Ridesharing and IBD

When I first was diagnosed with Crohn’s, ride sharing was not a thing. I would never get into a cab, as I would fear that I would have an accident on myself. Let’s be real. I never really went out of my house. I couldn’t.

Now that it is 2019, we are engulfed in ridesharing and it is the hottest thing out there. But what do you do if you got to doo in a UBER?

Should we tell the driver that we have IBD?

I have not experienced this yet, because I have only taken it for short distances, but it can happen. You could kindly ask the driver to stop. If you ask the driver to stop so that you can relieve yourself, do you get charged more? Should drivers be alerted if one has a medical condition? These are things that make you think. I know that some ride-sharing companies let the driver know if the passenger or passengers are blind, so why can’t we tell the driver if we have IBD? We could scare some people away. I wonder if it is a legal issue.

If it were up to me, here is what I would do. I would have a section on the app of additional services that are needed by the passenger. In my case, it would be having to make bathroom stops. Should there be an upcharge or an additional charge? Of course! But this way, there are no surprises from the driver when somebody does ask to please stop while in transit. This could be something that CCFA should look into. Let’s look at this situation through different lenses.

Rideshare drivers with IBD

What about the drivers that have IBD? What do you have to do if you are in a flare as you are driving somebody to their destination? I am one of those drivers. Since I am saving money to buy a house, any extra jobs can help. I drive for UBER and I sometimes run into the issue of having to stop while driving a customer. I find it very embarrassing if I have to stop while I am working. But there is another side to this argument. People might ask me, “Paul why do you drive then?” "Why do you put yourself in a situation that can make your anxious and cause an uproar with your gut?” I can’t disagree with those questions.

Stress brings on IBD symptoms

For those that have followed my articles through the years, one major theme I stress is to always make yourself feel comfortable. I always say that IBD patients should never put themselves in situations that are stressful. I guess I feel passionate about working for a ride-sharing company because I like talking to people while doing it for some extra money. I think that with any job, IBD is a distraction. The only way I can justify driving while having IBD is to take breaks while you are offline, and don’t go out if you are having a rough day with your stomach. Don’t stop working because IBD is in the way, just follow what I always say. Be mindful of your disease...and carry on!