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Time to get moving

It's time for me to start living my life!

I've let this disease rule my life. The year I was diagnosed the school failed me because I had too many absent days (even though I did enough work to pass some of my courses). They said the rules were different if I was homeschooled, so next the next year I didn't go to school, I stayed home to do it instead. I had little motivation, and with nobody standing over my shoulder, my work didn't get done. I tried going back to school a few times after that, but always quit in the end. I never finished high school.

I just let every thing wash over me. I went through a period of apathy in my late teens. I stopped taking my meds, not because I didn't want to take them, but because I just didn't care enough to do it.

I was waiting to start my life when I got well enough to do it. I've realized that I'll have to adjust my vision of what "well enough" is. I had surgery earlier this year, and I did feel ok for a while, but now things are getting worse again. I have D all the time, and a couple of weeks ago I had what felt like a flare up. I don't know if it's back already or not, but it sure feels like it. I'm 23, it's well past time for me to move out and do something!

I passed the GED test in September(Timed tests suck when you spend a good bit of the time in the bathroom). I want to go to University now, but I'm aprehensive about it. I'm used to being alone, I'm really anxious in a classroom setting. I think it would be best if I start as part time student. In the past I've taken an all or nothing approach to things that hasn't worked very well. I don't really know how to swing it financially either, I don't think I'm well enough to work and go to school at the same time. I think I've been a bit too slow to get going too, it's probably too late to get in on the winter semester at University, so I might need to wait 'till summer. I can't spend the better part of the year doing nothing again, I'm letting life slip away!
 
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Kev

Senior Member
Well, Wiles... I think you're being a little hard on yourself. A diagnosis like this can cause anyone to go adrift for a while. And it can be pretty hard to get back on course if one hasn't really decided on where one wants to go in life. College isn't for everybody... Don't commit to it unless you see someplace that you want to go that requires it. I mean, have you envisioned what you'd like to do in your life? Or what your disease will let you do? Need to give that thought. I have gone thru any number of colleges/universities. Always graduated, even made honors list... sort of fell into a career that lasted 20 years and paid VERY well... although I never passionately loved my work, and it caused me lots of stress over the years (perhaps not the best idea for someone prone to crohns)
When I got REALLY sick, one of the first things that happened was my 'career' ended. So, did all of those university/college sheepskins do me any real good?
Guess I could wallpaper the bathroom with them. at least they'd be 'useful'. I'm at a different stage of life... you have plenty of time. you are only 23. life is like a footrace... more of a long distance marathon versus a short, 100 yard dash.

Relax. Cut yourself some slack. Just because you let a little time slip by, don't jump on board the next ship to leave the dock bound for just 'anywhere'. Take the time to pick where you want to go, don't set any artificial deadlines on how fast you need to get there, pick a reasonable pace you N your IBD can live with

That's just some free advice from an old fart. Member, you get what you pay for
 
Thanks Kev.

I guess I feel a bit hurried, partly from my desire to get the hell out of here, and partly due to well meaning people constantly telling me what I should be doing.

I'm not aiming for a career at this point in time. I think I'd rather to try to follow one of my life's dreams for a bit, see how that goes. I have always wanted to be a writer, and I've wanted to go to University. In the end it probably won't be the most practical road to take, but I'm going to take a shot anyway.

I've often wondered what Crohn's friendly employment is out there. I can't imagine a place where bosses don't mind employees spending a good part of the day stinking up their bathrooms.
 
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