Jobs?
This is the first forum I have ever joined so I’m new at this, I don’t have anyone to really talk to and possibly get results. I don’t have money for medical insurance either, so specialists are out of my reach as well, and I can’t get a chron’s test.
One question that’s eating at me is: Are there any good jobs for people with IBD? Time and time again, I have been hired, then fired, for not being able to finish a day or even show up to work because of a flare up. I’ve lived most of my adult life unemployed, letting my boss’s and loved ones down because i’m unable to manage my symptoms, despite eating as gut friendly as possible. I’ve tried everything I can think of but my life always circles from unemployed and broke, to hired and trying to succeed, to not measuring up, then back to unemployed and broke. The depression I had in high school seems like a joke compared to what I am feeling now. Not here for a pity party, just looking for help from people who understand the struggle.
This is a question I've been struggling with since 2014. At first I didn't think it would impact me all that much. I am currently completing a 3 year farm internship and it has been brutal. My first year and this year have had a flare. It's not easy to deal with the work and timing meals and hydration. I do believe that something like agriculture might have room for IBD folks, depending on your area of interest. This means that livestock and acreage is out. As well as anything that requires bending. I'm currently thinking that IBD kind of makes a person have to become a small business owner or entrepreneurial. I only say this because I don't believe any employer would give the time of day to ibd people. That all being said, I am moving at the end of the year and have been looking at jobs to start out. I'm really scared of this exact experience. One other thing. My girlfriend hired me out for two weeks as a handyperson and I did make good money that way. I think this might be an opportunity for those suffering ibd and are multitalented. I think people (customers) are more understanding in these kinds of jobs. Ironically, I had trouble billing my first customer because I felt that I was over valuing my skills. I definitely had undervalued it and she let me use the bathroom as I needed (I was hanging closets for her).
I hope this helps you a little bit!Farming does sound rough, but if you’re able to push through that’s awesome. I used to do jobs with my dad like indoor handyman stuff and sometimes building decks, lawn care, etc. but when my symptoms started I had to basically tell him he had to go without me most of the time. I’ve been a mechanic for the longest time, in and out of different shops because I’m good at the job, but use the bathroom so much and call in so much that eventually my employers would have it out for me or treat me like I was worthless even though in a couple of the shops, I was their best mechanic. I was a driver for first student for a little while and I was able to manage that since it was split shifts but just after schools started opening back up, I started getting vertigo symptoms. The doctors couldn’t figure out what it was from but I basically lost my job as a driver. I’m started to wonder if it’s because it’s very difficult to eat a decent amount of calories a day with this condition and my body was trying to tell me there was no fuel to burn, but I lost my insurance before I could continue tests. I’ve thought of starting my own business or at least get a work from home job but I don’t know where to start. Anyway, it’s nice to talk to people who, for once, who won’t judge me as a lazy flake who doesn’t want to work. Thank you, and thank you
I’ve been demoted due to a flare. I think a lot of people don’t understand how we feel during a flare and how it saps us of our energy - maybe they even don’t know we are in one. They see the lack of drive and they make a quick determination that we are a slacker and don’t see we are working our hardest just to keep it together. A good leader has empathy however. A good leader can support you when they know you are in a flare - and I’ve had those kinds of leaders too. Maybe it’s not as much about finding the right kind of job as it is finding the right kind of leader. vent away!! 😁😁. You are definitely not alone in this. I appreciate that. I wish I would have seen these replies sooner, they definitely brightened my day today. Still jobless but still searching.
Thank you for being here @Stormy314, and your question is quite popular among this community. The one silver lining that came from the pandemic is that more jobs have become remote, allowing you to work from the comfort of your own home and make your own hours. I would suggest asking for this option, regardless of whether or not the company has a physical location, and try to work from home a majority (if not all) of the time.
Please keep us posted! Hope this helps 😀
--Julie (Team Member)Thank you, I have been searching a bunch for remote positions but it is actually quite difficult to land one. Staying hopeful though. sending good vibes your way that something comes your way soon!!
I wish there was a super simple answer, but there isn't. We are all different in how we experience our IBD, so we experience different limits too. For me, fatigue is what makes work difficult. For others, it might be pain, or the actual ability to do certain tasks. I've never had a job that required a lot of physical energy, but due to fatigue, the mental exhaustion and concentration needed for office work is still difficult.
I wrote, How my UC impacted my career, which might be worth a look: https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/living/uc-career-impact
~ Sahara (Team member)
