Do you have a job? How???

When I had UC I worked full time. The last 2 years of my disease I was in a severe flare. I worked the entire 2 years with the exception of the intial 3 weeks of the onset and then towards the end of the second year I missed another 2 weeks due to hospitalization. I have a demanding job and manage a department with several hundred employees. It wasn't always easy to work but work helped me to keep my mind off my butt! I ended up having surgery and still work in the same job full time.

Sue

I was a stay home mom for 6 years. I was dx with UC pancolitis in Oct 2007. I was so sick then it got a little better, (I was looking for a job in the process) I then got a call from a hospital and asked if i was interested in a job as PRN person and I said sure, Went for my employness check and let the nurse know that I had UC and at the time it was unspecfied. At the time I was feeling ok. I had to call in sick one time because I had a cold then I had to call in one other time because my tooth broke off. Then I came down with a bad flare again, fever, chills, dd, vomiting, sick. I emailed my supervisior to let her know and asked her If i can bring in my doc's excuse and she said no, so I had my son take it anyway. Well needless to say, she was not happy with me and didnt put me back on the schedule. So im not sure what's going to happen, but if you have someone that doesnt understand its best if you can stay home.

Sorry for the long drawn out story but i needed to vent. It just makes me angry that if you dont have the diease no one understands :(

I worked through a five year flare and only missed a few days. My employer was very accommodating, though, and on really bad days I sometimes worked part of the day from home. I'm a manager and can access all the computer files from home, so that helped.

For at least three of those five years I got up in the morning (3 hours before I had to leave, of course), spent my 1-1 1/2 hours in the bathroom, got myself ready and went to work. Fortunately it's only a 15-20 minute drive. At work I'm able to go to the bathroom as often as I need to, but I also kept a change of underwear and clothes in my office as well as a box of wet wipes.

By the time I got home I was exhausted, and crashed. I just rested at home. MY DH pretty much did all the cooking, laundry, etc. Yes, he's a saint. On the weekends I rested so I could make it through the next week.

It was very hard, and there were a lot of times I thought I might have to go on disability, but my work is such an integral part of my identity that I really didn't want to quit. As soon as I started feeling a little better, I was so glad I hadn't quit. During just a "normal" flare, it was pretty easy to manage because I was only in the bathroom four or five times during the work day instead of every 30-45 minutes.

I never had too much trouble until '03 when I was really sick. I was too stubborn to stop working but I had to stop driving because I ran into a ditch 3 times in 2 weeks because I was falling asleep at the wheel. Thankfully both the car and I were unharmed because I was going really slow. The common phrase from my rather sarcastic (but fun) co-worker when I asked if I looked ok (because I felt like trash) was "you look fine because gray is a color afterall and all colors are nice." I would catch a little flak about the time I was spending out of the office bt not much and I always had my work done ontime because I'd work after normal hours to finish what I couldn't during the day.

Since then I've changed departments and the new boss is amazing! He's got health issues too, different variety but he completely understands the need to trek out to Drs at odd and sometimes inconvienient times and is willing to work with me to make up the list time so I am not burining up vacation time. Actually thanks to his understanding and cooperation I will be taking my first vacation in the 7 years I've worked here this year. From August 30 - September 7 I will be down in Virginia about 12-14 hours away from everything here I might even con the hubby into getting his sister to babysit so we can run away as a couple and spend the day at a coaster park that I want to see there!

Both these jobs have been desk related, one was programming and computer rebuilding/troubleshooting and this new one is scheduling health testing for our company so both can keep me as still as I need to be or as active as I want to be depending on how I'm feeling that day.

Oh, yes, the other change I made was I stopped eating lunch. I might have a few crackers, but never a mid-day meal, because that tended to make me have to go too much in the afternoon.

This is such great info for me - some encouraging, some not, but all very helpful. I would likely have an office job (again). I write mostly and may even be able to work from home, which would be ideal.

Hi i work nights in a nursing home and my boss and the people i work with are all very understanding.It does make a differance.

Well my husband was fortunate in that he did not get this until he was 61 and already retired. (He drove a van/truck for his employer and in and out of it constantly to make deliveries...in bumper to bumper traffic many times during the day. This would have definitely kept him out of work for a long spell...his sick leave would have been used up in no time at all.)

Getting this when he did...he could just stay in and not force himself to do things or go places while he was flaring so badly. As stressful and frustrating as it was he didn't have all the added pressures many of you have and could rest as much as he wanted/needed.

We both marvel and have the utmost respect for all of you who not only have to cope with this but find a way to work, raise your families, and deal with a host of other situations while flaring. You are truly very strong people and and inspiration to many others. I know in a lot of cases you just do what you have to do but that doesn't make it any easier either.

I just wish the level of awareness and proper consideration was widespread for everyone suffering with the DD. Too many just don't "get it" and don't understand what this is truly about and just think you have some D or upset stomach type thing and you'll get over it eventually.

I'm the one at the computer gathering all the info and picking everyone's brains and getting advice from HW that has been so invaluable. I cut and paste from these threads all the time and have them at the kitchen table for him to keep up on advice and opinions regarding issues he is having that others are having as well.

Relating info to him about alot of my HW extended family's situations keeps things in perspective for him and he counts his blessings when he is enjoying an easier time of things. When he was so bad and I was able to turn to this forum for the support and advice I/we needed even though he was miserable still made it more understandable and easier to cope with knowing things in all probability were going to improve.

He has 2 great doctors but as we all know you only get a limited amount of time to meet with them. As thorough as I try to be with our prepared questions and notes it always feels like the 15 minutes or so you have with the Dr feels more like a few minutes. This forum has really helped us be prepared and aware of things to be sure to ask and discuss.

In my heart I don't think he would be where he is at today if not for HW being able to get me focused and pointing me in a few directions to pursue a few suggestions with his doctors. I actually impress them being so in tuned and have informed that it is the HW UC forum that keeps us so well informed.

Hi Peety! I am going to be a third year law student and currently work at a law firm. I totally respect your decision to keep your disease private but you would be surprised about how great others can be as well. My law firm knows all about my disease and are super supportive. I didn't realize how supportive until I asked for a recommendation for a clerkship I am applying for. He wanted to write about how I stand apart from other candidates because I do such a good job and come in every day on time etc while facing crohns disease. He admires how I manage my disease with meds and food and don't let it stop me from doing what I want to do. That I make accommodations for myself and always get the job done and done great. I told him that although I was flattered that they saw my crohns as a strength instead of a weakness I would rather not bring that up until after I got the clerkship. They respected that but I must say, I was shocked at how highly they regarded me and saw my crohns as part of who I am and that it made me even a better person in their eyes.

I had to laugh at your litany of bathroom trips, Peety. I always tell people "I go first, last and twice in between."