Any teachers with crohns?

Welcome to the forum! I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. This isn't an easy condition to have. I was diagnosed two years ago in my first month of teaching. I'm a secondary math teacher, and was teaching middle school when I first got sick.

Do you teach on a block schedule? That makes a difference - having 45 min class periods is easier than having 90 min class periods. Do any of your students have adult aides that come with them to class each day? If so, you can talk with them privately about your needs and see if they'd be willing to keep an eye on the class while you have to run out. Also, does your room connect to another classroom? If so, then you can talk to that teacher privately to see if they can keep an eye on kids if you have to leave suddenly.

For me, I actually didn't have either of those options so I learned to just hold it in until passing periods (I taught traditional scheduling, so every 45 minutes I got a 5 minute "break"). It was awful, excruciatingly painful at times, and exhausting. You could try talking to someone in administration and see if they can make sure that there's always a security guard in the hallway by your room so you can grab them and send them in. Explain that you can't call and wait for someone to come down (at least, I know I couldn't).

Have any of the teachers in your school been pregnant while teaching? If so, I'd ask them how they dealt with morning sickness. That's just as bad - having to run out of the room because you need to throw up. Oh, and I always kept a change of clothing in my desk drawer at the bottom in case I needed it.

I'm really sorry I don't have much better than this. When it got so bad that I couldn't hold it in, I would take a sick day or two. I always go over on my sick days, but luckily I have an understanding district.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice. I do teach in 84 minute blocks and administration is aware of my diagnosis so I guess it's something they are just going to have to deal with!

Scifigal2k, I noticed you are on Remicade. Is it working for you? I was on pentasa and then asacol, but neither worked. I'm starting Remicade in the next few weeks once I get all my vaccinations. I a also on a low dose of prednisone for the time being.

I am a student with chrones. I am still in my early teens and what I do is suck it up until lunch or specials. This may seem harsh, but in middle school, what can u do? I just bring extra clothes with me. That's all that can be done, really.

Hi Kitty,

I used to teach middle school - I understand how hard it can be to suck it up! Talk to your school counselor about this. I had a student with CD as well, and he talked to the counselor, who told his teachers he had permission to go to the bathroom during class as many times as needed. In fact, we made it so he didn't even have to raise his hand to ask - he could just leave. He was a good kid, so the teachers knew he wasn't just ditching. He also sat in the back by the door. That way the other kids didn't notice as much because he didn't have to raise his hand and ask permission and interrupt class each time (which is a lot when you're ina flare!)