Crohn's ruined my career

[farm]

I got dxed with CD when I was 18 after coming home from spring break. Up until that year I thought I would be in the Marine Corps.
My father joined the army in 1942 and was in for 30 years. WWII, Koren War, etc. I had 1 brother join the AF and 1 join the Army reserves. I thought I would be different and join the Marines.
Well thanks to Crohns the Marines turned me down and about a month later the Army did the same thing. I wish I was in the military now, I would'nt be worried about finding a job!
I have 3 nephews in the Army right now. 1 in the states and 2 in Iraq.

I'm a EHS/Warehouse Manager now.

What did you want to be when you grew up? What did you actually become?

 

[Agent X20]

I'm 53 and I swear I STILL don't know what I want to be when I grow up
John Lennon said: "life is something that happens while you're busy making other plans"
You were lucky in that you had a very clear idea of what you wanted to do (many don't), but not being able to do it is a major blow! I hope you manage to find something you really like doing

 

[DanSJVDavis]

I think I'm becoming what I wanted to be, deep down, a professional novelist. I think I waited too long to finally do it, but I finally think I'm at the level of talent and practice to get there.

Dunno, I think I finally realized that I was given certain skills for a reason. I have Crohn's, but I also have the ability to write and make special effects, and I think both will be good jobs, because, at least as far as the writing goes, I can do it sitting down in the comfort of my house and can take breaks whenever I'm not feeling up to snuff. And if I get a laptop I can do it laying down as well...or on the toilet, for those really bad times. The effects I can make here as well to be applied on set and if I'm not feeling well I don't have to go. Won't get paid as much, but at least I can be paid for doing it. And on the good times I can work on films and even help make our own films, which will be where I think we'll really excel.

EDIT: I actually didn't know what I wanted to be when I was younger, but I knew it wasn't a produce clerk, which was how I wasted most of my years and screwed up my body.

 

[Mark33180]

I was planning on going to school for Culinary Arts and was 2 years into the program when i got diagnosed. So i basically had to put a stop to that... And now i am working in a call center, but going to school starting in aug for IT and hopefully do that from now on.

 

[Guest1]

Farm, I can somewhat relate. My husband had plans on joining the AF back in 2001 (before 9/11) when his lung spontaneously collapsed not once, but twice in a three month span. The AF wouldn't take him and we both saw our dreams fly out of the window...fast. We had a baby on the way, no skills and needed to support a family. Life worked out somehow and here we are today. Now he is a Quality Control Manager.

Growing up, I always wanted to go into the nursing field. Still do, but with my husband's crazy work schedule it's practically impossible for me to think about schooling right now. Boo!

 

[Guest1]

I was planning on going to school for Culinary Arts and was 2 years into the program when i got diagnosed. So i basically had to put a stop to that... And now i am working in a call center, but going to school starting in aug for IT and hopefully do that from now on.

The husband was going to school for Culinary Arts, too when his lung collapsed. Ah, never ate so good before in my life...

 

[farm]

I've always heard if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.

Ah well, we all survive and if life didn't turn we would not be where we are today!

 

[crohnsappleadams]

I sorta allowed Crohn's to dictate me into menial jobs that carry insurance, rather than get myself out there to be a professional musician. I don't know if there's a fix for that at this point in my life or not.

 

[Agent X20]

I sorta allowed Crohn's to dictate me into menial jobs that carry insurance, rather than get myself out there to be a professional musician. I don't know if there's a fix for that at this point in my life or not.

Do you play in any local or semi-pro bands... just for fun. I've played in semi-pro bands for years... even thought about quitting the day job ten years ago when I played the sax... would have been disastrous now... had to quite my last band two years ago due to health issues. Great fun, but really hard work, couldn't keep up with it

 

[crohnsappleadams]

Do you play in any local or semi-pro bands... just for fun. I've played in semi-pro bands for years... even thought about quitting the day job ten years ago when I played the sax... would have been disastrous now... had to quite my last band two years ago due to health issues. Great fun, but really hard work, couldn't keep up with it

I did, but not for a while. I needed a month off back around December of 2007 to straighten out some personal issues and get my bipolar disorder under control, but my band wanted to keep going. They attempted to carry on without me, using the backup singer as the lead singer and bringing in a guitarist that I had fired, but their plan didn't quite work out. They asked me to come back a few months later, but I had no desire to work with them. After that the bassist moved to L.A. (he's presently touring with Solomon Burke), the drummer moved to St. Louis, the keyboardist quit playing to focus on becoming a history teacher, and the backup singer joined a country band managed by my best friend's ex wife's father. They were spoilers for me in terms of musicianship, so until I find other guys of the same caliber (which won't happen as long as I'm kicking around Wichita, KS) I really have no desire to play. I did one show in October of last year, but only because the promoter flew in my old bassist. I don't think I would have done it on any other terms.

 

[Agent X20]

Good luck with that... hope you find the right band!
I found the stress hard to handle... I mean the stress of letting people down if I wasn't feeling well, both the other band members and the audience... so I ended up dragging myself out when I really wasn't up to it

... I'd love to play bass with Solomon Burke, by the way!

 

[crohnsappleadams]

Good luck with that... hope you find the right band!
I found the stress hard to handle... I mean the stress of letting people down if I wasn't feeling well, both the other band members and the audience... so I ended up dragging myself out when I really wasn't up to it

Thankfully I never had that problem too much. For me there's just nothing like the rush of playing for a big crowd. I can think of seven or eight shows in particular that were absolute magic for me--ones that were better than sex.

... I'd love to play bass with Solomon Burke, by the way!

I think most of us would. My bassist is a bit of a natural freak, so he basically gets whatever gig he auditions for. He's all over youtube too. This one is one of my favorites of him:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7qCVvfLlFM

 

[JillianB82]

I'm still not a grown-up yet

I did sports med in high school, ya know wrap stinky feet & help re-set a dislocated shoulder. I always wanted to work for a hockey team or a baseball team.

Now, here I am putting band-aids on children. *Shrugs* I guess it's still kind of the same thing.

 

[farm]

ah, jillian you are just repairing the future sportsmen of tomorrow!

 

[JillianB82]

ah, jillian you are just repairing the future sportsmen of tomorrow!

I hope they remember me & gimme a chunk of their change

 

[Joe]

Man. I never thought of careers that went to crap thanks to crohns.

Now me bitching about Texas heat and fishing and horseriding just got put into perspective.

thanks. I think.

 

[kello82]

ahh crohns has thwarted my plans as well.
was enrolled at Northeastern U for sept 08, but cancelled due to our little friend. planned to be attending this coming fall, but i know it wont happen just by looking at where i stand now. i might withdraw from NEU completely, im not sure yet.
i really wanted to be in UPenn. im positive i wouldve gotten in if it werent for the crohns messing up high school.
ah well.
i was going to major in bio then focusing on biotech, but as ive been laying around and thinking for the past year.....im not wishing i was in a lab all this time. so obviously bio isnt a passion for me. got some thinking to do.....
but for now, i wait and see where life takes me tommorow.

 

[Josh]

Im 18 and finished high school last year. I planned on going to college for fire fighting but crohns ruined that. Then i was doing totally better ( on prednisone of course ) and wanted to go to college for police foundations.. Now im sick again and declined all the offers to college. So i don't know where im gonna end up since i cant stay healthy enough to go to school full time.

 

[forum contributor]

I sorta allowed Crohn's to dictate me into menial jobs that carry insurance, rather than get myself out there to be a professional musician. I don't know if there's a fix for that at this point in my life or not.

I'm with you. Because I've been sick for so long (since I was 12), but only really, really ill for the last year (when I was diagnosed), I've had to stay at the same "comfortable" job because I knew they understood, wouldn't fire me, I could go to work in my pj's if needed, I have my own bathroom, it's 5 mins from my house, and I can work from home if I'm sick.

But I hate my job.

 

[forum contributor]

I hope they remember me & gimme a chunk of their change

Start getting autographs now!! :tongue:

 

[JillianB82]

Start getting autographs now!! :tongue:

They do a writing lesson every day with their names on it, so I guess I better start putting those aside.

 

[forum contributor]

They do a writing lesson every day with their names on it, so I guess I better start putting those aside.

I would - you never know who the next Babe Ruth will be. Maybe one of your kids will find a cure for cancer or AIDS. Or be a future president! Maybe it will be that sweet little boy you talked about today

 

[ILUVBUDWSR]

Thats a good question: What did you want to be when you grew up and what did you become?

Well, when I was a kid I wanted to be a locomotive engineer. A lot of kids wanted to be firefighters,police,doctors,lawyers...ect...ect...ect!

In 9th grade I left the public school system and got home schoold due to my Crohns. I went and got my G.E.D. and when I was 22 years old I started with the railroad.

25 years after I told my dad I wanted to be an engineer and run big locomotives and such I am one. Its a great job and I make more than most people I know with college degrees. My office is never the same day to day and I get to see nature at its best in all 4 seasons. I get to see peoples back yards and go through towns people never heard of. I get to see the late night rondezvous where a married couple is probly cheating on their spouse parked on a dirt road where they think nobody will see them. I have seen the sun rise and set more times than I can remember. With that comes a lot of responsibility but through all the drama it never seems to get old and I would trade it for anything except for maybe winning the lottery and retiring early..lol.....

Thats my story!

 

[crohnsappleadams]

Thats a good question: What did you want to be when you grew up and what did you become?

Well, when I was a kid I wanted to be a locomotive engineer. A lot of kids wanted to be firefighters,police,doctors,lawyers...ect...ect...ect!

In 9th grade I left the public school system and got home schoold due to my Crohns. I went and got my G.E.D. and when I was 22 years old I started with the railroad.

25 years after I told my dad I wanted to be an engineer and run big locomotives and such I am one. Its a great job and I make more than most people I know with college degrees. My office is never the same day to day and I get to see nature at its best in all 4 seasons. I get to see peoples back yards and go through towns people never heard of. I get to see the late night rondezvous where a married couple is probly cheating on their spouse parked on a dirt road where they think nobody will see them. I have seen the sun rise and set more times than I can remember. With that comes a lot of responsibility but through all the drama it never seems to get old and I would trade it for anything except for maybe winning the lottery and retiring early..lol.....

Thats my story!

I always thought that would be kind of a cool job when I was a kid. My dad had a friend who was an engineer, and he used to bring me stuff like old schedules and other junk they had laying around that served no purpose.

 

[BWS1982]

I'm currently in the process of figuring out what Crohns has ruined and killed for me, and what's been left mangled and mauled just enough that I can work some magic and do it after all once in a good state of health (and a consistent one as well).

Firefighter, cop, personal trainer, a lot of physical stuff....then I think about my art degree I got, and I could do a lot with that, and I feel it's something special, not to sound arrogant, but for us musicians and artists, we know you can't educate talent. It's there or it's absent. I feel sometimes like that's my calling. So really, who knows, but it frustrates me that I don't seem to.

 

[crohnsappleadams]

I'm currently in the process of figuring out what Crohns has ruined and killed for me, and what's been left mangled and mauled just enough that I can work some magic and do it after all once in a good state of health (and a consistent one as well).

Firefighter, cop, personal trainer, a lot of physical stuff....then I think about my art degree I got, and I could do a lot with that, and I feel it's something special, not to sound arrogant, but for us musicians and artists, we know you can't educate talent. It's there or it's absent. I feel sometimes like that's my calling. So really, who knows, but it frustrates me that I don't seem to.

Welcome to my world.

 

[JillianB82]

I would - you never know who the next Babe Ruth will be. Maybe one of your kids will find a cure for cancer or AIDS. Or be a future president! Maybe it will be that sweet little boy you talked about today

Or a cure for Crohn's They watch me take my meds every morning & they make up their own little story about what each one does.

 

[danman]

I wanted to play football for Liverpool FC and Ireland.....

It wasn't Crohn's that ruined that dream, a total lack of talent was the primary reason.

I wouldn't say Crohn's ruined any part of my career, I'm a civil engineer. I went to University 3 years after I was diagnosed, so I'd made my mind up on my career after I was diagnosed.

I have some regrets though.

I would have liked to have traveled with my career, places like the middle East, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and such.

A couple of years there, would have set me up for life. I had a couple of offers over the years, and the money was more than I could dream of here.

But there was always a fear that I would get more sick and be stranded there.

It's probably unfounded fear, their health system is probably better than here, but I never had the balls to go through with it.

Not a real regret, but something that plays on my mind.

 

[phillip]

crohns ruined my life,and still is!!!

:depressed: Hi all,
Had crohns since about 16,1978,for 5 years told my doctor in alot pain,said was all in my head,till i got rushed to hospitol.
He later got removed as a doctor,was down to 6 stone,had to have operation,50 50 chance live or die,lumps all over stomach.
To put it mildly the next 2 years was hell on earth,my wife gave up her modelling to look after me,most would have left.
Fast forward 5 years,suddenly stoped takeing everything,steriods ,which made me like hulk.i had 10 years off mild pain.
Then ,i still wonder if i had kept takeing the stuff wouldnt b in such a state now??,but i wouldnt give up those 10 happy years i had med free.
Now i live in small fishing village in england,cannot work.
Ive had every operation going,my stomach is like a train line the amount scars,ive had bag,then year later removed.too many ops to list hear.
Now only thing keeps me alive is my daughter,i am on humura,been told if need any more ops be last,ie tube in neck and fed through a tube food!!!.
Told wife"same one been with me threw it all.if i had to have that i be swinging from a tree.so depressed big time and v angry.
:ymad:
Ps i can take alot pain,coverd in tats head to toe,but i refuse painkillers,for me hot water bottle RULES!.

 

[danman]

Hiya Phillip,
Your welcome to the site.

31 years..... you've been through the mill.

 

[~TN~]

a gypsy.

 

[kello82]

oh man i was all over the place in the "when i grow up i wanna be"'s.
for a while it was a pilot, then archaeologist ( i was like 5 LMAO) picture me saying that word, then in my earlier teen years i was thinking more fashion industry potentially the journalism end of it, i wanted to be the layout editor or whatever theyre called. still think that sounds fun, i know i kind of have an eye to see where "things go" and visual skills and all.
plus the ocd side of me LOL.

now.....i have no idea. idk what my passions are really. i LOVED my surgeon at CHOP so much that got me into thinking i would love to be a ped OR tech or something. maybe anestesiologist...but what about the poor kiddies who are so sick and dont make it i think i would die. i was in to radiology for a while too...even interviewed at our local imaging place and got to check out the CT scan how it works, sweet!!
aaaannnddd then the shits came and i had to turn down the job, i dont think i was even gonna get it though. meh.

well THAT was rambly

 

[crohnsappleadams]

I think we should all chip in for an industrial laminating machine and start manufacturing toy poo for Spencer's.

 

[kello82]

BAHAHA!!!
lmao im cracking up at that.
lmfao it could be like a "collect them all!" type of thing. we all have different and very unique poos.
and the ones with corn or other undigestibles in there could be sold for top dollar as "limeted edition"

 

[farm]

BAHAHA!!!
lmao im cracking up at that.
lmfao it could be like a "collect them all!" type of thing. we all have different and very unique poos.
and the ones with corn or other undigestibles in there could be sold for top dollar as "limeted edition"

Mr. Hankey was pretty popular!

 

[BWS1982]

and the ones with corn or other undigestibles in there could be sold for top dollar as "limeted edition"

No dice. I worked at McDonalds a decade ago for a year, and dealt enough with "beanie babies"....

 

[crohnsappleadams]

BAHAHA!!!
lmao im cracking up at that.
lmfao it could be like a "collect them all!" type of thing. we all have different and very unique poos.
and the ones with corn or other undigestibles in there could be sold for top dollar as "limeted edition"

With Crohn's disease, there's no such thing as a limited edition.