Anyone find it hard to work fulltime???

Hey all...just wondering if anyone finds it difficult to maitain a fulltime job? I work as an XRay tech & do lots of shift work...every 3 weeks we do a 7 day rotation...even on regular 5 day stretch, by day 3 I am wiped!!!! I do take vitamins & stick to a specific diet, but no matter what I do I am totally exhausted...I also try to force myself to work out to feel better, but some days I am draggy...anyone else find this? If so, what do you do to help ya get out of the tired slumped? Thanks for any advice!!! :ybatty:

I work a normal M-F, 8-5 job. It's not manual work at all (sitting at a computer all day), but by Friday, I'm wiped. In fact, I'm leaving 2 hours early today because I'm just so exhausted. I've dealt with a lot of pain this week and it really wears me down. Oh, and I drink a Red Bull every day at 2pm to get me through the afternoon.

I now work 4 days a week. I was off work for 8 months and when I returned occupational health suggested I have Wednesdays off. It works fantastically as I know I can always manage two days work no matter how exhausted I'm feeling.
I teach 3-4 year olds so my job is quite hectic!
I've recently started doing more exercise and do find it really helps me and gives me more energy after I have done it. Sometimes I have to really force myself to do it but I know it'll help. Hole you get into that stride soon

I think over the years I've found that my energy ebbs and flows. Last week when I went off 6mp..my energy picked up again. IBD nurse said try it again, down the energy goes again! Put me on pred and I'll bounce off the walls and work 24/7!

Look for the spoon theory. We do have to manage ourselves very well with this crap disease....pardon the pun.

Yes, I work a full time job, and if I didnt I wouldnt eat or have a roof over my head. So plow on I will, so help me. But I'm learning to pace myself alot more. And I'm not happy about it!

It is hard, but I do work full time. Generally, I leave home at 7.15am and I am back about 6.45pm, 5 days a week. My job mostly involves working at a computer or talking to groups of people in meetings. I have good and bad day and there are many occasions when I need to just coast through the day and survive.

I'm a Learning Assistant at a High School so I'm on my feet all day. It's so exhausting, find myself having to come home and have a sleep before getting dinner ready. Thank goodness for school holidays!

I quit my job completely, I found that I couldn't handle it all I have a husband and two children to take care of also. I did push myself and struggle through for years so yes it is possible to do, but like the spoon theory says you have to find a balance, and I found myself taking time away from my family so that I could work. I decided to not work and give them my time. Still a struggle some days because I know the sacrifice I made, but if I have to give up something to gain something I made the right choice.

Back when I was pregnant I was working 40 hours a week. It was hard, but i always like staying busy. It keeps my mind off of feeling quite so shitty. After the baby was born.. there's no way I can work full time. i probably could if i really tried. But i'm so tired all of the time taking care of her and trying to work full time. I work about 30 hours a week now, 3 10 hour days, and it is still exhausting, but i like having a job as opposed to staying at home all of the time.

I am working full time - with lots of sick time sometimes 1-2 days per week. I am considering going off on longterm disability(if I could get it) because I am having such a hard time.

kllyeve said:

I am working full time - with lots of sick time sometimes 1-2 days per week. I am considering going off on longterm disability(if I could get it) because I am having such a hard time.

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Ugh I feel exactly the same right now. When I think about taking the long term leave I feel silly... Then I remember exactly what is going to happen if I don't take the time and get myself better. Its such a mental struggle. I plan to talk to my doc about it soon, and see what he recommends. I have a CT scan coming up to see what's going on in my small bowel.. That should make my decision for me.

I am waiting to go on Remicade, have Iron deficiency anemia. I, too, feel silly that I cannot cope.

Well we are not silly. Don't let anyone tell you that, and don't let yourself convince yourself you are. #1 priority is to get better no matter what the cost. In the big picture the reprocussions of not taking the time could be worse if you need it..

It's impossible for me to work full-time. Between unpredictable bowel movements, fistulas, exhaustion, Remicade and Methotrexate immune suppression, I just can't keep a regular schedule. I'm in school to become a Medical Transcriptionist so I can work from home.

As others have stated please be sure to take care of yourself first. I didn't I kept working and pushing myself until the doctors told me I had to slow down. Needless to say it has taken me twice as long to start feeling capable of just getting out of bed. And having two children laying in bed is not an option for me. It got so bad that I would day dream in the car on the way to work and not remember the actual drive to work. This is something that happened over night I was working 50 hours a week with two kids at home for 6 years straight and taking no medication because I didn't have insurance and couldn't afford my medication outright. So in saying that I quit, got on medicaid and now I take all my meds, to me the trade was definitely worth it, don't get me wrong somedays I wish I had a job, I never had the dream of being a stay at home mom, I was one of those strong women who thought they could do it all. And mentally I could, but physically that is impossible for me. I hope you find that balance that works for you, because what works for me may not for you. Just take your time and try to figure out what you can be happy with

I too have had a hard time working like I used to work. I cut back to 30 hrs a week and still find this difficult most weeks -especially when things are active. I find by the end of the week I can hardly get out of bed and when I get home I often just grab an Ensure and crash on the couch!

I work at a desk and do computer work but it is demanding and there are always meetings, etc.

Sigh.

I think it is hard to others without our problems to understand. I sometimes feel like they tire of me

Glad to be able to vent a bit -thanks!

I work full-time. I am an admin assistant and work 40+ hours a week. Thankfully, my job is very flexible with me getting sick when I have flares-as long as I make up the hours. I feel like when flared, I am constantly trying to work through lunch or stay late to make up for being stuck on the toilet.

Even though they are flexible with me, I find it very frustrating. I have a hard time making through a day sometimes. I am so freaking tired. By the time I get home by 6, all I can do is lay on the couch. I feel like a bum that I never have energy to even make a good meal for my husband and I!

I hate getting to work and I get stuck in the restroom at work with pain, nausea and diarrhea. I get annoyed when other women come in the restroom. I just want to be by myself or go home and sit on my own toilet!

Recently, I filled out a bunch of ADA ( American Disabilities Act) paperwork at work and me and my doctor are making a special request for an accommodation for me to work from home during flares. Since Crohn's is considered a disability (which I did not know until recently), we are allowed to make requests for special accommodations at our jobs.

I can't work at all I have no energy at all I'm in constant pain headspins etc....

So I'm on disability and lucky my parents let me stay with them

I'm starting to feel it a bit of a strain to be honest but I'm very lucky that my work is flexitime, Monday to Friday come in when I want and leave when I want(within reason) so it works around my illness but sometimes I have to take days off or go home early.

Up until June 30th I worked for myself.
Now I work 3.5 - 4 days per week - and even that is a struggle.
I do contract work on top of that - for extra money in case I get sick.
Next year - I will be sticking with the 3.5 days.

I work full time. Its a desk job so I do a lot of paperwork and computer work. I work 5-6 days out of the week from 7am-2pm, sometimes an hour or so later. It works for me so far. My job is really flexible with me so if this schedule doesn't work anymore, I can always ask for a different time slot.

It's a daily struggle for me but luckily my boss has been understanding when I'm too weak or feel sick and need to leave. I'm always fearful I will be layed off.

nogutsnoglory said:

It's a daily struggle for me but luckily my boss has been understanding when I'm too weak or feel sick and need to leave. I'm always fearful I will be layed off.

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You'd definitely have a case against them if you were laid off, thats discrimination as far as I'm aware. You should review your options with an employment solicitor to make sure. Try and get rid of the worry

Yes, even though it may be embarrassing I have found it helpful to tell my employer the condition I have. Let yourself be recognized that you have a disability. Don't be ashamed. We can't help it. As long as they are aware of what you have you cannot be fired for having crohns.

I work 45-50 hours/week managing a lrage retail store. I just went on my first short term disability after my 3rd sbo hospitilization. Now considering stepping back from management to a different full time position. The pay cut is huge. Anybody hear of long term disability picking up the difference because the disease forced the step back?

I haven't worked for ten years and have den on disability retirement with the Feds. I tried all sorts of switches in my last job as a nurse..working days in an outpatient clinic..and it was just impossible.i want to return to work badly. That's my biggest goal.
To do that,I am going to see another gi doctor for a second opinion in a few weeks and lobby for an ileostomy . I know very well there's no cure to crohns,but I can't stay in my apartment near a bathroom and let life pass me by. I had tried all sorts of Anti diarrheals including questran..it would just stop everything for a day. Then more pain. I'm also getting switched to cimzia( by my insistence), and hoping for the best.
I know I have come a long way but get discouraged..I just want to work and live a half way decent quality of life..

I work 25 hours a week (lunch break not included in that) and most of the time, I find that it is a good amount of hours. More hours woudln't work, less hours might be a little better, but most of the time, 25 hours is good. In 6 1/2 years, I have only had one really stressful time at work and that was in July when our police department had a huge child abuse investigation along with many other things. I think the constant busy, busy, busy combined with finishing up rehearsals/actual performances for a musical I was in with my husband and son pushed me over the edge a little bit. Things have since slowed down at work and the show ended the third week of July and I can feel that I'm slowly getting back to "normal". If this was a constant pace, I don't think I could handle it. My job is fairly flexible, but I don't believe my boss really understands what I deal with in regards to my health. I'm learning to not care so much if I have to stay home due to illness or even overwhelming exhaustion. He likes to make snide comments to other people about it if I'm not in. I am all there is when it comes to what I do, so I think I am pretty secure in my position. He is just a person with an extremely high pain tolerance and doesn't get sick often, so he thinks everyone else should be the same.

So, no. I could never work full time. Some days part time is very difficult. I've been told I could easily qualify for disability, but I don't see why I would give up already. I'm only 37. Will the day come? Probably, but not now. I am lucky that I don't HAVE to work. I work because I want to and for extra money to do fun stuff with or speed up a savings process.

I do have 2 kids and a wonderful husband and try to do a couple extracurricular activities like the summer community musical and church choir. At least I get out to see different people, but some days those activities are nearly impossible as well. I have more than just Crohn's to deal with though, so I can't blame everything on the Crohn's. I am probably very lucky when it comes to Crohn's - I've only had the one ulcer that was found when I was diagnosed and I am only in the bathroom a dozen times a day when I'm doing a colonoscopy prep. I'm more on the constipation side.

I went from working 35 hours a week, leaving home at 8:40am and getting home at 5:20pm, to working 40 hours a week but being out of the house from 7:40am to 7pm (at least). I can't hack it because I'm so tired and get so little free time and I find the whole thing really stressful, and stress flares me up.

Sad to say I haven't worked for about 8 years. I just found that every time I did any lifting in my job (Logistics) I was in pain & needing the toilet asap & bleeding. I got seriously depressed about this. I also hate being on a benefit, the stigma is not great. My Specialist say my Crohns is very aggressive & 4 surgeries in 15 years including 2 in the last 2 years testifies to that. But there is a part of me that longs to put something back into the system if I can be guaranteed some decent health. Which seems a bit of a pipe dream.
Rgds
Grant

I don't think I need to file with HR that I have a disability. They know I was out for surgery. Do I still need to file that?

I think you can be fired for disability f they find you miss too much work. They can always fire for a bogus reason too.

I filed with HR that I have a disability for job protection so that I wouldn't lose my job. Firing someone because of their disability is discrimination. That's how I understand it. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

They can't really fire you for having a disability, however if it does affect the quality of your work then I'm sure they could conjure up some reason to fire someone. It sucks, but they can always lie and claim that wasn't the reason.

I find that having a job helps me stay busy and keeps my mind off of feeling so shitty every day. That's just me though! Since I'm in the process of moving across the country I had to quit my job that I love, and ever since then have just been at "home" with my daughter, and although I'm busy, I still feel better when I'm out of the house.

I was a bank manager, a widow so am alone - they forced me to resign a year ago due to excessive sick days and during flares when I tried to work Id double over or have to run to the loo midway through an interview or something. The staff were a bit traumatised when Id let out an involuntary squeak when pain gripped my gut too LOL. The exhaustion has been with me a long time and is almost like something comes over me and I just cant go on or keep my eyes open, its almost like being drugged. I am lucky, I was so ill (is that lucky??) in NZ they put me on an invalids benefit which is a living allowance and more than being unemployed cos it covers Dr and meds costs. I manage cos many of my old lifestyle quirks have had to be chucked out - like cafes, road trips, magazines and wine etc etc!! At the moment I have very occaisional 'good' days and they are amazing when I do - its like emerging from a chrysalis I call them my whooohoooo days. I am just now coming to terms with the fact my life is different but I can make it good different. The daft thing is that in NZ you cant work at all while on an invalids benefit - Id love to try 1 or 2 days and see if I can make it. But - one day at a time eh - big ups to all of you guys that work, I know how tough it can be and truely you are all heros!! Crohns tends to make courage along with all those other icky symptoms

Salads help

Yes i do. I work 40 hours a week. I work for a national men's suit store that is well known.
I am starting to remember that having a vegetarian diet can boost your energy and your immune system. Everybody where I work goes for fatty food, and caffene and home made food. But I'm guessing choose a salad instead of fries. I am not strong enough to do it. When ever I go to lunch at work, I grab fries with my burger. With the other Mclosers of course.

But after eating at hamburgler's and grimace's place:drink::drink:, my body shape is like grimaces. Har. Joke . But I think if I substituted salad for fries i might have even more engery.

I also found that eating a vegetarian (very hard to do for meat eaters) meat at dinner relaxes me, I sleep much easier. I found interestingly that junk food makes it harder to fall asleep, fatty food, even when I am bush tired from a long 8-9 hour day.

I work full time. I am physically exhausted. I recommend salad. Also fruit and salad drinks that grocery stores sell. They are extremely healthy, full of brocolli, carrots, and fruit. Those can help boost your immune system and improve enegery.

Hope that helps.

ballwire1 said:

Yes i do. I work 40 hours a week. I work for a national men's suit store that is well known.
I am starting to remember that having a vegetarian diet can boost your energy and your immune system. Everybody where I work goes for fatty food, and caffene and home made food. But I'm guessing choose a salad instead of fries. I am not strong enough to do it. When ever I go to lunch at work, I grab fries with my burger. With the other Mclosers of course.

But after eating at hamburgler's and grimace's place:drink::drink:, my body shape is like grimaces. Har. Joke . But I think if I substituted salad for fries i might have even more engery.

I also found that eating a vegetarian (very hard to do for meat eaters) meat at dinner relaxes me, I sleep much easier. I found interestingly that junk food makes it harder to fall asleep, fatty food, even when I am bush tired from a long 8-9 hour day.

I work full time. I am physically exhausted. I recommend salad. Also fruit and salad drinks that grocery stores sell. They are extremely healthy, full of brocolli, carrots, and fruit. Those can help boost your immune system and improve enegery.

Hope that helps.

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Thats good advice but in my case if I have a piece of lettuce or any vegetable for that matter i'm stuffed gas and massive D also get tired from pooping all the time so in my case a salad is no good

Right now full time is out of the question. I'm working to build myself up to working a few hours a day from home.

I'm the same DJW, not many professional at home positions though so it's tough. I don't know what's next career wise.

Since my resection I have had to watch my nutrition. With parts of your intestines missing, you are at risk for malnutrition - and I feel it. I don't have the energy I used to have and have to take steps to sustain me through a 40 hour workweek.

Shortly after the resection I had many bathroom trips. I discovered that a high fiber breakfast reduced them drastically. I pretty much weaned off junk food and high fat stuff. It pays to be conscious of what you eat and keep notes of food that have an adverse reaction. Because your stools don't form as well, there is nothing more embarrassing than crapping your shorts because that wasn't air (which fortunately happened BEFORE I returned to work from lunch...!)

I attended a nutrition seminar and learned that the combination of protein and carbohydrates will sustain your energy throughout the day. I opted for greek yogurt and pretzels (without too much salt). It does work, with rare exceptions when exhaustion hits me late in the day on Friday and no amount of healthy eating will reverse it.

Since my resection I had found some physical restrictions. I am a support engineer which requires working in some tight spaces. One of those tight spaces put too much strain on the abdominal muscles around the resection and I had to take a sick day to recover. So far that was the only event like that at work and I alerted my supervisor that I was no longer able to work in that tight space. I also found that household chores like scrubbing the bathtub put strain on the abdominal muscles so I had to divide tasks like that into smaller more manageable jobs.

My employer is understanding and they know that I am conscious to take steps to minimize the interruptions. They have pretty good benefits. So far the only long term absence was the disability following the resection surgery. I know there are many here who are worse off than me and I wish them luck. Crohns is a terrible disease to have while maintaining a full time job.

I recently had to switch from full-time to part-time due to just pure exhaustion. Thankfully I have an amazing boss who is understanding. My job doesn't offer benefits or sick pay (small company), so that's not an issue. It actually benefits them if I don't show up, then they don't have to pay me. It's good and bad.. right now good.

I haven't been able to work at all in years. I was a Chef, there is absolutely no keeping that type of job not even knowing if you will make it in a full week every week, and not many other jobs I can imagine either. I do have two other chronic conditions as well though, but just this issue alone could do it if its severe ( and mine is severe, gotten more and more so as time has gone by ) so here's to all you troopers, I guess I'm a wimp, I couldn't do it, nor could my boss or foreseeable bosses afford to have a me that could be a call out at any time.

For anyone headed towards my boat, get a lawyer before applying for SSI, I found out the hard way they are needed, seven years in and still waiting for them to decide if I am eligible. This is with documented chronic sciatica and documented chronic prostatitis, my crohns or IBS or whatever it is I had already lost my coverage and was on GPA, so no tests or specialists were allowed, so for the past seven years its just documented as "unknown abdomen issues" as GPA only covers seeing your primary, once a year physical and at most once a month visits. Now am on medicaid so finally getting the tests and specialists I need done to find out exactly what it is. My primary said she is 99% sure its crohns or severe IBS though, which now that I have my coverage, let me to looking around and googling things which led me here.

Here's to all of you, stronger than me that are still trooping on.

I used to work full time, but found it was way too stressful. I was leaving the house at 8am and getting back home around 7pm and that was five days a week. When I would have a week or two week holiday, I would come back feeling fantastic and everybody would say how great I looked, but as soon as I started back again I would dip back down and get really poorly again and start flaring up. I was constantly ringing in sick until I was totally exceeding my sick days, I was catching everything, and I even ended up with chicken pox. So in the end I spoke to my manager, and she suggested I work one day on and one day off, so now I work Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays, and that works fantastically! I obviously don't earn the same amount of money, but on my days off if I feel well I sell things on eBay to try and make a bit of extra cash. The majority of my pay that decreased was mainly tax too! I wouldn't go back full time for anything. People suggest I do a lot of other things with my days off, but I stand my ground and spend the days relaxing and try not to feel guilty about it. Because if I started filling my days up, it wouldn't totally defeat the object of going part time! It's hard to stand your ground and try to explain to people that you need the extra time to rest, but just stick with it, and know that you know yourself best and you are saving your own health and your life! And don't feel guilty about it either. My manager also says if I need time to take a break and have a lie down that just let her know and I can take ten minutes out, I never do because I don't like to draw attention to myself, but it's nice that the option is there should I desperately need it. Another thing is I used to get exhausted at work after lunch, where if was sitting down behind a computer, but our job roles have changed a little where we are on our feet now instead and I don't get the same tiredness anymore, so another thing I think I've realised is to have a little walk or something after eating so you don't get that tiredness feeling. But part time work, is definitely the best thing I ever did for myself.