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Must Change my Career


Thu, January 20, 2011 2:46 AM

 I have worked with with students at Universities for 24 years and spend hours and hours every week in personal contact with them.  Due to the increased problems I'm having with Crohns that was finally diagnosed nearly two year ago, after 15 years of misdiagnosis, I have been strongly encouraged to find a career with far less contact with people.  I am exposed to nearly 2000 students daily in the Dining Center and a couple dozen up close daily in my specific office working with campus housing. 

Has anyone else had to do this?  I'm at a total loss after working for years to obtain the education required to do this work and LOVING working with students.  I know at this point I'm not being effective in a lot of my work because I've been so ill and my energy is horrible.

Suggestions and advise are greatly appreciated.  I'm just SO SAD!

FPO petlover
Joined Jan 20, 2011

Sun, January 23, 2011 7:39 AM

 Reply posted for Petlover.

you mentionsed you started sterroids, those also surpress the imune system, when I was taking prednisone I was constantly sick or differant infections.

FPO wrongway
Joined Aug 15, 2010

Fri, January 21, 2011 11:13 PM

thanks alan.  on steroids now.  hate them but on them.  so much for any opportunities in professional sports.  ha!

i have ordered the book on the scd and a cookbook to go with. can't take fish oil, very very alergic.  taking flaxseed oil. 

not sure sticking with a job that is always going to demand on call 24/7/365 and constant people contact is a good idea no matter how much it breaks my heart.  given that i live in a one horse town it is pretty hard to find something and most likely relocating is going to have to happen.  i need to get through this bout of nastiness to figure out what all has to happen.  with no family and being single this is way overwhelming. 

i was starting to see a lovely man in the area before things started to get really bad healthwise for me in november but he seems to be dissapearing as things are getting worse too.  he is dealing with a layoff at work too so he is focussing *** getting himself stabalized first.  i don't blame him at all. gotta put the o2 mask on yourself first....

thank you for your advice.  i do appreciate it.

FPO petlover
Joined Jan 20, 2011

Thu, January 20, 2011 11:14 AM

 Reply posted for alivein315.

I'm running an area on a campus that has no back up.  A leave of absence means nearly 3,000 students have no professional staff responding to needs and student staff have no supervison. 

I'm single so there isn't a second income I can count on and my family is hundreds of miles away and frankly don't understand.  My background is in education and a masters in counseling but I work in campus housing.

Pushing so hard every day and responding night and day to whatever may happen is just too much at this point.  Being exposed to the cold of the week is too much also.

 

FPO petlover
Joined Jan 20, 2011

Thu, January 20, 2011 11:01 AM

 Reply posted for alanschachter.

I am on call 24/7/365.  I am responsible for student housing and therefore it is very unpredictable.  Not only can this be physically demanding I am constantly exposed to germs.  I also have the University Apartment's area to supervise with little to nearly no support so I have families I work with too, meaning small children I'm in contact with quiet frequently.  I never know if I'm going to be walking into a mold filled apartment to do an assesment or to respond to someone who has not been going to class and when I get to their place it turns out they are very ill.  It seems I have always caught everything that is going around and with each cold or virus I get a flare.  No number of preventative measures seem to help.

I'm not on immuno-suppressors for this reason, I'm already catching everything so to suppress my immune systems seems fool hardy but once it is turned on we all know the rest.  I'm now at the point of my leave being all eaten up and any time I am away from the office I go unpaid.  Much more of this and I'm going to end up jobless anyway.

FPO petlover
Joined Jan 20, 2011

Thu, January 20, 2011 6:14 AM

 Reply posted for Petlover.

I had to quit my 9-5 because I was so sick and my symptoms are not very predictable.  One day I will be great the next, not so great.  For my job, I worked with people and had a case load of clients.  It wasn't fair to them when I would be sick and not available, also it is better for me to rest rather than push myself and my body when it just doesn't have the energy and stamina to go further.  

It sucks!!!  
Do you have to quit  for good?  Why can't you take a leave of absence, get better and go back to what you love doing?   There must be other options.  
Most importantly, you have to get better or you won't be able to do anything.  

I hope you are on your way to feeling more energy and that everyday you get a little bit stronger and healthier.   

FPO alivein315
Joined May 30, 2009

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