What professions do IBDers have??

Hi, i'm a senior in hgih school, have crohn's and have not been in school harldy at all this year but anyway i've already been getting accepted into colleges, but i'm totally undecided. I was wondering what other adult IBDers do for a living? Just wondering like which job has good disabillty or flexibillty when you're sick

THanks!!

Hmm...I would advise against going into medicine (i.e., medical school). I am in my first post-graduate year and am having a hard time - it's hard even without being sick. However, other healthcare jobs do not require as much schooling but can be very fulfilling, and you get the added bonus of understanding what your own body is doing! Well, sometimes anyway...

I'd recommend doing a job that gives you access to a restroom without asking permission or finding coverage. I worked corrections and survived but part of the reason my hubby left police work (he has IBS) was the lack of bathroom access. I am now in law school and going to be a lawyer. Court days do stress me out as someday when I am the head lawyer I will need to call a recess to use the bathroom, but for now I can come and go as I please. It is a big change from corrections when I needed a staff to cover for me everytime I was in the bathroom. But it also depends on your comfort level. If you dont care who knows you are going and how often then get whatever job you like. I refuse to let it hold me back but do try to make accomodations to make my life a little easier.

Edit: I said "not" in law school meant to say NOW in law school.

I'm a Pediatric RN,my one friend is a Float/Critical care RN,and my other friend with IBD is a Pediatrician,gee,do we see a trend?? Just kidding!!

I work in the health insurance industry. I am an underwriter, so I spend a lot of time at a desk crunching data. i also have conference and client travel requirements. With my situation, I am very lucky. I can work from home when I need and travel has not been too much. I went to school to be a teacher, but there were no jobs then and I fell into the insurance world.

BUT...any job will have ups and downs. try not to limit yourself too much by your medical needs if possible. I am bored stiff with my job, but stick with it becuase of the flexibility. Now I am getting too old to change jobs easily.

What are your interests? What are your strengths in school? I recommend talking to a career counselor if you can...not just the high school counselor, but a pro. There may be jobs out there that interest you and fit your CD needs, but you just are not aware of them. I am going to a pro in January to see what I can do to switch careers in my 40's

I am a mechanical drafter/designer and sit at a desk all day. It's not a problem for me to run to the bathroom and when I'm fatigued it's nice to be able to sit all day.

I am an accountant. I sit at a computer all day. The bathroom is right around the corner and I am free to get up and go any time I need to. It seems real good for me. I hadn't thought of all the other professions people are mentioning that might not allow you to go to the bathroom at anytime. I do worry some about my constant bathroom going being mentioned by my boss, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
GL

I am an assistant to financial advisors. I do have a desk job and am able to get to the BR as needed. I have short term disability thru the state and is also offered thru my company.

Trsora - why don't you take someone else in the office and train them on the bare necessities. Then if you have an emergency the company will stay running. When I was a paralegal the OM had me trained on billing and quickbooks etc just so if there was an emergency I could fill in. When our receptionist quit without notice I was able to save the day because I could keep up with the bills. Even if its not in someones job description it wouldnt hurt for them to have the knowledge in case it is someday needed.

I've worked in the IT industry for 25+ years.  I'm currently a data archtect.  I would highly recommend information systems/programmer/analyst, etc., as a career, if you have any interest in computers.   You get to sit at a desk, the pay is good, and your boss usually doesn't care how much you go to the bathroom as long as you get your work done.  I know many IT'ers who work from home entirely.  I'd love to be one of those some day, but I haven't been able to do that yet.   Since technology is constantly changing, it's never really boring - you are always having to learn new products, methods and tools to do the job.   The only downside is that, with the new global market, pay has been declining in the last seven years, and I know many people who have lost their jobs to outsourcing (myself included). 

I agree with Zazucat...you need to find something you are interested in, and then see how to make it work for you. I have a masters degree in social work and I am currently a therapist in private practice. I worked in hospitals for many years as a director of behavioral science and trained family practice residents. (Sarita, that's why I'm always worrying about you!) I went into private practice prior to my Crohn's diagnosis. It is a great job in terms of my illness, but I have had to buy my own health insurance and it doesn't cover prescriptions or doctor visits. I have considered going back to working in the hospital, but I'm not certain I can handle the hours and the stress.

You don't have to decide your career yet. Go to college and explore your options...good luck, and most of all enjoy your life!!!!

I initially picked chemistry as my major with a minor in theater. I changed to undecided for a major amd stuck with theater as my minor. Then I made theater my major. I initially focused in acting but preffered costume design and prop design the best. I enjoyed other backstage things too. When I graduated tho I was not making much money being a costume designer for a childrens theater in my state. I did that mail away thing where you get a diploma and I studied animal care. I then worked for a veterinarian for 2 years...before I was rushed to the hospital to find my ileum perforated. When I was to return to work they let me go saying there was no job for me there anymore fearing I was going to be a liability for them.

I then got a job as a receptionist at a hospital. I was working in their family care practice. The 1st day I started I told the manager about my CD. In November I ended up hospitalized for the 5th time this year and I was in for 1 week they let me go saying I missed to many days since I just started in Sept and I was temp to hire. They said even if I was a hire full time rather than temp to hire the same would have happened....basically I was told you cannot miss 1 day your first year even if a relative passes away. Well needless to say I have now applied for disability since I will be needing a 4th surgery this year and I was denied unemployment from when my other job let me go. I was told I voluntarily quit since I did not ask for a leave of abscence....I was rushed to a hospital on a Sunday dont know how I was supposed to ask to apply for the Flma if I had no idea I was going to be rushed via ambulance and have to have 2 emergency surgeries then a 3rd one....grrrr worked for medical areas and they didnt understand so dont go on that alone.

I love working with the animals but I am so allergic that my docs prefer I no longer be a vet assistant/tech. I never called out of that job once If I had to be out I had a Drs note I worked lots of OT while there and was in a serios flare preceeding the surgeries from August 06 and never missed a day...sometimes you give and give then you get stepped on.

Hopefully you will find something you love...trust me you will be more inclined to show up on your blah days when you love what you do and save those sick days for the bad days and hope you wont have any terrible flares or if heaven forbid you do hopefully wherever you end up I hope they understand. Somedays I just wish for like 2 hours ort so these *Expletive deleted* know how you feel on days when you are flaring and show up to work anyway. I even have wished just for 10 minutes my husband knows what I go through physically...He sees me but when I dont appear sick sometimes he thinks I cam do a bazillion things...last time that happened ummm yeah I was admitted to the hospital the following day with a fever of 102 with the picc line sepsis a few weeks back.

I am a software engineer by education, but I realized my dream job was to be an elementary school teacher, and I work part time in the wholesale gift industry. Everytime I started to fill out the paper work to go back to get my masters in education I would either have a major flare or have to go to the hospital for surgery. Eventually I realized that my CD (I never know when I will need the bathroom) and a classroom full of 6 year olds was not going to be a good fit. But like stated above, God was watching out for me, when my older daughter was just a baby I found a part time job that is low stress, gets me out of the house for a few hours a week, I'm really good at and I enjoy. My boss is really understanding when I need to take time off, and I often work from home if needed.

Now my younger daughter is applying to colleges and she wants to teach elementary school. I've told her she can have me as her fulltime class assistant when she graduates. See you can get what you want!

Find something you love and then it won't ever seem like work. And most important, and the one thing no one told me while I was in college: If you don't like your major, you can change it. I wasted my parents money and four years of my life studying something I hated by the time I was done.