# Today I got fired.



## janie101 (Feb 16, 2011)

Hi all. Today I got fired from my part time job and I can't help but blame my IBS. The main reasons they did it was because of absences (I've had 4 and a half days off in 6 months), and an occasion where I called in sick 10 minutes before my shift (as I had a very bad bout of D just before I was going to leave for work). I take imodium for the most part but sometimes it just doesn't cut it. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep down a job with IBS-D? I tried to tell my boss about it the other week but she was very unsympathetic and suggested I take some iron tablets as I was probably mistaking it for anaemia







she also told me that I was not allowed to leave the shop floor without informing a manager - which is a bit of a problem when you can't find a manager and get that urgent feeling, hence why going to work with it was difficult. Has anyone else had this unsympathetic response from bosses? I think it's outrageous. Ahh well, on to the next I suppose.


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## TVgirl (Sep 16, 2009)

janie101 said:


> Hi all. Today I got fired from my part time job and I can't help but blame my IBS. The main reasons they did it was because of absences (I've had 4 and a half days off in 6 months), and an occasion where I called in sick 10 minutes before my shift (as I had a very bad bout of D just before I was going to leave for work). I take imodium for the most part but sometimes it just doesn't cut it. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep down a job with IBS-D? I tried to tell my boss about it the other week but she was very unsympathetic and suggested I take some iron tablets as I was probably mistaking it for anaemia
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I am so sorry to hear this. I have never been fired but I know my boss hasn't been happy with the sick days that I have used. If you are applying for a new job and tell them your problem, hardly anyone would hire you because they know you are going to be sick all the time. I have the same problem. Can you get a medical note from your doctor and then show your employer who fired you and then maybe have it changed to a medical leave ?? If you can get a medical note and your employer won't budge then mabye contact employee relations or labor board. I live in canada so might be different if you live in the States. I would contest it with a medical note. I am contemplating my abilities to do my job. I don't know what the heck to do anymore.


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## janie101 (Feb 16, 2011)

TVgirl said:


> I am so sorry to hear this. I have never been fired but I know my boss hasn't been happy with the sick days that I have used. If you are applying for a new job and tell them your problem, hardly anyone would hire you because they know you are going to be sick all the time. I have the same problem. Can you get a medical note from your doctor and then show your employer who fired you and then maybe have it changed to a medical leave ?? If you can get a medical note and your employer won't budge then mabye contact employee relations or labor board. I live in canada so might be different if you live in the States. I would contest it with a medical note. I am contemplating my abilities to do my job. I don't know what the heck to do anymore.


Thankyou for your reply TVgirl. Exactly... it's such a problem. I can see it from their point of view, as they are trying to run a business and someone who needs time off a lot more than others is obviously not going to be ideal. I'm thinking of doing that, I live in the UK and as far as I'm aware you need three written warnings before they are allowed to fire you. I'm going to write a letter and explain that I had tried to tell them about my IBS and send a medical note with it. I don't know what to do either, it's hard because we are just as capable as anyone else, there's just this issue that makes it all so difficult to make it into work and endure a full day there sometimes. Really at my wits end!


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

I am so sorry this happened to you. Please see this organization to see if they have any guidance for you in regards to employment or recourse from an employer.http://www.thegutrust.org/Also have you tried taking Calcium carbonate supplements? Please see Linda's Calcium thread at the top of this forum for more info.Maybe taking the imodium more regularly may help you. I use it preventatively WITH meals. If one tablet is too much I cut them in half or even quarters if need be.Have you given probiotics a try yet?You may need to get a note from your Dr that explains how you need to use the bathroom at times. Also see our Working and Careers Forum for more info:http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showforum=51Wish you all the best!


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## janie101 (Feb 16, 2011)

BQ said:


> I am so sorry this happened to you. Please see this organization to see if they have any guidance for you in regards to employment or recourse from an employer.http://www.thegutrust.org/Also have you tried taking Calcium carbonate supplements? Please see Linda's Calcium thread at the top of this forum for more info.Maybe taking the imodium more regularly may help you. I use it preventatively WITH meals. If one tablet is too much I cut them in half or even quarters if need be.Have you given probiotics a try yet?You may need to get a note from your Dr that explains how you need to use the bathroom at times. Also see our Working and Careers Forum for more info:http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showforum=51Wish you all the best!


Hi BQ! Thank you for your help, I'm definitely going to have a look at the links, especially as I'm writing a letter of complaint to the Head Office of the company as I had tried to explain my illness and offered a medical note, so thank you!I read the calcium info the other day, I already had the tablets but hadn't taken them consistently but I'm going to from now on! I take the imodium often but sometimes I just don't know what is too much or too little, so sometimes I don't take enough and end up still getting diarrhea, and sometimes I take too much and am constipated for days. Tried probiotics years ago, but think it's time for another try soon. I'm also on amitriptyline which helps. My mum had severe IBS-D and managed to get rid of it completely, so there is hope for us and maybe one day it'll be easier to hold down jobs


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Ok Keep us posted on your how you are doing!


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

Good luck with finding some help with this. I have been "overitnOw" since the end of 1999 with supplementation. If yOu are unable to get the level ofImprovement you need, drop mema line.Mark


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## NateJ (Feb 22, 2011)

what a horrible thing for an Employer to do. I think getting a note from your Dr. would be the best thing to do to start with.I'm not sure how the laws work over there but in the US if you get fired you can contest it for unemployment benefits andat least by yourself some time to get your symptoms under control until you find a new job.Luckily my current boss has been very understanding, but I used to travel all over and haven't been able to regularly since the begining of Dec last year. I actually have an interview today for a diff. job at the same companybut with no travel. I'm hoping that will help lower my stress and symptoms.


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## janie101 (Feb 16, 2011)

Hi everyone and thank you for your repliesMark, it's nice to hear from someone who's over it, as it gives us all hope! My IBS is definitely better than it used to be but I think it'll be a while before I'm able to hold down a job properly.Nate, over here you can contest it too I think, although being a student I don't think I qualify for benefits unfortunately, although if the problem persists after I finish university then maybe it'll be different. It's definitely good to have a boss who understands and I completely understand the stress of travelling as do a lot of people on here! Good luck with your interview, I think it'd definitely lessen your stress if you don't have to travel


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## clareuk (Feb 7, 2006)

I totally sympathise with you. I've had 2 previous jobs that I had a nightmare in because of my ibs. My current job started off great and had a totally sympathetic boss but unfortunately now no longer has much patience or understanding about it all now. I have just had a really bad patch lately and I'm starting to think that I might lose my job in the future. I've tried explaining that I can't always be on time, offered doctor notes etc.. but it is getting difficult now to say the least. In the current climate jobs are hard to come by and I am getting worried about it as well. I'm really sorry that you had to have such a rubbish boss. You really should find out if you can get even with them and really kick up a stink because at the end of the day it really is total discrimination isn't it? I've had it in 3 jobs now and it's so difficult. I'm really sorry, hopefully something better will turn up for you in the future.


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## ferrarisa (Feb 27, 2011)

janie101 said:


> Hi all. Today I got fired from my part time job and I can't help but blame my IBS. The main reasons they did it was because of absences (I've had 4 and a half days off in 6 months), and an occasion where I called in sick 10 minutes before my shift (as I had a very bad bout of D just before I was going to leave for work). I take imodium for the most part but sometimes it just doesn't cut it. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep down a job with IBS-D? I tried to tell my boss about it the other week but she was very unsympathetic and suggested I take some iron tablets as I was probably mistaking it for anaemia
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## janie101 (Feb 16, 2011)

Claireuk said:


> I totally sympathise with you. I've had 2 previous jobs that I had a nightmare in because of my ibs. My current job started off great and had a totally sympathetic boss but unfortunately now no longer has much patience or understanding about it all now. I have just had a really bad patch lately and I'm starting to think that I might lose my job in the future. I've tried explaining that I can't always be on time, offered doctor notes etc.. but it is getting difficult now to say the least. In the current climate jobs are hard to come by and I am getting worried about it as well. I'm really sorry that you had to have such a rubbish boss. You really should find out if you can get even with them and really kick up a stink because at the end of the day it really is total discrimination isn't it? I've had it in 3 jobs now and it's so difficult. I'm really sorry, hopefully something better will turn up for you in the future.


I'm sorry to hear that you are in such a similar position to me (or the one I was in). The problem is that the doctors notes only get us so far, because when you go through a bad patch a lot of people without IBS find it hard to understand just how difficult it is and how much of a toll it takes on our lifestyles. I don't even know what to suggest, I had a session of hypnotherapy the other day (I'd had two a year ago and they helped) and so far I feel great. I've even been drinking coke and eating sweets, so maybe you could give that a try? I was at my worst when I first tried hypno. I think there's only so far imodium can get us (it's my best friend but it doesn't always work). I'm definitely going to kick up a fuss, I've started writing my letter to head office and will give an update on the outcome. The perfect job for us would be one where we could be a little late and it wouldn't matter too much, and where we could slip off to the toilet whenever we need without being noticed all the time. I hope your bad patch finishes soon Claire as I know how tough my recent one was, I just wish we had more awareness and that people could understand what we go through with this.


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## onemoedee (Feb 28, 2011)

sorry to hear about that , im sort of in the same situation only i havent lost my job as of yet but im afraid that its going to happen , long story short , i was on fmla and exhausted my time now i have to accrue a certain amount of hrs worked before i can reapply , my mornings are the worse but at times my afternoons and evenings arent much better , i feel its only a matter of time before i get fired but im not quitting i can guarantee that , atleast if i get fire i can collect unemployment , my hr department for the most part have been understandable but they dont have to go through what we IBSers do on a daily basis


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## ferrarisa (Feb 27, 2011)

I'm so sorry to hear about your firing. We have a new principal this year and before the school year started, I gave him a brochure about IBS. I told him I've had it for 15 years now, so if he or anyone else had questions about IBS-D, I would be willing to talk to them. I have been really lucky to work with a group of teachers who understand that I may be having a bad day.


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## carolann (Jul 29, 2004)

janie101 said:


> Hi all. Today I got fired from my part time job and I can't help but blame my IBS. The main reasons they did it was because of absences (I've had 4 and a half days off in 6 months), and an occasion where I called in sick 10 minutes before my shift (as I had a very bad bout of D just before I was going to leave for work). I take imodium for the most part but sometimes it just doesn't cut it. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep down a job with IBS-D? I tried to tell my boss about it the other week but she was very unsympathetic and suggested I take some iron tablets as I was probably mistaking it for anaemia
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## carolann (Jul 29, 2004)

Hi, I feel for you. I've been there. I was having 2-3 "accidents a week. Nothing worked for me. No doctor had a clue. I had every test known to man - everything was normal. It didn't seem to matter what I ate or even if I didn't eat, I would have an "accident". There is no warning and no stopping them. It has to be the worst thing that can happen to a person. Other people don't understand how a normal healthy adult can't hold it in. But it's just impossible. It was ruining my life and my marriage and almost put me on disability from my job. Luckly I have a very flexible job. But after these accidents I would be completely wiped out and had a hard time functioning at work. After much online research I found someting that works 100% for me. It's called Esdifan. If you're interested you can get all the details on www.zeohealth.com/?CM12225. Also if you have any questions, please feel free to email me. I really just want to help other people that are in the same awful boat that I was in.


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