What Career/Job Do You Have?

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I am also considering a career change. I am a mental health case manager and I work in the community, so bathroom breaks are a bit of an issue. Also, the stress is high. Last week, a client became physically violent and I realized that I am probably not physically capable of this position anymore.

I'm thinking I would like to work at an animal shelter or library.
 
I am a psychotherapist, and I have several job roles. Up until the flare that lead the diagnosis, I was working 7 days a week at 4 jobs.

I was hoping to be able to sustain that just one more year (until youngest graduates high school) but I need days off to be a party in my own wellness.

I submitted a reduced contract request for my weekday/school job. It will allow me to be off many Mondays, work 7:30 to 1:30 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at the school job, see private clients 2:00 to evening, have Friday off.

I work full time on the weekends at a psychiatric emergency room. It's a killer shift: 6:45 a.m to 11:15 p.m. Sat and Sun. But this is the job with "benefits" such as 403(b), pension (vested at 5 years), long term and short term disability and a good medical plan. I took FMLA for the 2 weekends following my hospital stay and utilized some of my short term disability benefits. I need to keep that job.

My 4th job is checking the work of other practitioners for a substance abuse company. I can do this online, and it takes 4-5 hours on my schedule a week.
 
katiesue230 said:
I am also considering a career change. I am a mental health case manager and I work in the community, so bathroom breaks are a bit of an issue. Also, the stress is high. Last week, a client became physically violent and I realized that I am probably not physically capable of this position anymore.

I'm thinking I would like to work at an animal shelter or library.
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I work at an animal shelter and while it can be rewarding, the stress is very very high (which is why I'm currently trying to get out of it)
 
Holy moly, thats a lot of jobs. How did you get started with the substance abuse company, if you don't mind me asking? Sounds interesting...

EmbraceJoy said:
I am a psychotherapist, and I have several job roles. Up until the flare that lead the diagnosis, I was working 7 days a week at 4 jobs.

I was hoping to be able to sustain that just one more year (until youngest graduates high school) but I need days off to be a party in my own wellness.

I submitted a reduced contract request for my weekday/school job. It will allow me to be off many Mondays, work 7:30 to 1:30 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at the school job, see private clients 2:00 to evening, have Friday off.

I work full time on the weekends at a psychiatric emergency room. It's a killer shift: 6:45 a.m to 11:15 p.m. Sat and Sun. But this is the job with "benefits" such as 403(b), pension (vested at 5 years), long term and short term disability and a good medical plan. I took FMLA for the 2 weekends following my hospital stay and utilized some of my short term disability benefits. I need to keep that job.

My 4th job is checking the work of other practitioners for a substance abuse company. I can do this online, and it takes 4-5 hours on my schedule a week.
Click to expand...
 
Cronnie1975 said:
Hi,
I am a Police Officer, when I have a flare up it does make the job diffilcult. However my Police Force are very understanding, and let me take time off without any issues.




The biggest problem I have is if I am a passenger in the police car, I then get severe travel sickness which sometimes causes my Crohns to go berserk!

So I generally try and drive all the time, although this is not always possible.

Other than that I manage quite well.
Click to expand...

So it's possible then? To become a police officer? I was gutted when I was told I wouldn't be able to join the navy, The next best thing for me was the police force, When I found out that I might not be able to join the force I'll admit, I did shed a few tears....You've gave me Hope
 
I'm retired military (25 years in the Air Force) where I was a computer operator, computer programmer and then personnel officer for the last 10 years of it. After I retired I went back to what I love: programming computers, although I still haven't fully figured out what I want to do if/when I grow up. I was misdiagnosed with UC back in 2006, and didn't get my Crohn's diagnosis until last year after I'd been retired from the military for over a year.

The Crohn's may end up forcing a career change, simply because of access to medical care where I live in Southeast Ohio, especially if I end up needing to switch to Remicade and need to get infusions and hour-and-a-half away.
 
I work as a staffing coordinator for a retirement community. I love my job - it's a desk job - but it can be stressful at times, especially when you have call-offs and no replacement can be found. I just graduated with my Bachelor degree in December and got the job right before I graduated, so I've been here 6.5 months. I'm hoping to go back for my Master's in a year or two and take the ALF Administrator exam. My goal is to be an ALF administrator. :)
 
I am an office manager at a Boating Marina and Mobile home park. We rent out covered boat slips for boats up to 40 feet. We have 50 mobile home sites, it is a family business and luckily I have a co worker who is the harbor master in charge of most of the physical side of things. I run to the gas dock and launch ramp to take folks money and pump gas in between doing all the office work, payroll, administrative paperwork.

Also it is a sales type job too, renting out to new customers, meeting new people all the time, and dealing with folks personalities day to day.

Recently for the first time I have been missing work for a week and a half mostly due to extreme fatigue, low iron feeling. I have been losing weight, hope to go back tomorrow. I have just started the load of tests for what I am assuming is some form of IBD. I have dealt with GI problems my whole life, misdiagnosed Celiacs for first 9 years of life after near death 6 week hospitilization at 9 months old, 3 endoscopies at young age which GI Dr said Gerd. Was pretty well symptom-free until 4-5 years ago or so. Not severe symptoms anyway.

Love my job though and hope to not feel so weak before my colonoscopy/endoscopy and be able to work again.
 
Hey all, I work for Anthem health insurance. More specifically their NY BCBS plan. I would suggest healthcare as a good way to go, if you work for any of the major insurers there are usually generous time off and insurance policies. Plus with a documented chronic illness working half time remote is great and most insurance companies offer this as well!:D
 
I work as a special education teacher often 1 on 1 with students that need complete supervision. I don't have the ability to just leave students to go to the washroom if need be so I often have to take days off when my body is not cooperating.

Very frustrating.

I've already had to contemplate whether this job is something I'll be able to do
 
Well, I'm employed by a segment of the Department of Defense for almost 21 years. My job is Customer Service and Quality Assurance Training Specialist. Basically I'm a corporate trainer. Notice I did not say I was working. The last day I worked was January 16, 2016.
Personally I don't know how I made it through 2015. Just sheer willpower I suppose. I missed a ton of work in 2015 (I was diagnosed with Crohn's in December 2014) which my supervisors were not happy about. I was conducting 2-3 week long classes and we didn't really have extra trainers to cover for me if I had to be out.
I really thought I would get better after my doctor started me on TPN. My weight is stable, hospitalizations have decreased but I just don't have the energy or stamina to even work part-time.
I've filed for SS disability and will have to take early retirement at my work. I'm only 58 and never expected to be in this situation.
 
I need to update my career! Our family had a big move to Hawaii (to be closer to family) , and my husband works full time and now I work 2 jobs just to make ends meet. My first job is a dog trainer, where we do private lessons in people's homes. My second job for extra income is cleaning dog kennels for the military. I've been in remission so far, but I'm just hoping I stay in remission with all the added stress! :yfaint:
 
Hey, im a tattooer/tattoo artist whatever you wanna call it, doctors say i'll have arthritis for sure as well, and i got crohns, when flares are too strong i stay home so it heals fast. But working so much hours sittings are tough for my fistula. Hoping for it to get well soon.now almost 1 month home with a flare. And going crazy. Lucky for me i got flexible hours and i can control my agenda. But i cant imagine doing anything different in any sort of future so. Maybe ill work hard enough today to have a bussiness when my arthritis hits, and save myself to tattoo only some friends or so. I do handpoke tattoos as well, takes more time, but its lighter on the body.

Maybe thats what you get when your names arthur! Arthritis! Haha.

I'll think of that when the time comes. Won't lose my dream, that i fought too much to achieve over a couple of diseases! Just gotta adapt and over come!

Enviado do meu ALE-L21 através de Tapatalk
 
I work as a help desk analyst. The stress of the job doesn't help but my managers have always been very supportive about me taking time off and taking breaks.
 
I work as an unqualified professional in Occupational Therapy. Until I was hospitalised in April I was working in this job (assessments and interventions in peoples' homes) and studying for a degree in OT. I've been on sick leave since April with flares and then surgery in August, but am hoping to go back to work on a phased return from next Tuesday. No idea what's happening about my degree. Really hoping to be able to continue it, but unless there is a significant improvement in health, am not sure it will be possible.
 
Mister FiveOh and I both work for a couple various professions in the public safety field. (It's pretty obvious which is the main one from our username, haha) He has the Crohn's and is semi-retired. I have IBD and Celiacs as well as a couple non-GI health challenges and am just getting my foot in the door in the field.

Mister Five wants to come out of semi-retirement, he loves the profession too much. It's definitely set to be quite the battle though (we can only pray for an uphill one). I'm just trying to stay healthy enough to help out Mister Five while pushing towards getting ahead in my own career.

Happy trails,

~The FiveOh's
 
Nurse 👩🏼⚕️& I love it! I work different areas in my hospital, ICU, ER & PACU! Pretty much all critical care.
The pros - I see my GI on a regular daily basis so I get to ask random questions if I need too. I get my blood work done pretty easy, usually by a co- worker and I can drop it off at lab. Pharmacy helps me with those meds that my insurance always gives me issues with ( humira, Stelara). I work with folks who all have a good understanding and are great when it comes to crohns.
The cons - it's 12 hrs on my feet, I get tired easy, and I can not always get to the bathroom. Not because my employer won't let me, but I can't tell a patient who is not breathing that I will be back in a few min..... so adult diapers are the norm. Staying hydrated can be tough as we can not keep water in patient care areas so I have to go to break room to drink & in some departments that's far away.
As I'm on immunosuppressive meds, I catch everything... flu, c- diff 3 times. Rough!!
 
TommyBones said:
Hi all,
I work at a water treatment facility, taking the muddy Mississippi & making it drinkable. I've worked around lime dust, carbon dust, chlorine, phosphate dust, aluminum dust, etc going on 9 years. Could this have caused my Crohns.. Not gonna dwell on it at this point. It allows me to pay the medical bills, plus I work alone, so the uncomfortable waddle to the loo isn't an issue for me, thankfully. But taking sick time means someone has to work 16 hours so I try to stay strong on my sickest days & tough it out, but sometimes we all just need a day in bed.. Things could always be worse so I'm just fortunate I can still work for the time being.
Cheers and good luck to you all.
Click to expand...

I'd be more suspicious that the etiology of your of your CD is MAP, mycobacterium avian subspecies paratuberculosum. Check out the videos of Professor John Hermon-Taylor from U.K. He even cultures the buildup at the entry of a water tx facility and finds MAP.
 
ducky said:
I work in administration. I have a lot of responsibility, work long hours and have to meet multiple deadlines. When I'm feeling well, I enjoy the challenge and do a great job. When I'm having a flare up, the fatigue makes it much harder the keep all the balls in the air. I make errors I normally wouldn't and then I feel depressed about it. like I've lost my skill level.
I've been wondering about changing careers to something simpler. It's hard to let go but it might be better for me in the long run.

Can anyone else identify with the loss of ability, skills etc ?
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Weeeeelll, research and reality are replete with Cognitive Impairment in CD, so it may behoove you to retrain in something easier and less stressful sooner than later. I had a highly successful Chiropractic and Acupuncture Clinic but had to retire at 50yo. I think that if I had gotten the PhD in Econ.....I would still be working.
 
sleepallday said:
I am a Zookeeper who specializes in Primates. I also work in the Zoos' Education Department running tours for school groups and for our guest camp outs.
It is very physically and mentally demanding, especially considering our Zoo is located on a steep hill.. Some days I literally feel like I am about to collapse or might need to crawl but I've always loved a fight with myself. It's probably not smart but I'm the type that will keep going until I literally do end up passed out in a heap of ape poo.

I have also just applied to university to study a Bachelor of Nursing to become a RN.
Do any RNs have any advice on how they handle the work load and stress?
Click to expand...


OH...so you are Chief of Staff of the Obama White House...just kidding. I was a DC/Acupuncturist that treated bunches of RNs and the ones with IBS/IBD/CD/UC did not fare too well. May I suggest that you find a DC or DPM that can fit you with a set of semirigid functional orthotics which would give you much more spring in your step and reduce fatigue. Presently you are dealing with patients THAT CANT COMPLAIN....YOU ARE MOST FORTUNATE!!!

Cheers
 
I am a telemetry technition at a hospital (diagnosing heart rhythms, you know :) ) I work three 12's per week, which makes me full time. I also am certified as a phlebotomist and a patient care technition, so sometimes I float up to a floor to fill in.

Telemetry is awesome for people with chronic issues/IBD because you are sitting 98% of the time. My station is located in the ER where there is a bathroom on every corner, so I'm good there. As long as I'm well enough to drive to work, my gut issues don't really interfere too much with my job.

I also love the techinical aspects, such as heart anatomy and electrophysiology (having been placed on a heart monitor in the hospital before, I found this extremely fascinating).

My boss is awesome. Not only is she a RN manager, but she has a doughter with Colitis (we both got weirdly excited when we discovered this).

My class to attain a national certification in EKG took 2 weeks (the was an accelerated course though--community colleges offer it over the course of a full semester).

I love the medical field, and I'm planning to move on with my schooling in that direction.
 
I'm a behavior analyst who works with kids with autism. I've worked with all age ranges of people with disabilities from 4-45 years of age. I currently work with 5-8yr olds and its a very physical job. They frequently exhibit challenging behavior such as hitting, kicking, pinching, and biting -- not fun when your organs are all swollen and you are trying to remain calm and neutral. Sometimes they throw huge tantrums and just flop on the floor screaming and refuse to move so we have to pick them up -- not fun when you have a headache and are fatigued and feeling dizzy.

Even when they are being perfect angels its hard because you have to have pretty high energy to keep their attention and focus.

With being on immunosuppressants I worry about catching all their colds.

ideally, I will be switching to a consulting position so I can make my weekly schedule myself. This will allow me to schedule small break between clients and around infusion days (such working 4 longer days rather than 5 normal days those weeks). This will also require less direct-care of the children and more parent-training/supervision.

Hopefully I can continue in this field as I LOVE it but its just very hard with my current health situation. Long term I hope to have a more supervisory position or even administrative work within the same field (ie desk job).
 
I am a shift worker that is always out and about. Its my dream job and could never quit, but you learn really fast where all the bathrooms are and which places are open 24 hours :)
 
I'm an auto damage appraiser. My work is not physically demanding but can be stressful when we're super busy. I love my job and wouldn't trade for any other.
 
I have Celiac, Crohns, Arthritis, Endometriosis....etc.
I am currently an Assistant Nurse Manager, working mon through fri. I run all over the hospital and it is a stressful job. I find it difficult to make it through my days and extremely exhausted. It is hard to be a Nurse/Manager and take care of everyone else when I cannot even take care of myself. I am not sure what else career wise I can jump into. Some days I am beyond frustrated and have a meltdown. I was in the Army and suffer with disabilities from that as well. I am glad I found this forum, now I don't have to feel alone. hugs to all.
 
MadDrJeckel said:
OH...so you are Chief of Staff of the Obama White House...just kidding. I was a DC/Acupuncturist that treated bunches of RNs and the ones with IBS/IBD/CD/UC did not fare too well. May I suggest that you find a DC or DPM that can fit you with a set of semirigid functional orthotics which would give you much more spring in your step and reduce fatigue. Presently you are dealing with patients THAT CANT COMPLAIN....YOU ARE MOST FORTUNATE!!!

Cheers
Click to expand...

I am appalled to find racist political commentary in a forum where I am seeking help for a debilitating illness. Unbelievable.
 
I work in IT as well. There are well maintained bathrooms on every floor if I need to use them. Desk jobs are great for me!
 
I am an EMT and almost finished with paramedic school. Not currently working because of new crohns diagnosis. Dream job is working as a Paramedic in London.
 
I work in public relations in an agency setting. PR is great because it is a part of every kind of business and you can really find a niche, even if you worked in a PR department at a firm that specialized in what your major originally was.

Everyone in this profession is super friendly, understanding and open. Since open communication is the premise of the field, communicating with my coworkers, bosses, etc. when I don't feel well, need to work from home, or am having a bad day has been extraordinarily easy.
 
I'm an RN that works on a busy medical-surgical unit. Ironically enough, I take care of people diagnosed with IBD everyday.

I'm planning to get my Master's degree in nursing soon so I can teach or take up a non-bedside job if things with my health continue to get worse.
 
the only job I've had that works for me is my desk job. I love it. I also have flexibility to use the bathroom when I need to. I used to be a server in college, and there is NO way that would fly with my body now. I have very bad exhaustion and get aches and pains regularly. So a desk job works well for me.

My advice to see assess what your body can handle (we are all different!)
Some people like the exercise to help them with symptoms, some people need a more relaxed atmosphere.
 
I work in a fairly stressful job in customer service. Stress is the WORST thing for UC. However, I take adaptogen herbs and they help me to stay calm, and keep flares to a minimum. I have only been at my most recent job for six months, and they don't know I have UC. The last company I worked for suggested I keep quite about it - and I have.
 
I work in fashion, it's pretty stressful but my boss is understanding and let's me work from home when I'm in a flare :)
 
MaryCherub said:
However, I take adaptogen herbs and they help me to stay calm, and keep flares to a minimum.
Click to expand...

May I ask which herbs you use? I have found Ashwagandha to help out somewhat, it lessens some of the stress at work.

Oh and also, to answer your post question, I work as a security officer. Very stressful most days.

Cheers
 

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