What professions do IBDers have??

Nonprofit Development. Having Crohn's disease has definately made me a more compassionate person which makes me even better at serving my community! =o) I love the nonprofit world!

I wasn't diagnosed with CD until well after I completed my education. I worked as a nurse, which can be very physically demanding. I was on my feet for most of the 8 or 10 hour shift, but I was young and healthy and that wasn't a problem. I think it would be difficult to work full time as a nurse at a hospital with CD. That doesn't mean nursing as a profession wouldn't work well with this disease. There's so many different careers in nursing. You could work part time at a doctor's office or at a hospital. I love nursing as a profession because you are truly helping people and making a difference in peoples' lives. Despite all the good stuff with nursing, I felt I needed more of an intellectual challenge so I went to law school. There are also many different careers within the legal profession. A trial attorney's schedule is extremely demanding and stressful. I wouldn't recommend that for someone with CD. You really don't have control over your schedule. If the judge says your trial starts in a week, you will be working 24/7 to be get ready. Trial itself is grueling and stressful. Although the judges are very accommodating to the needs of the jurors, they aren't so accommodating to the needs of the trial attorneys. Frequent bathroom breaks would probably be difficult. That isn't to say an attorney couldn't work out a special arrangement in trial with the judge, if necessary. It would just be kind of awkward. I worked in Risk Management for a few years at a large hospital health system. That's a great job. Now I work as a claims consultant, managing medical malpractice claims for an insurance company. I really enjoy what I do and it's very flexible, but it was a long road to get there. My niece to be has severe CD. She is returning to school to get her degree in psychology and plans to counsel people with chronic illnesses. I think that sounds like a perfect fit for someone with CD.

Good luck with whatever path you choose. Just remember, you can change your mind and redirect whatever path you choose, many times. My daughter is a 5th year senior in college. She started off in the engineering program. After two years, she switched and became a film major. She still wasn't sure if that's what she wanted until just recently, in her 5th year in college. She may change her mind again and I'll still love her! Like others have said, find your passion and pursue your dream, and you will work around your CD.

i have a bachelor of science in environmental engineering and a masters in chemical & environmental engineering. i am working on my professional license in civil engineering. once that is done i plan to get a degree in nutrition. i am finishing up a certification in health coaching. kicking around the idea of turning that into a side biz. almost done with an e-book for it on basic diet and nutrition for health and weight loss.

I was an Elementary Education teacher for a few years before I moved away from Florida.  There are not many teaching jobs up here, so I started in the social work field.  I am currently working 24 hours a week as a Child Forensic Interviewer (I interview children who have allegations of abuse/neglect/witness to crime/drug endangerment) while law enforcement and children's services watch from the next room via closed circuit TV.  I then go to court and testify.

I am in graduate school for Special education.  I take ALL my classes online so that going to school is feasible.  The special ed degree will allow me to NOT be confined to a classroom and will also give me summers off and breaks during the year.  Working 9 months of the year will be a definite bonus for me.

I hope you find what you want to do!

Claudia

Smrtgrl what a very interesting job you have!! I am glad your CD agrees w/ testifying. That can be nerve wracking.

Hi guys :)

I am Radiology Technologiest in California.  I just got my license yay~!

I'll be seeing a lot of patients with GI issues like me. :(

desk job extraordinare!

really i work in accounting and plan to continue that when i return to work. i really like it. been working in accounting for the past 6 years, before that 9 years at various administrative positions.

I'm a research scientist. My job varies quite a bit from day to day, but it is one that is suited to the "CD lifestyle". There are days that I spend mostly on my feet doing experiments, but there are also plenty of days at the desk doing computer work. My hours are flexible and my boss is very understanding. I can work at home some days if needed. However, grad school was different. Long hours in the classroom and in the lab aren't good for the exhaustion or stress levels. Not all bosses are as laid back as mine is. She knows that I'll get the work done one way or another. I do strongly agree with what several others have said - find something that you love doing and try your best to not let your health get in the way. There are lots of great opportunities out there. Good luck with college!!

Jen

by the way....i'm a stay at home mom....but my kids still follow me around everywhere..so i still don't get to the bathroom by myself...or when i need to :)

I third what Clcaj said. Computers! I am in IT and I have a very "cushy" job. It can be alot of work at times, but most of the time it is a fun challenging desk job.

I have UC rather than Crohn's. My degree is in nursing. I'm currently working as a program manager for a county program for new parents. I'm in the office most of the time, and have ready access to the bathroom. My program is in the Health and Human Service department, so they have been great about accommodating my needs. I've been able to flex my time, and even work at home some days during really bad flares. I currently spend about six hours a day in the office and then work the rest of my day at home.

Because it's a county government job, I also have great benefits. The insurance plan is very good and there are no disqualifiers for the long or short-term disability programs. If you work there, you are eligible for the benefits. That's a really good thing, because I'm basically uninsurable if I had to qualify for health insurance.

I'm a telecommunications engineer for a large university. It's a good job, but it has some issues that doesn't always mesh well with the disease. Hours can be long at times, and I'm on call 24x7 for emergencies and outages. On the upside, the university gives us some good health benefits, and I have an extremely understanding manager. The other major benefit is that no matter where I go on the campus, I know where all the clean bathrooms are.

I'll second the person that said look for a government job. They tend to be a little more stable, and a little more understanding.

Whatever you choose, choose something you like. If you end up in a profession that you don't like, it will add to your stress level, and that will in turn affect your disease.