How much do you work?

Crohn's Disease Forum

Help Support Crohn's Disease Forum:

How much do you work outside of your home each week?

  • 0 Hours

    Votes: 41 17.4%

  • <10 Hours

    Votes: 8 3.4%

  • <20 Hours

    Votes: 25 10.6%

  • <30 Hours

    Votes: 21 8.9%

  • <38 Hours

    Votes: 29 12.3%

  • 38-40 Hours

    Votes: 37 15.7%

  • >40 Hours

    Votes: 75 31.8%
  • Total voters
    236
Colt

Colt

Joined
Mar 29, 2008
Messages
869
I'm curious because I have so much trouble with it. I find anything more than 30 hours per week of physical work to be unsustainable. I can do it for a while but every week my body deteriorates more and more and I eventually have to call in sick more and more.

Also, what kind of work do you do?

I messed up the options. It should be for example 30-38 Hours instead of just <38 Hours.
 
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I work for a publishing company at least 40 hrs per week. We are now in our busy season which lasts from the middle of January until the middle of June which I work more than 40 hrs. My wife's parents own a home rehab business and I work for them on the weekends which consists of mowing the lawn, painting, kitchen tear-outs...etc. It's worked out nicely because I was able to pay off my medical bills sooner. It still took me 18 months post surgery to pay every thing off.
 
I work about 20 - 25 hours a week.. driving school bus (of all things). but it meets with my current 'physical' restrictions... 3 hours in the AM +/-, then 4 hours rest, then 2 hours in the PM +/-. I'll never get rich, but it shouldn't cost me my health, either... And, I've learned (as Martha Stewart would say).. "that's a good thing" (or is that a phrase that she just picked up in prison?)
 
I work 36 to 48 hours at my full time job and then another 10 to 20 hours at our business. I need to be well to keep up with my schedule. Most of the work is not physical, which is a mixed blessing. I prefer physical work since I hate to exercise.

Dan
 
I work 40 hours a week, but my job is more of mental stress instead of physocal since I design on a computer all the time.

Kevin171
 
Today is my first day back after 5 months off and before the time off I was working 40-60 hours a week and plan on making at least 40 hours a week now. If my body says its too much though I can always cut back. My boss knows and he's being super supportive of me.
 
Hi all,

I used to work for a construction company as a site secretary, very stressful, some weeks i would work over 45 hrs a week between my normal 39 hr week and working at home. I was made redundant in February, thank god!!!. I now work for a vet about 5 mins from my home. I work 37.5 hrs a week sometimes i have to work a saturday, but i dont mind i can get time off during the week for it. My crohns has improved, my mood has improved , i have no stress and i love the job.


Geri
 
Wow, only 40% of people on this forum with crohn's work a full schedule. I'm surprised. I always thought I was 'lazier' than your average crohnie. Apparently I'm above average.
 
I am blessed to have the perfect job for someone with CD. I am an at-home medical transcriptionist, 40 hours a week, but just across the hall from the bathroom!!!
 
I work less than 10 hours a week usually, I'm contracted to work 6 hours on a Sunday and then I have to be flexible and cover colleagues and do overtime when that's necessary. Only times when I work more than that are at Christmas, because the world of retail just goes crazy!

I'm also a full time student, attend college 3 and a half days a week then use the rest of the time for personal study. I wouldn't say I'm lazy, the only thing I find difficult is standing up all the time at work, it's often not comfortable puts a lot of strain on my back. On the upside I can dash to the bathroom anytime I want and I get paid breaks.
 
I work 40-50 hrs a week. I love it, would do more at times, but my boss makes me leave, so I don't kill myself.
 
Technically I work 34 hours. I have to be in by 8:45 and we can leave at 3:30.
Usually I am there a bit later though. And sometimes we have meetings that start earlier or run later. I rarely take work home. That's just wrong.
 
"That's just wrong." I wish. I'm sitting here in bed doing emails and jumping on conference calls. LOL.
 
I work 40-50 hours a week. Since getting the disease I have learned to not bring home work and to try to leave at a reasonable time everyday. I may not always take my breaks but I take my lunch every day. If I don't do these things I always pay for it in the end.
 
I'm a full time law school student. When I'm in school I work FAR more then 40 hours a week. Right now I'm on internship and work 40-50 hours a week. Of course...this all assumes I'm not in the hospital or anything (missed three weeks last quarter for surgery, it was quite a disaster.)
 
have only been at my job since the summer, and now i havent been to work for 2 months cause ive been so sick. not on disability or anything offical though, manager just said "ok, call us when youre feeling better." i was like umm ok.
work in a mall clothing store, i like it, people are interesting to talk to. usually i work 10-2pm or 10-5pm shifts every weekday. im one of the only employees who doesnt have college or other daytime commitiments. usually get the weekends off too.
first job and ive already disappeared for months, bahh.
 
I work 50 hours per week.

I work as a Civil Engineer, so luckily my job is no longer physical. It was much harder when I was starting out, I had to run everywhere, but now it's mostly building site management.

I've only had 8 weeks off sick in total over the last 14 years and 5 of those were just before Christmas.
 
I'm currently working 15 hours a week, 3 hours 5 nights. I have in the recent past worked up to 45 hours a week but had big problems with my bosses so got myself moved. I have found my new hours much nicer and easier but still difficult during a flare up.
 
When I was healthy, I usually did around 25 hours a week plus school. Then I went out of work for a while. And now I'm taking it easy, because I'm still not in what I would call a full remission, so I just work 15-20 hours a week. And then once school starts, I'll probably just concentrate on school work.
 
I work 30 hours a week. 7.5 hrs a day, Monday to Thursday. I used to work 5 days but I don't think I could go back to that right now. Feel so awful at the moment it is a struggle to work the 4 days.
 
i do pretty much 40 hrs every week, with the occasional 1-2 hours overtime. I work at a paint and solvent company making and filling batches. I hate this job so much, but it has health insurance, so for now nothing I can do. Really trying to get back into school to finish my degree. Nothing like a shitty job to get you motivated.
 
I am on disability right now. Not well enough to work. when I was working it was around 60-70 hour weeks and full time school. When I graduated I put in more hours and then started to go downhill again. (blockage, and hospital stays from flare ups) Too many hours each week continuously got me sick.
 
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Im a nursery nurse but due to my consultant behind a idiot and not giving me any medication, there is no way i can go back atm coz i cant keep on rushing to the toilet every couple of mins. Plus with another medical problem - Selective Eating Disorder, it makes lunch times very hard as i cant eat a lot, but i am getting help for it.
 
I work about 40 hours a week, if you can call it work. I spend most of my day online. I have never had to cut back on work because of Crohns. I have been lucky there and my company gives a ton of sick days. Lucky again.
 
Unless we're on a movie shoot or working a haunted venue I don't work outside the home, but I work all day in it. I'm a writer, soon to be novelist, and am Mr Mom. If I'm not writing I'm cleaning or taking care of our daughter.
 
Between my network admin. job and the advertising work I do for my dad, I get in 40-50 hours a week. I don't think raw hours though are the driving problem though as far as crohns is concerened. Stress however is another story.

I have an "uncooperative" server at work holding up a major project right now and we are also expecting a new addition to our family, so right now my stress levels are way to high ... Unfortunatly i'm having problems figuring out how to get them back down as there are only 24 hours in a day and evreything just seems to snowball ... Stress almost always leads me to a flare ... i'm so excited ....
 
I work 40+ hrs at my job. And on occasion I will work with my oldest son doing roofing jobs on the weekends. If things are flaring up it becomes 20 to 40 hrs no weekends. This week it was only 20 hrs and it had nothing to do with CD. Well sorta, I have a bit of a bad cold/ flu. Damn immune system.
 
I work 3 12 hour shifts a week. It has been hard lately because I am flared-up and it's difficult to have time to go to the bathroom at work. And 12 hours is such a long time. I am a nurse at a hospital, but am thinking of changing to home health care so I don't work such long hours.
 
I typically work between 40-45 hours. I'm an accountant and I have great bosses who don't seem bothered by the number of bathroom trips as long as my work gets done.
 
sometimes i can work 60 hours plus in a week, and i have a very physical job as a porter for a removal firm which at the moment is proving very difficult, and ive just had to go back on the sick for 2 weeks due to joiint pain and various other things.

i think a new job is needed really but every job i apply for i just get knocked back!
 
I have been off for 6 months now. I am getting ready to reenter the workforce and found this poll and discussion reassuring.

I am thinking of starting out part time in sales/service like a Home Renovations store or such and seeing how it goes. I was working 50-60 hour weeks as the Greenskeeper for a smaller private owned course. Was a fun job for a couple of years until I got sick. I don't know if I can go back to that level of responsibility. Somedays I am limping around so I can hardly walk. Others I fell like my guts have been pulled out and stuffed back in (not surprising) Then I might feel great for a week or two. Maybe the imuran will make that better?

Anyway I will vote zero now but am working to change that to around 20 hours in the next month.
 
I should probably update this by saying I did get a new job a few months back which was 16 hours a week minimum however it didn't work out so back to no job and 0 hours now!
 
I was working 40 hours a week as an office administrator until my current flare. I got fired while I was in the hospital. I applied for unemployment, but can't collect it until I'm considered able to work, which will hopefully be next week. Then I start job hunting. I'm hoping to find something part time or a work from home data entry job.
 
I work 23 hours a week, and have done for a few years now. I would work
more hours if they were available! I work in a school and unfortunately budget cuts meant that my hours were reduced, and there are very few full time jobs in the sector. At one point I had a second job, but with travelling and fitting the hours in it was just too much hassle for not enough money! But now I am grateful for the short hours I work as I get very tired.
 
Warrior09 said:
I work about 35 hours a week and also a full time student on the side. I'd say that makes me work 24/7 haha
Click to expand...

On the side? :yfaint:You're my hero.

I was doing 35-45 hours/week at the research job, which ended in mid-April. I developed Crohn's during my year at that job, which made it very difficult -- and impossible to do some aspects of the job, such as collecting data. You can't sit down with someone for a 90 minute interview when you are throwing up every 10.
Have opted to take the summer off of work in order to (1) deal with Crohn's and (2) try to get back into shape after being a puddle of goo for the past year (hmmm, severe anemia, anyone?). I have no idea how it worked out that I could take this time off and am counting my blessings.
For the fall and winter, I've opted for two teaching contracts (total of 3 courses/semester). This decision will give me a more flexible schedule. As long as I show up for lecture, I can do everything else from home. Will be pinching my pennies, but one of the schools has graciously agreed to give me health benefits, for which I am VERY grateful.
And then...back on the job market for next spring.
 
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Work is interesting...

I work for a major cable company putting in 40+ hours per week. Currently, I have been off on disability for almost three weeks. Normally, I work without too many issues but this flare has taken the better part out of me. Since being DXed last year, I have not felt great since or even good but I am pretty much able to work a full schedule. I have great health insurance so that is not a concern and if it becomes necessary I can join what we call the virtual team and work from home assisting customers on the phone. That's not what I am looking forward to being as I am an outdoor kinda guy but if that is what it takes to keep my family in food and housing then so be it.
 
I work ~30- 40hrs/week as a doctor (part time) + look after my 2 yr old. Thats when I'm not in hospital....
 
I work as a designer/sales at a sign company, 40 hrs a week. I also started my own business last year, which was easy about 20 hours a week inc weekends, but I put that on hold. Now I'm just at 40 hours full time, but I'm looking for another part-time job, or maybe starting another venture!:)
 
I work a 37.5 hour work week normally, as long as there are no disasters....I've done as much as 60-80 hour weeks way back when.....
 
Right now I am working 20 hours part-time as a customer service rep for a media company, but am currently searching for full-time work as a new grad LPN :)
 
I work 9-5 as a secretary, including overtime I work 40+ hours. I am a student at the Open University and a full time mom at home (two kids age 7 and 10 both girls)
 
it was 40+ until my employers put me on reduced hours to sort out my health. now it's 16, no more than that, because I'll get in trouble.
 
I do a standard 37.5 hour week plus an few extra hours of time-in-lieu if I feel up to it. I like having the extra time on hand in case I have to come in late or leave early on a bad day. I work in IT support for a government department. It's the best job a Crohnie could ask for, I love it.
 
I work 40 hrs/week in an office. I am a Sales Rep for a large young plant producer. (Seeded Plug trays and Rooted Cuttings). Love my job! I talk to people all over North America every day.
 
I work 40 hours a week, but drive 1.5 hrs one way total of 600 miles a week. The job is great, but the drive is a killer. Sometimes I get soooooo sleepy driving. Im a Administrative Assistant for a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon. I also work with international visitors who come to train. So far my employer is very understaning. But then again I have it easy compared to the kids that come to the hospital. Have you ever seen a 2 yr old child with a walker and prosthetic legs. Or children born without all thier limbs. I feel lucky!!!
 
Right now I'm not working as I've been in a pretty bad flare. They just told me to call when I'm ready to go back which is wonderful. But when I do work i'll probably do about 30-40 hrs depending on how I'm feeling.
 
I work 40+ hours a week, but luckily from home, so no fear of the much needed jump and run to the bathroom a gazillion times a day. I am very fortunate that my flares haven't disrupted work too much because of my work setup.
 
I don't work outside of the home. But I do volunteer for our landlord and post things up for him on the internet for people to buy his stuff. And I also baby sit whenever someone is like "I need someone to watch ____" lol, sometimes I don't even give them the chance to say that. because kids seem to spark up so much new-ness and excitement through my usual daily routine that i welcome it.
 
I work 37.5 hrs/ week as an Xray tech...sometimes pick up extra if I feel okay...just actually getting back to fulltime the last few months...
 
Our standard workweek is 35 hours, but I am at the office closer to 40, with the odd evening meeting thrown in (about once per month). Although back when I was working as a consultant there were some weeks when it was closer to 50 hours/week.
 
I would say that I work over 40 hours a week. Teaching is a 40 hour a week job, plus I spend extra hours grading papers, preparing for the week, then taking care of my kids and home. I look forward to the summer, I can relax a little.
 
Up until about a month ago, I worked between 20-30 hours. For the last month I have been covering for someone else so my hours have increased dramatically to about 45. I am really hoping this is temporary!
 
I work 26 hrs a week in an isolation unit in a secondary school and then 9 hrs a week as a youth worker in youth clubs!
 
I have been working 40 hrs a week, but work are having a serious look at whether I am physically well enough to do my job (LD nurse)
 
I work about 80 houres a week (14 houres a day from monday to saturday)
I work at night as a security officer in coorporation with federal police.
It's a hard lifestyle but like it's stands bellow,'I work to live, I don't live to work'
 
I don't work right now. I'm a stay at home mom/college student.

I definitely plan to work when I'm done with school though.
 
I have contracted hours of 20 per week in my current job, which is web design work.

I have previously tried and failed to increase that to 30 hours per week. I managed for about a month but just end up ill and off sick.

I am now down to 16 hours per week, but currently I am not sure if I can even sustain that.

The odd thing is that as far as the Crohns goes I have never been better since diagnosis. I am on Infliximab and Azathioprine and have been for about 3 years now. My bloods are consistently good month after month and my check up endoscopy showed no active inflammation, just scar tissue.

What really gets me though is tiredness. It is almost like having chronic fatigue I guess. I get so tired so quickly that sometimes I can hardly get through the working day, even though I am only in for 4 hours, 4 times a week.

It is not consistent though, as some days I can feel really fit and energetic.

Is this fatigue common, even with relatively non-active disease? I am wondering if it is a side effective of the meds, although as I say my bloods are always fine.
 
I work full time - 37.5 hours per week- as a Medical Laboratory Technologist in Histology - the department where all the colon biopsies go to be processed. For the last 7 months it has been rare that I have worked the full week - mostly I manage about 4 days. I work shift so that adds to the issues. I have recently started entocort and have managed a couple of full weeks. Fortunaltely I have a good employer and sick time has not been a problem - its fully paid. I also took a couple of weeks of short term disability in June to deal with getting very run down as I wasn't sleeping due to the pain issues. If I could afford to go part-time I would.
 

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