I'm going to learn how to keep working with this disease. Any tips?

I got back from home time earlier this month with a stomach ache. No big deal. A week later I still had it so I had dispatch swing me through charlotte to go to urgent care. PA-C was very busy and had no labs at his disposal so wrote me a prescription for flagyl. Over the next few days my food tolerance decreased substantially. Then I couldn't drink water or lay down. All the while still hauling cross country because thank heavens it doesn't hurt to sit so if I can get up in that seat I just strap in and kill those miles. Stopped eating food altogether because the cramping was killing momentum and while I do dabble in the trucker cup, just no. So I'd find myself with extreme urgency standing in dirty truck stop bathrooms listening to guys giggling at their phones. Let's say I walked into the super special pooper section of walmart and made a purchase to put between the truck and the trailer and I'll offer my magazine to any chump looking at me too long. Only problem is subzero temperatures, pouring rain, dust storms, and people still walking up asking for money. I mean if you're sick of sitting on the same toilet you really got to get yourself one of those crutches with the toilet seat in it. It's like a hover round for IBD. I saw the grand Canyon on mine! All joking aside, had to go to the hospital in maryland after trying to sip some chicken broth and turning the bathroom into texas chainsaw massacre for the first time.

There I was given the gauntlet of tests, which found out I have no infection or anything that kills me or goes away; just a very good reason to start tricking out the toilet at home. Better believe it'll be a recliner with a hot blanket cabinet, a heating pad for the belly, a keg of ice cold pedialite and a big screen t.v..

So I leave maryland in the night unable to sleep, or eat, or anything just rethinking my life. Slept sitting up at night and kept pouring water into the top hole of my texas chainsaw massacre machine (aka my new guts) and told myself this disease would not curb my sense of humor, love for life, or slow me down at my favorite job ever.

Got down to charlotte for sick leave to regroup, carried all the stuff from my truck up to the apartment and blew the caps off every ulcer in my colon (heavy lifting gets a frowny face in the little book), went to hospital with tearing pain in the colon, got morphine which made my stomach hurt on top of my colon and then gave me morphine sickness. So now I have a prescription bottle of prednisone and an appointment with a GI to get some butt candy to add to the fun. I know what happens when I pour water in my facehole, I wonder if I'll be burping up cotton candy and kittens if they pour it in the other way? Will keep you posted. For now though, I'm going home and slamming through this forum to find soft foods I can start on since I haven't eaten on 7 days. I'm just going to do that thing where i try one thing at a time and if it makes me cry I'll write it in a book with a frowny face. I think first I'm going to try some loaded denies nachos with extra hot sauce and a half gallon of mountain dew. We will see where that goes. No I'm thinking jello and very soft everything free shakes for a few days. Maybe ice cubes.

But the main point of this thread is that I'm trying to scheme up ways to keep OTR trucking with this disease. Think of it. 700 mile drive. Hope they don't charge me a littering fee because I just threw a whole lot of shame out the window. If we have any inventors on board give me your worst. Obviously nothing for when the truck is moving, if I get to 10+ a day work is good and will let me chainsaw massacre a motel bathroom for a week. If I do get the walker pooper you better bet I'm going to be posting selfies from the lower 48 states. I'm thinking more seriously about a 20-30 gallon r.v. toilet I can empty at designated rest areas. Give me some ideas tho if you would please.

Post Edited (IBD long haul trucker) : 2/19/2016 9:13:31 PM (GMT-7)

Ever have bloody poops (a common compliant of IBD patients)?

Well, first you need a diagnosis of IBS, IBD, or possibly an infectious variety of colitis or c. difficile. If it's infectious then it can be cleared up and could be a one time episode. IBD can be put into remission (an absence of symptoms) with the right treatment and medications. Diagnosis involves a colonoscopy with biopsies and a negative on a stool test for pathogens.

Trucking sounds like a very difficult occupation to have, when you frequently and urgently need access to a bathroom. If you can get your symptoms under control then it'll be like before this happened, no problems.

You should eat or else you're going to be loosing weight rapidly. Keep the food bland, and well cooked (raw foods are more difficult on the gut).

Portable rv/marine/camping toilets are an option if you need to be on the road while experiencing urgency. m.campingworld.com/category/toilets/1356
To something more simple/cheap:www.cabelas.com/product/reliance-luggable-loo-reg-toilet/1723735.uts

That was funny, sort of!! I like the idea of a portable toilet, that would work for you I would imagine. But, really you do need to have a firm diagnosis, and get on the right Meds, rectal Meds too, it will make a huge difference to you.

With regard to food a low residue diet might help, (Google) tender lean meats, eggs (not fried), soft cooked veggies and fruits that have been peeled. Veggie soups with lean chicken breast are good, you can add rice into the soup as well. Salmon is excellent, especially eaten with potato or rice. Any vegeteables need to be cooked well and without a skin, and I would try to avoid dairy for a while until you get your flare under control, that can sometimes help.

I also think you need to be taking a probiotic everyday.

If you haven't already done so you need an emergency bag in your truck with a change of clothes, shoes, wet wipes etc, if only for peace of mind..

Let us know how you are getting on....

Welcome to the forum and I'm sorry that you are sick.

I work in an office but I have a CDL Class-A license just in case I need to get in a truck and pick up some loads. I probably drive a tractor trailer 6 or 7 times a year, I enjoy it but I couldn't do it everyday, it's a tough job.

Reading your subject line (how to keep working with this disease) my only real advice that I could give you is to be aggressive with your treatment, you want to stay in remission as much as possible because UC can get worse quickly and you might not be able to drive. I'd probably skip the 5ASA meds and try the immunosurpressents or biologicals.

I don't know if living in the truck with a porta potty is a good thing, we are prone to getting c.diff (similar symptoms to UC) and living like that might increase the risk of you getting c.diff. I'd try to keep the inside of the truck as clean as possible.

It's tough between the bad food at the truck stops, the stress of driving, the bathrooms at the rest areas, the rough roads it will be challenging when you are flaring but once you are in Remission then things should be similar to before you got an IBD.