concerns and I felt that if I staying in such a stressful enviornment, I would be jeapordizing my health. I'm much happier now in my small firm life! And now I actually HAVE a life.
Posted 11/24/2008 9:43 PM (GMT 0)
I am a nurse practitioner. I was diagnosed in March 2007, 6 months after I had taken a job in a very busy ER. Whilst in the ER i was constantly afraid that I would lose my job because of my disease, and I worked every shift known to man, often in the same week. Needless to say, my disease was out of control. I contracted MRSA (we had a huge population of pts with abscesses that we had to drain and treat- i am sure that most of the staff was colonized, but i was on remicade and prednisone). I ended up in the intensive care unit for almost a week. I recovered, kept plugging away, rarely missing work, but was let go after I had a lupus-like reaction to remicade and could not walk. I had an emergent MRI and labs, and of course it was in the ER where I worked. My ANA was sky-high, and anyone that cared to had access to my chart. I got the phone call 2 days after my er visit saying that "it was'nt working out". I had been there almost 2 years, and had never had a complaint or QA issue, and my productivity was comparable to that of my colleagues. I am sure that this was highly illegal, but they gave me a great severance package and it ended up for the best. I recently changed jobs and now I work in a very laid back urgent care clinic, with a bathroom 2 feet away and an exam table that I can lay down on during my breaks. I am my own boss, for the most part. Health care is possible, but you have to find somewhere that works for you.
PS- this has all been a kicking and screaming episode for me- I have always thrived in the adrenaline based areas of medicine and had limitless energy prior to becoming ill. Getting fired was devastating, but it probably saved my life. Best of luck to you
Posted 11/25/2008 12:17 PM (GMT 0)
survivor49 -

Don't see how anyone with compromised immune system could work in your line of work due to all the MRSA, pseudemonous, strep that circulate and seem to live and breed in that environment. Kudos to you.
Posted 7/11/2011 2:02 PM (GMT 0)
If you want to get more materials that related to this topic, you can visit: http://interviewquestionsandanswers.biz/what-are-your-career-goals/

Best regards.
Posted 7/11/2011 10:43 PM (GMT 0)
Zena---

I think overcoming all this adversity is going to make you better at your job, whatever you choose.

I was diagnosed with Crohn's at age 15. I went through all of University and grad school poorly controlled on steroids, imuran and remicade/humira.

When I finally got into medical school, I moved to England (from the states)--where Tysabri is not approved. I flew back to the states every month for 48 hours to get my infusion and then returned to school. It was pretty tiring.

Now I'm back in the states for Year 3 of medical school and I'm flaring again. 40 mg of pred, Zofran, pentasa, flagyl, cipro, discontinuing the tysabri, and I don't think the naltrexone is helping either. So it looks like a clinical trial for me. Right now I'm living off a clear liquid diet (eating these juice boxes called "Resource Breeze"....same company as Boost...tastes like jello, but it contains 9g of protein per box!) but the point is, I REFUSE to let this disease define me. I am on my feet all day being a little med student slave, but you know what--this is my dream, and I'm going to do it come heck or high water.

Yes, I'm tired, yes, it's been a challenge but when an awesome drug like Prochymal finally gets approved and we all feel better, I think we'll look back on these times and think how tough we were to get through this in one piece.
Posted 7/12/2011 3:59 AM (GMT 0)
Folks this thread is TWO YEARS OLD! :)
Posted 7/12/2011 9:09 PM (GMT 0)
It's a tough choice for anyone with a chronic illness :(

My education and career goals have always been put on hold because of my illness. I didn't go to college straight from high school because I was very sick and had yet to be diagnosed.

I feel a lot better nowadays, but now I'm in a position where I want/need a better job. My biggest concern is finding another place that is as understanding and low stress and my current job.
Posted 8/29/2012 2:19 AM (GMT 0)

inflamed said...
Texan you're right. That's why I do government work. I make 1/3 to 1/2 of what my friends at firms make, but I love my job, have flexible hours and am currently on a 7 month maternity leave. The law degree wouldn't be worth it if I were doing other work and didn't have these benefits (although I could pay the loans much faster).

Thank very much for your comment. It help me to think about for my ideals.

Apart from that, you also can ref more resources at: What are your career goals? interview question answers

Tks again and pls keep posting.

Post Edited (chu082011) : 8/30/2012 9:23:45 AM (GMT-6)

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