# Teachers and IBS



## Guest (Jul 25, 2000)

I am a teacher (used to be) but had to give up the classroom because I spent more time in the bathroom then with the kids. It became a liability issue for the school. Anyone else out there had to change careers late in life? Help!


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2000)

It's funny that you should post this subject on the BB! Believe it or not, I switched careers and went into teaching (was a writer). Have had IBS since college (am now 42). Went for my middle grades certification (science and math) when my kids were a little older (was a stay at home mom for about 10 years). I was wondering about the connection between IBS and teachers just the other day.. . It is extremely stressful -- from the students to the administration (who do nothing because they are fearful of lawsuits)-- and I am in one of the better, affluent school systems. As a teacher, you are in a no-win situation. The pay is awful, the profession lacks the respect it had 25 years ago, I could go on and on. I have realized now is not the time for me to be a teacher. All the teachers complain, the kids lack discipline (some of the parents just don't care), and no one is happy. The hours are awful, and it is not a career for one with IBS. Frequently I've had to get a teacher to cover my class while I had an attack of D! It is not the career to be in if you have IBS!!! Lately I've been thinking about getting a certification to be a guidance counselor. I have decided not to return in the Fall, but to substitute teach. We have an unusually large percentage of teachers out at our school with IBS-related symptoms, and tons had gall bladder surgery this year. If it is financially feasible to do so, and you won't miss the kids at school, I would recommend switching careers to anyone. My worst IBS has been in the last 3 - 4 years (the time I have been teaching)! I'd love to hear more of what you think. What did you say you switched to?


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## lilymaid (Jan 3, 1999)

I had to give up on being lots of things because of IBS. It sucks! However, I can't just stay in the house all the time, so I'm managing.I *did* work in advertising... not too bad there.Now I'm a student of speech pathology. I start clinic in a few weeks (for the next four years) so let's see what happens!I have the opportunity to teach writing for 10 days at UC Davis, in about a week... am contemplating whether, if I get the offer, it is feasible.I think it is!!!!!Regards, Lilymaid


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2000)

This is depressing. I have decided to leave my current career pursuits for teaching. I was thinking not about the stress of teaching but just about having the pains all day or the bloating or the cramping or whatever. I am IBS-C so i don't have the D urge but i get distracted with all the bloating and everything. That is all i can think about. But i guess that would be with any field if you have IBS.I was depressed by the things murphee said. i was thinking and hoping that things are on the verge of changing for teachers and teaching. Matt


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2000)

Matt, Didn't mean to burst your bubble...but it is an extremely stressful profession. I'm lucky in that I can get out of it if I choose to do so, and I do. I would strongly suggest subbing first, and doing some long term subbing if your school district allows you to do that. A lot of people I know went into it cold (without subbing first), and ended up quitting after their first year, due to the stress involved. But hey, you may love it.


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2000)

Matt,My mom just quit teaching (HS foreign language) after 12 years. Her health had deteriorated to the point of ulcers (as well as IBS, hiatal hernia, thyroid, etc) - we believe, due to the stress of teaching. Her administration was not at all supportive of their teachers. However, I have a friend who has been teaching for 13 years and loves it! She wouldn't dream of doing anything else. I think it all depends on the person, how stress affects you and the support you get from the administration, parents, family, etc....I'm considering it myself (I have 2 school age children and have to work to contribute to the family income) and I know all the bad things about teaching! Just keep a back up career plan handy!







Vicky


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## scottyswotty (Jun 29, 2000)

I feel for all of you.I am a student and sometimes its hard enough sitting down and not being at home.I always think to myself there is no way a lecturer could manage with what I go through!


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2000)

I have taught for 26 years and I love my job. I teach high school history--11th graders. They are my favorite age group. I have had IBS for years but this year I became lactose intolerant. I must watch my food intake very carefully as you cannot just walk away from a class full of kids. Teaching is stressful but it is also very rewarding and lots of fun. Administrations today do seem to take the side of the parents, mostly out of fear. Parents tend to defend their child no matter what, without really finding out what the true situation was. By the time the child reaches high school, some parents have surrendered their childraising rights to total strangers at the school and then can't understand why things don't turn out quite the way they invisioned. These issues can cause some stomach trouble, but I honestly feel that what I eat causes me a lot more trouble than a phone call from an unhappy parent.Teacher pay is improving and the summer is a great time to do some things that you really want to do, including furthering your education and traveling. My doctor has said that many of his patients have IBS but from what I have read on this BB, there are a huge number of people who have suffered from this. Out of curiosity, what types of jobs are represented on this board?


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2000)

Thanks for the replies. I have so much stress now because i am making a BIG career change. I am nervous enough about that. I think every job has stress. You can't get away from it. But hopefully i will be happier so the stress won't bother me as much. It is just so hard to leave. Like i said, I worry about what to do about the pain and bloating--the actual physical part instead of the stress. Like someone said, you can't just leave your class. Matt


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2000)

Thanks for all your input. The sad part is that I really enjoyed teaching, I was very good at it, became tenured, do a lot of training around the area, but the IBS-D has just become so debilitating that I cannot put another foot ahead of the other one to get through the door. If it weren't for IBS I would remain in the teaching profession. Unfortunately to many people think that the IBS symptoms can be "controlled", someone actually told me "... I don't understand that, you just go to the bathroom when you have to" but in our school - mens faculty lounge there is one toilet, no stall door and one urinal and 15 male teachers, God forbid anyone else should need to use the toilets at the same time.


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2000)

I was an English/reading teacher since 1965 and just retired. I can't say that the IBS is any better. Still get cramping, C and occasional D, but at least I don't have to find someone to stay with my students when I have to go to the bathroom. It's quite a trek to get there. The relief is enormous, because now I can stay home when I need to.l But I will miss some of the students very much. It is a demanding job, requiring long hours for poor pay, at least where I live. It's hard to be in front of a class all day, on your feet a lot, answering a multitude of questions. Then there are the lesson plans, study guides and assignments to write and correct, and the tests to write and correct. Oh, and then the grading. It has many rewards, but is not for the faint at heart! Good luck to you, and have a plan in mind for your trips to the bathroom.


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2000)

I agree IBS and teaching are not a good combo. I teach in an alternative high school and the STRESS is so high. This is my mid-life career change, DUH!! As the teenagers so aptly put it. Whoa is me.I didn't have the patience when I was younger, but goodness I had SO much more energy. I'm over 50 and have taught for 6 years and believe I may have to seek my third career after one more year. This is the first summer that I really dread going back though. I have IBS even during summer vacation but my stomach doesn't hurt as much. I don't think teaching causes IBS but it sure doesn't improve it. I think sensitive people make the best teachers, but unfortunately we sensitive souls suffer for it inside. What new career? McDonald's! May I take your order please? Now that's STRESS.


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2000)

Thanks Carol and others for your reply. Have'nt come up with any good alternatives yet...wil miss the kids terribly, will miss teaching terribly - somehow I will figure out what I can do "safely!" The best tid-bit about teaching is that my classroom is in the basement, the teachers lounge and faculty bathrooms are on the third floor, no elevator (school built in 1912), I got a lot of exercise!


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## sickntired (Jan 6, 2005)

ksguyHi! I also have a teaching degree. I cannot imagine teaching with this condition. Right now I have three little girls ages 6, 4, and 1. I work a third shift part time job so that I can stay home with them. I fully intend to go into teaching once my littlest one gets in school. I too worry about the implications of this. Something you might consider is to take a short leave from teaching. You could do some tutoring in the meantime or get one of the higher paying part time jobs. I work at Ups where the pay and the benefits are great. I make almost as much working there part time as I would teaching. However, it's not nearly as rewarding. Taking a leave doesn't mean you have to leave forever. Maybe you could take a break for awhile. I know how depressing it must be. I get depressed even thinking about it. I just hope to have a handle on this by the time I start teaching. I can't even handle the job I have now. I hope that you find something that you like to do. Just think of it as a new beginning...a chance to do anything you want to do! (I have considered starting my own preschool in the future.)Just some advice for other teachers with ibs... Maybe you could talk to your principal and request an assistant for your classroom (or a classroom with its own bathroom!) I know in some schools this isn't feasible. It's just an idea. Hope this helps.sickntired


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## Patsy (Feb 11, 2000)

Hi! I have IBS-C. I teach third grade. My school is very "Proficiency Test" oriented. I get all of the learing disabled children because I used to teach the SLD class. It is almost impossible to help children with learing problems enough so that the pass the Proficiency Test in the spring. Teaching school is not much fun any more. It is all business. I feel sorry for the children today. Makers af tests do not realize that elementary age children are all at different developmental stages. I believe there are a lot of adults who would not pass the third grade test!


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## Marier (Mar 18, 2000)

KS - could you go for your administrator's certificate? Stress is high there as well, but at least you wouldn't be walking out on a roomful of students when nature calls.


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## Andy M (May 17, 1999)

Daggonit, this is depressing talk. I will have completed my student teaching semester by the end of next year and you guys are spooking me about the pitfalls of IBS and teaching. The positive spin that I bring to this issue is that some job environments could be much worse. I have worked at farming and landscaping jobs where there are no restrooms! I will have to keep in mind that no matter how awful it seems it could get much worse.


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## Guest (Jul 26, 2000)

Andy, teaching is an honorable profession and a good one. If you have IBS, just have a "plan" in mind that covers all the bases, and I mean "all" the bases. Bathrooms, changes of clothes, recess, field trips, etc., etc., etc., Good luck in your chosen field.


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## Andy M (May 17, 1999)

Thanks for the encouragement, Ksguy! I agree that a degree of planning will work.


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## LALA (Oct 11, 1999)

Interesting topic. I just finished my student teaching and received a masters degree in education. Currently trying to find a job with this damn IBS. I have put way too much worry into the what ifs of teaching. Running out on a class full of kindergardeners??? Crazy! I just am looking for a job where I might have an assistant. I am also looking into being a resource teacher. That way, you can work with small groups of children, and being sick isnt detrimental to your classroom. I am much better with small groups anyway. THis means another year of school...who knows. The assistant thing is good, though. I am also looking into becoming an assistant. I really want the control in the classroom though. I hate having this IBS make me make decisions like this. I would be more willing to take a job that I am WAY over qualified for just to keep me from worry and stuff. this sucks.lala


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## Guest (Jul 27, 2000)

I taught for 28 years, the last several with Big-D. You better start on calcium+minerals, eat yogurt after every round of antibiotics and get used to wearing Depend pull-ups [panties] and loose clothing. Administration means handling those parents, which are as much a problem as the kids. I went back to the classroom. Sometimes, I wish I had stayed in carpentry.


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## Jeanne (Sep 18, 2004)

I was a teacher right out of college andthen subbed for a few years...but that wasover 20 years ago and before my IBS-D.Last year I considered going back, but thethought of urges/embarrasmment etc. made mechange my mind..and my mornings are alwaysworse and unpredictable.One positive note...elementary schools oftenhave bathrooms right in rooms..but I was notan elementary age teacher.Also-there are many teachers who love theirjobs. I have several friends who teach..theyare my age (late 40's and 50) make 60K a year. Teach 5 hours a day-have mucho vacation time. Newsflash is that most highpaying professional jobs are stressful..I work in healthcare...it's just part of the world anymore. I beleive if you are not prepared to accept the new society...single family homes, working parents that are too exhausted to be involved, parents that give their kids too much, etc you should NOT teach. It is not like it used to be, but I take exception to people that believe teachers are underpaid, overworked, etc. In our state they have the best benefits of almost any job you could get with similar educational credentials. They are protected by a VERY strong union, the starting pay may be lower than some jobs...but in s few short years you will be making a lot more money if you figure it out by the hour, than a whole bunch of college educated people.It is a very important job, and those folks that chose it as a career need to accept the realities of it too, AND have the aptitude to deal with the problems that go along with it. (IBS sufferers cannot be denied a teaching job under ADA...it is a matter of how YOU feel about it) In my case, I just felt like I was too far along in life, had a decent enough job, and could not deal with teaching that I really loved....and IBS too.Good luck...


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## Andy M (May 17, 1999)

A question to all educators: If you were interviewed for your first teaching job, would you voluteer the fact that you have IBS? I'll bet that on the application it is stated that, if you have any disabilities, you should list and describe them. What if the school board argues that they can't have the liability of a teacher with IBS? They could say that hiring a teaching assistant is beyond the expense of reasonable accomodation.As far as the idea of having a restroom in the classroom, what is a teacher to do when having an attack of explosive diarrhea? The last thing a teacher wants in a classroom is to have to think about a bunch of snickering adolescents carrying on while he or she is in there. Some of my BM's sound like Bastille Day. Unless that room is soundproof, I think I'd rather use the teachers' lounge or the students' restrooms.[This message has been edited by Andy M (edited 07-26-2000).]


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## Guest (Jul 27, 2000)

I am a teacher also, and my ibs has been so bad this year it has really caused my panic attacks to get really bad. I was able to get some time off work from doctor. The school is not sympathic to my situation and as all teachers know it is very difficult to run to the bathroom with a room full of teenagers! I am seriously considering not going back in September, but the hard part is when I go to do a resume, all I have is teaching experience! I really feel stuck and feel at a loss. If anyone has any ideas I would greatly appreciate it!


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## Guest (Jul 27, 2000)

JOY...There are tons of things you can do w/ "Just" teaching experience on your resume. We've had teachers that have left to work for educational publishers, become consultants, become vp's at banks, the list is endless...some work as headhunters, or in human resources. Companies love to hire ex-teachers because they have great organizational skills. I've decided to go back and get my masters in counseling, and be a guidance counselor!


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Just a thought but have you considered home bound instruction? Teaching kids that have a long term abscence. A family member of mine is doing this and in the district that she is in she is not hurting for assignments. Also maybe one of those learning centers that does special work at their location. Bathrooms in people's homes and in an office setting might be easier to cope with than what you described in your current position. I'll be thinking of you and wish you the best! BQ


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## Jeanne (Sep 18, 2004)

I am certain about this because I work in the area of occupational health. A person interviewing you cannot under the law ask you if you have any physical disabilities. They can give you a job description-or show you the job (obvious in teaching) and ask you if there is any physical reason you cannot do it. I doubt very much that this would happen in teaching though....it is more a concern in factory/heavy work where an employer is worried that you will be constantly having injuries related to your job if you are not physically strong enough to do it.If you are taking a preplacement physical exam for a job, you have already been offered the job at this point. You may tell the medical provider giving you the exam, on your history, about IBS. That provider may question you about it, but again VERY doubtful that he or she would tell the employer that you are unable to perform the essential functions of the job-unless you admit you cannot (and you would not be this far in the process if you were not ready to try it..right?)In summary: if you want to try teaching and have IBS, make it through the interview process and they like you and your credentials...the physical part comes AFTER ajob offer to you. (and many school systems do not even do physical exams..most will do drug testing however)AND- a school system would be breaking the law (ADA) to deny you a job because you have IBS. LASTLY- most medical providers that do occupational examinations would not even tell an employer this unless you verbalized to them that you could not do the job.(at our clinic we only send employers one page that says the applicant can or cannot do the job...we do not send any of the personal history..and most employers do not want it anyways)IBS as a disability has been discussed here before and I am not a lawyer, but I believe it could be considered as such. If so, you could always ask for an accomodation in your job (e.g. classroom right near restroom)If I were an employer I would want a good teacher that needed an accomodation before a poor teacher that didn't!just some more thought on the employment issue...those of us with IBS need to be very creative to not allow this affliction to keep us from at least trying something we really want to try!j


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## Andy M (May 17, 1999)

Sounds like excellent advice, Jeanne. You obviously have the requisite experience to explain this issue clearly. I will try to keep everything in mind that you mentioned when I do my job hunt. Thanks.


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## Abby (Nov 9, 1999)

I am teacher too. I have taught for 5 years. I will be returning in September. This is what works for me. I wake up early and get to school early - in case I need to be in the bathroom a while or in case I need to stop along the way. I use the student bathroom since there are more toilets and flush as I go. Also - if students see a teacher in the bathroom they usually leave ASAP. I eat a small breakfast (oatmeal and decaf. tea) and a small lunch (yogurt and crackers and water) There have been times (maybe two or three times) when I have had to run out - I told the teacher who is across the hall from me and the one next door to me that sometimes I have to literally run to the bathroom and could they just keep an eye on my class. I also make sure to repay the favor if they ever need coverage. I also carry Immodium AD with me at all times. I think by having a "plan" and adhering to the same bland foods my stomach is ok. Sometimes I feel confident to indulge in a snack or even coffee!!!! (occasionally) in the teacher's lounge. Before field trips I do not eat breakfast and I ALWAYS take 2 or even 3 Immodiums regardles of how I feel. I hope this helps some people. People who are not teachers do not understand that you "just can't leave and go to the bathroom" I love teaching - work with GREAT people - and enjoy the kids (middle school)I especially love my job RIGHT NOW! (summer vacation) Good Luck!


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## Jeanne (Sep 18, 2004)

abby- good for you! I'll bet you are a wonderful teacher too...and you will be an inspiration to those IBSers' who want to teach! Most of us that have IBS-D know that some type of regimen is imperative to feeling like we have at least a little control overour lives. And at least with teaching you doget a nice long summer break to try new things, be less strutured, etc.From getting to know most of the folks on this board, seems we have learned to be compassionate and patient...two of the best qualities a teacher needs.Carry on!j


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## StellaMuro (Jun 29, 2012)

Wow. 12 years later and I am a new member with the SAME exact issues and questions and feelings as you all above. There is a real deficit in support for teachers with IBS out there, even on this amazing site, and I am just trying to post on as many as I can find here in the hopes of striking up a new conversation. All the of the threads relating to this topic are from 2000,2002, 2004, and i think one from 2009. There is nothing that I found from 2012. There can't possibly be NO teachers (or soon-to-be teachers) with IBS. Am I really that alone?I am dying to know how you all have fared. It's been a near lifetime since anyone's commented on this thread. I dont even know if 12 years later I would be a member on this site. Life was so different for me in the year 2000. I was a fresh faced, fearless teenager getting ready for her first year of college. I had no IBS, no Generalized Anxiety Disorder, no ulcerative colitis. I could pick up and go anywhere with anyone at anytime with no reservations whatsoever. Concerts, dinners, parties, road trips, any hour of the day didn't matter. Cut to today, 12 years later, and I am nervous, anxious, ridden with stomach problems, structured, apprehensive about every little thing that doesn't involve sitting at home comfortably. What a difference 12 years makes.







I am about to begin my student teaching next month, and unfortunately for me teaching was something I chose to do BEFORE I got colitis, and subsequently IBS-D. I was kind of halfway through by the time I reallllly got bad with it. I chose not to give up, though I wasn't feeling very Olympian about it. I've kind of just trudged through it because no one close to me would have approved of me quitting due to IBS. So now, hear I am in the final leg of the journey and i ...am... petrified. I wake up in a cold sweat with obsessive anxious thoughts at the mere thought of an observation session or exam. Never mind a 4month long "thrown to the wolves" nightmare. Everyone tells me oh I just loved student teaching, but I am like ugh whatever, shut up. HAHA.. I don't really mean shut up, but you get it! anyway.. I am just nervous about making a flippin' fool of myself in front of potential employers, other teachers my age, and students who already think I'm a loser. I'm afraid that my university will get a call from the school saying "She is not employable". I'm afraid I will be known in the halls as "that student teacher who has a sh*tting problem".







I know I shouldn't care what people think but that's really hard for people with IBS, bc it is an embarrassing problem







. I will try to take all the advice I've read so far in the few threads I found, such as having a plan, confiding in a fellow employee, waking up early to accommodate morning issues, pop an Immodium, eat lightly, and most importantly.. tackle the anxiety. It is my goal that a holistic attack is my best bet.. one that addresses my diet (trigger foods- tomato sauce!), anxiety (find a good Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, and the IBS-D (supplements that I have begun taking and pro-biotics). Any one component left unaddressed will rear its ugly head and ruin my chances for progress. I know this reply was pretty all over the place, but I just need to spew feelings once in awhile! I am happy to see the few threads I did find on teachers with IBS, but I would really like to get a new generation of teachers supporting each other







I started a brand new topic somewhere on here (i dont even remember what forum-- I think "Working and IBS") awhile ago, but no ones replied yet.and PS: someone on here said their school is very proficiency test oriented and that teaching has become very pressured and structured... that is still true now. If not worse. NCLB and standardized tests rule all, even a teacher's job security now. Administrators are not interested in being sympathetic for IBS sufferers unless you're lucky enough to get one that has it. Unemployed teachers are running rampant around here, willing to do anything to get hired for any kind of job that pops up. I worry about my employability (not a real word?) and my liability factor. I'd rather not get hired at all than get hired and deal with being terminated for IBS


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Being a teacher and having severe IBS does not mix, that's for sure - take a peek at the links below for something that may be of help to you. Let me know if you have any questions, if you are interested. Take care - there IS hope...


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## InfantTeach1620 (Aug 27, 2018)

I'm an infant teacher working with children aged 3m to 12m and thankfully get regular potty breaks it still sends be just into a panic attack though when I have to call out (like today) with mucus poops its so embarrassing and I'm constantly worrying if this will be the time they call me into the office which makes things worse I'm also on anti anxiety meds (paroxetine) which helps....


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