Getting a new job with an Ileostomy

There's no way a medical should prevent you from practicing in your career. If they dare tried, you would have good reason to litigate (not that you want to). People from all walks of life have ostomies and work in every profession imaginable.

Sue

What kind of job requires a medical exam? I can think of groups that can require you to do physical things (like lift boxes of a certain weight) but not anything that would single out an ostomy or require you to take off your shirt. The only group I think that can really discriminate for physical "problems" is the military. I'm making the assumption that you are based in USA though.

I was trying to think the other day if I had an ostomy during a certain observation exercise I participated in. I was happy to realize that I couldn't easily remember! I finally had to think of it in terms of time - when I had my surgery versus when the observation took place.

I always tell this story. When I started at my current job 5 years ago as a clinic manager at a hearing clinic, I was sitting down at lunch time one day looking at my website (ostomy related - Shaz's Ostomy Pages) when the girl who had been training me for the last couple of weeks, glanced over my shoulder and said 'THAT'S where I know you from!'. She'd just had the second step of J Pouch surgery due to UC and had visited my site numerous times.

I had thought it strange at my job interview when I mentioned my website as a hobby and the reason for it, that the three people interviewing me just looked at each other and smiled. Of course, they couldn't tell me about Kelly at the time due to confidentiality reasons, but it didn't stop them from hiring me :) They had to know that at some time we'd work it out lol

If Kelly and I couldn't tell that either of us had an ostomy until she saw me looking at my website, there is no way anyone, without any knowledge of ostomies, will be able to tell either.

so ive had an interview and got a call back within half an hour with a job offer,

ive signed the contract, have a start date and the only thing it is pending is a succesful pre employment medical.

i am so anxious just thinking about it.

i know people arent allowed to discriminate against me for having an ileostomy but i feel like if they knew they could easily ring me and say sorry the position is no longer available and that would be that.

i personally know someone who works there so i know im the only guy they want for the job but he also doesnt know about my ileostomy so probably thinks its weird i keep asking him about the medical and what you have to do.

he said when they checked his spine he had to strip down to his underwear

does anyone think i could just say " sorry i dont feel comfortable completely taking my clothes off?"

having an ileostomy has given me my life back in a HUGE way but i feel a large amount of people have never seen one in real life and would discriminate in a second

i personally think its NOONES business but my own so i dont think it would be fair for the doctor to tell my new employer about it

also i am in australia so im not sure what the laws about it here are