No! Please don't start flaring!

[teeny5]

OK, so I am in the bathroom for the third time in two hours. Sucks! Felt aweful today and it isn't going away. I haven't eaten anything out of the ordinary. What could this be? Please tell me I am not going into a flare.

Lately I have been feeling generally run down with intestinal pain here and there. At times I can feel a small sausage in my stomach (I know some will know what I am talking about.) Nothing major though. Just chalked it up to working to much. As many of you know I started some websites and am working to quit my day job. I just gave my notice at work but it is amid an extremely tough week. I will be working ten days straight! Today is only day five. How am I going to make it through five more?

Tips? Suggestions? I agreed to stay with the company till May fifteenth. I am relieved that I have a quit date but don't know how I am going to last. They know part of me quitting is my health but I don't want to seem like I am milking it or something. I like my job but just can't handle it anymore. It is too physical and the hours are way too much.

How would you cope and keep yourself from flaring? Should I go on a liquid diet to try to keep my guts from getting too angry? I know I am starting to look pale again. I have tried to hide it with make up but the regional manager told me she could tell I wasn't feeling well. Ugh!

One more thing...I have been getting really achey lately. Like stiff in the mornings first of all. But, also like my muscles are tender all the time. My lower bag seems to hurt no matter what. Should I just assume that it is the Crohn's? Could it be something else?

Sorry so many questions. Kinda freaking out!

 

[Entchen]

Teeny5, so sorry to hear you're feeling unwell!

Re. getting through five more days, my (now former) workplace's health and wellness rep advised that a good way to look at balancing work and health is to (1) make taking care of yourself your priority, and (2) use your good judgement to decide when you should be at work. For example, maybe use the liquid diet to get through a day filled with important meetings, or go to work in the morning to handle necessary tasks, but go home for the afternoon.

I understand about not wanting to look like you're milking it, because I was just laid off and I tried extra hard not to miss work during my last week on the job. It's a tough balance! If a manager has commented on you looking unwell, then it's less likely your workplace will think you are malingering to get some unpaid days off at the end of your contract.

Feel better soon.

 

[pcbgirl227]

Hi teeny5! Hope you feel better! I would try to load up on probiotics to see if it can help your gut calm down, stay hydrated, and make sure of course to avoid any foods that even slightly affect you. I know it is hard but try not to push yourself to far that you do wind up with a extreme flare-up. Good Luck!!!

 

[Astra]

Hi Teeny

take it easy hun, you're stressin!
I was soooo stressed out after Xmas (divorce, moved house etc) that I went into a major flare and one of the first symptoms that I got was really bad pain in lower back. I put it down to moving furniture etc into new house, but then it got worse.
keep your eye on the lower back pain, cos I ended up in hospital with a blockage.
My gastro said its a sure sign of a major flare up!
take care, and if it gets any worse or you start vomiting, go to A&E
Joan xxx

 

[woops!]

I dont know what you work at, but i feel your pain.
Before I took this job i was an ICU nurse. I would work 4 to 5 12hr shfits in a row. Don't get me wrong I loved it, but the stress on my body was unreal. I finaly just had to tell them my limits. I know you are working alot of days in a row, but is it realy worth it to get sick? It seems that your manager has noticed you not feeling well. Id say if you need a day off, then take one. Better to take one day off now that spend alot of days feeling bad

 

[teeny5]

Thanks everyone! I am not going as much but not eating as much either. Body is totally achy still. Worked 7 hours yesterday but 9 today. Tomorrow will probably be a 10 hour day. Ahhhh...the benefits of being paid salary. Oh well, my day off will be Thursday. Going to work on my websites then. I asked my boss for some extra days off so I should only work 4 days a week till my end date. That should help. The other annoying thing that started up again is nausea when eating. Not sure what that's about. Just got to not eat too much or it comes back out!

I'll keep you all updated. For now watching Superbad to lift my spirits!

 

[LadyVik]

So sorry your feeling unwell, I'm currently in a flare, but fingers crossed I'm coming out of it. I'm currently unemployed, and even though it's awful, I do thank the Lord I don't have the stress's of a job, the amount I flare a year would probably double! At the beguinning of the year I went through some stress of trying for a baby, then split with the ex fiance, then found out he got someone else pregnant, moved house and then had a flare, so I can sort of relate with some stress, but I got out of that flare only to roll into another unexpectedly after 3 months of blissful happiness so I would go with the liquid diet, ginger for nausea (I swear by it and will tell everyone and anyone about it LOL). For achey joints, I recently tried some Ibrubrofen (can't spell it) gel, it's basically like paracetamol in a gel and does work quite well for the joints, your in America though, so I don't know what the equivalent would be?? Some days when I have a lot to do (e.g Hospital appointments, doctors appointments etc..) I will prepare the day before, by eating something liquid but with a lot of vitamins and minerals etc.. to build myself up, maybe a soup or broth.., and then on the day cram as much medication as I can in myself to make sure I don't have any accidents and not eat as much (obvious one) and slather myself in gel and sometimes I almost feel human! Good luck.

 

[teeny5]

Update: So I totally got pissed when I found out I would have to work 11days in a row now. Stupid! Today as day 9 and I am exhausted. Been taking it easy at work but felt nauseous this morning, then just icky by noon. Had a ton of meetings with people today so it wasn't a physical day but still tiring. Two more days then I get 3 days off. The next two days will be super physical too. Huge deliveries which means me running around like a crazy for 6 hours of the day. My last day is 3 weeks away and now I just hope I can make it that long.