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Posted 7/24/2010 2:03 PM (GMT 0)
hi, i am going through a tough flare. I am not working which is a bit rough. I am going to the toilet many times and don't make it to the toilet sometimes. Then there is the pain. I don't see how I could work with this, even if I took on a new job. Whether it be office work or something technical, I'd be seen as unreliable. There have been times when i have had to go somewhere and i have starved myself for at least 24hrs, this has been a bit of an improvement the following day. This isn't something i recommend and it doesn't always work. Of course having an understanding boss is a big help. What has worked for you guys, eating smaller meals throughout the day perhaps, a curfew?

Thankyou.

Posted 7/24/2010 2:28 PM (GMT 0)
I work part time evenings and on those days I would take Immodium and maybe only eat one meal. I still didn't make it to the bathroom. I keep extra clothes with me just in case. It happened once and it was horrible. I was alone at work so that was good. I finally took a few weeks off and filed for SSDI. That was in December and I have still heard nothing.

I was just at the beach for a week and would starve myself also just so I could sit on the beach. Our house was two blocks away so the I was nervous.

Did you ever try Librax or Bentyl? Helps with cramping and slows the gut down.

I am a nervous wreck when I have to work and flaring. It just drains me from all the worry.
Posted 7/24/2010 6:15 PM (GMT 0)
I use Lomotil to slow down the intestines after my morning BM'S and I am fine for the rest of the day.  It is by perscription only.
Posted 7/24/2010 7:34 PM (GMT 0)

aleks said...
hi, i am going through a tough flare. I am not working which is a bit rough. I am going to the toilet many times and don't make it to the toilet sometimes. Then there is the pain. I don't see how I could work with this, even if I took on a new job. Whether it be office work or something technical, I'd be seen as unreliable. There have been times when i have had to go somewhere and i have starved myself for at least 24hrs, this has been a bit of an improvement the following day. This isn't something i recommend and it doesn't always work. Of course having an understanding boss is a big help. What has worked for you guys, eating smaller meals throughout the day perhaps, a curfew?</DIV>
Thankyou.

I work for family now which is great at times due to the understanding boss but bad at others due to working with family (drives you insane). If I didnt have this, I would've considered surgery a lot sooner. You have to work to pay rent and put food on the table and unfortunately its impossible to do that when you're in a major flare.

From what I've heard in the past, to be disability for having UC you need to hire a lawyer otherwise you wont get approved. Im still trying to figure out how to file for when Ill be missing work due to surgery.

When I did have other jobs, I didnt eat breakfast and only ate small meals/snacks at work to reduce my trips to the bathroom so yea unfortunately starving was the only method that somewhat worked for me.
Posted 7/24/2010 9:22 PM (GMT 0)
Lomitil, immodium, bently... they all will allow you to get out and work. Doesn't treat the UC, but it helps with the frequency symptoms.
Posted 7/25/2010 12:16 AM (GMT 0)
am recovering from a flareup of going 20-25 times to the bathroom during daytime hours and 3-4 times during the night. i wouldn't be able to not work, so i choose to go to work. what happens to me is i feel intense gas pains before imminent explosion of things that belong in toilet, so that's when i make a sprint to the men's restroom. to date, i've always made it just in time. sometimes my action of running past offices and my facial expressions are misconstrued or misunderstood by other workers at the office, but at least i still am able to work and am good at what i do too ! flare up seems to be subsiding too.
Posted 7/25/2010 1:41 AM (GMT 0)
I cant miss work. During my last flare I drank 6 to 8 Boost a day (tastes better than Ensure). Thats up to 2,000 calories a day with almost no stool. I did this for 3 weeks straight with my Dr's approval. I was still exploding with blood and mucous but it was far less. It totally sucked but so does UC.
Posted 7/25/2010 4:47 AM (GMT 0)
If I take Lomotil regularly I'll get constipated and just be sent into a flare that way.
Posted 7/25/2010 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
I have been fortunate enough to utilize State Disability so I have not worked since Mid-May. Of course my disease was not tolerable in anyway. In fact, I was just discharged from hospital July 4th and am slowly healing after a 2nd Remicade (need to update signature) infusion a few weeks ago. It's nice being a dual income household and my husbands insurance is AWESOME. We have had to tighten the belt when it comes to spending to compensate for less money and more UC related bills but taking the time to recover for health is worth it. We are also looking in permanent SSN disability because my UC is so severe. Only had a little over a year and it progress to entire colon quickly despite my efforts to control with diet, meds, probiotics you name it!!! Each flare is longer, more painful and takes more out of me. Hope you all find solutions that work for you.
Posted 7/26/2010 12:18 AM (GMT 0)
I don't recommend eating many small meals, because each meal will stimulate the bowels.

I also find I do worse if I don't eat at all. Everyone is different, but try this:

Eat your main meal early in the evening. Then eat a small breakfast, maybe exercise a little, to stimulate the bowels before you go to work (give yourself plenty of time in the morning). Take immodium to calm your gut, one or one half a pill or as little as you can so you don't block yourself up. Eat a light lunch, obviously, something easy on your gut, like a PBJ sandwich (no lettuce) and plan to hit the restroom soon after.

That's the plan that works for me, when I'm flaring. Maybe try it and see if it would work for having a new job. Good luck!
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