
Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis Support Group
Crohn's disease is a systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) of unknown cause, that results in chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract. It can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, and can also cause complications outside of the gastrointestinal tract. There is no known medical or surgical cure for Crohn's disease, but there are many medical...

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i have had this flair-up since xmas. In the hospital 4 x's. Getting over it finally, i think. My question is can you still work full-time with uc or crohn's? I went back to 20 until next week. I don't know if i can do more hrs. a week. I am still weak and can only stand for about 30 minutes without getting tired. When i do go to the grocery store i hold on to the buggy like i am 80 yrs. old. Then at that I am in and out in record time. Just wondering if anyone else is having issues with work? thank you. i love this site. it has given me more strength then i can say.
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I gave my 2 week notice last Friday 13th. Now to join you fine people in a life of leisure and nothing else to do but to look out for myself....is it just me or does that sound pretty boring? My goal was to live to retire and I guess having to take early retirement because of health reasons wasn't exactly the way I had planned things. I just can't stay in that building that is reeking mildew...
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I'm trying to exercise daily. I was doing fairly well until I sprained my ankle 2 weeks ago but now I'm getting back on the horse. Today I walked over a mile with my arm weights that are about 22lbs total. I was out of shape and it was hard on my arms. I also did my 30 situps. I'm also going to drink a lot of water and try to eat healthy. I do tend to have a sweet tooth but I'm cutting...
It definately is not a convenient time for my family but I am not sure any time would have been. Hopefully I can get the medical treatment I need since none of the medicines have worked in the last five years and second I hope that I can find a way to retrain to some other occupation that is more forgiving to the demands of this disease. Possibly a telecommute type of job that you are paid by the job not the hour. That way on bad weeks the company wouldn't be paying me to have an attack.
The main point I was trying to make is that like me, some people may continue to work to make them feel like they are a productive part of society. I probably should have put working on the back burner sooner and my health more toward the front so I wouldn't have had to see the extreme turns this disease can take. My ICU stay is guessed to be caused by to much steroid use, the only thing that would even slow the disease down. I hope this may help someone that is diagnosed to stop and make sure they are not continuing to work simply for their own pride. The symptoms of this disease are debilitating and should not be taken lightly. Asking for and receiving assistance from outside sources should not be seen as failure.
Besides the fatigue of UC, are you anemic? Have you had your regular (for me, every 3 weeks) of a CBC count? Perhaps you're just low on Iron.... PLUS, Iron does constipate some people, so for people like us with UC or Crohn's (me)... it actually makes us use the bathroom less.... just a thought... as I've hung on to the shopping cart like an old man.. b*tching at my sister to hurry up so we could go home... then I plop myself either on the recliner or on the bed, and just rest a few.... WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE... YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
I also have to watch my diet very closely. No red meat, no hot spices... well, you get the idea, because if i don't watch my diet... well, i wouldn't be able to do what i want to do.
Now, i am under no illusions. I know that most people with IBD have it worse than me, and that if i was having it as bad as some do, then i too would not be able to do what i am doing. Also, even with the fact that i have it "easy", per se, is that it is still difficult as hell. The pain that i subject myself to just to do this is insane. I have to work through the cramps, and i also have to work with the knowledge that if i am in the middle of everything, and my gut tells me that i have to go, we all know that sometimes one can delay that call... and sometimes not. I won't be able to tuck tail and run to a bathroom. I will have to shit my pants. I know this, but i need to beat this disease... it will win some battles yes, but i will not let it beat me. If this is my own body fighting against me, by God i am going to fight back.
I ramble, all apologies.
Really, the only issue that I have with work, it that I have to do it all. I am still waiting for someone to call me about my recent application. I applied to get paid to take naps. Do what you love, right?
Hope it gets better for you, Jean.
I am 48 and had been working since I was 13. I was DX with Crohns in 97. I used to me a manager at a Truckstop. I would be helping at the registers and be in the middle of ringing up a customer and I would have to run off to the RR and leve them standing there. My Doctors tried to get me to quit working 2 years before I finally did. I was in denial. I didnt want to quit working. I loved my job. I finally told my boss that I wanted a demotion so I could continue to work. Well I had less duties, but the CD was still controlling my life and I just couldnt handle working anymore. I was either in the hospital or home sick more then I was a t work. I filed for disability and got my first check in only 6 months.
I miss working, but I finally had to realize that my health was more important.
My husband is a state employee so he has good medical, however if you do have to quit working and go on disability you will also be elligable for medicare.
Also if you do decside to check out disablity try looking into WWW.BINDERANDBINDER.COM OR CALL THEIR PHONE 1-800-BINDER
thedid all my paperwork for me and got me my disability within 6 months where as people that do it on there own it can takes sometimes years.
Good luck in whatever you do.