Working/going to school while flaring

Since UC has no respect for our lives, everyone's usually busy with work or school when we're hit with flares. While it's difficult to get much done when you're running back and forth to the bathroom, it's also hard to get up and go to work or school, or be productive, when dealing with fatigue and malnutrition.

My year-long flare has had its ups and downs, but I'm currently sicker than I've ever been. I'm a graduate student, but I haven't been able to get up and go to the lab all week. I keep feeling like there's something I should be doing differently to get up and get something done, but unless I have a class I'm teaching, or a meeting to go to, I end up staying home. As many of you know, I'm waiting on authorization from my insurance company to start Remicade. In the meantime, I'm on topical steroids to try to keep from getting worse, but mesalamine isn't working anymore, 6MP won't kick in for a while, and I can't take oral steroids.

I figured I'd start this thread to share advice for how to keep working/studying while super sick, or to share stories of difficulties with the fatigue, malnutrition, and depression that often makes it impossible. I keep thinking, I'm the only one who ends up missing tons of work because of this illness, and not just because of the bathroom trips!

Honestly, I'm not sure how I make it to work most days....but much more often than not, I do. I have been flaring since late November, spent some already scheduled vacation time at the end of December laying around being sick instead of traveling, and have had to use more sick days than I would like already this year. I am just so weak and tired ALL the time that it takes all the energy I have just to get ready and leave the house everyday. My employer has been very understanding, but my office is far from the bathroom and due to the nature of my job there is about 2 hours of every day I can't get up and run to the bathroom....it's tricky to say the least.

I guess I don't really have any advice on HOW to keep on going through flares....I just do, and have no idea how really. At this point I am seriously considering surgery.

I was very sick, a lot, but never missed work after the first two weeks. It was a real struggle sometimes, but I would just use the bathroom a lot. Lots of pre-emptive uses, before every meeting or after eating anything. Immodium helped calm my gut. It took many years to figure out how to manage it peacefully.

Know where every bathroom is on every floor/wing. That was my best bet in getting there quickly. Let your teacher's know you're having a medical issue. Perhaps they'll understand what you're going through.