# Working and IBS



## mrbugg (Apr 28, 2010)

I was diagnosed with IBS when I was 16. I'm tired of it controlling my life. It's been an obstacle in almost every pursuit of mine- I missed most of my Grade 12 year and lost some sixty pounds waiting to be diagnosed and almost failed, but managed to scrape into university. Then, I was asked to withdraw as a freshman because I was too ill to attend classes. Since then, I've learned to manage it and I'm down to about one sick day a month, sometimes none. But that's not good enough in the 'real world'. Despite providing full disclosure prior to being hired and receiving assurances I would be looked after, I received 'that talk' today from my boss that any more sick days (only my third of the year, again not that bad!) would mean losing a coveted full-time job in favor of being put back into the staffing pool (it's a temp agency). I'm not sure where to go from here. I need a job, but no one seems to understand. What types of places have people found that allow them to work full-time but yet have the flexibility to call in sick?


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

What are you rworst symptoms? Perhaps there are ways to manage them that you haven't tried or are not aware of, so you do not have to call in sick.Give us some more info so maybe we can help you better. In my experience most jobs go with a certain amount of acceptable sick days. I think it used to be 5-6 sick days were considered kinda standard. Of course some companies are WAAAY more stingy than that and others are a bit more generous. But maybe if it was June and you had only used half they wouldn't mind. So let's see what we can do to get your better symptom management so you do not need to stay home quite as frequently.


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## IrvinPlank (Mar 29, 2010)

Soluble fiber helps both diarrhea and constipation. It dissolves in water and forms a gel-like material. Many foods contain soluble fiber such as apples, beans and citrus fruits. Psyllium, a natural vegetable fiber, is a also a soluble fiber. You can buy psyllium supplements (some brand names: Fiberall, Metamucil, Perdiem) to drink and you can add it to other foods.Dairy products may seem to make IBS symptoms worse if you're lactose intolerant. If this seems to be the case, you may need to limit the amount of milk and milk products in your diet. Talk to your family doctor if you think you have trouble digesting dairy products.Stress may trigger symptoms in people with IBS. Talk to your family doctor about ways to deal with stress, such as exercise, relaxation training or meditation.


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## claire_louise (Dec 8, 2009)

I really sympathize with you. I had the same problem and had to quit my job a year ago (it was part-time as I'm also a student, but my degree is mostly done from home). I accept that I couldn't have carried on and am stil far too ill to work, but I'm currently working on getting a job that I can do from home once I graduate. Would this be an option for you maybe?


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## tiff125 (Apr 13, 2010)

I can understand what you are going through. I've been dealing with other digestive system problems plus IBS for the last two months to the point where I had to take a leave of absence for a month. I had already missed 6 days by the middle of March though and my employer gives us 10 days a year. Even though they weren't happy with me missing so much they were pretty good with it. Even now I'm only working part time but am still getting the benefits of being a full time employee. My suggestion to you is to start looking for another job now before you need it. Missing 3 days isn't too bad, I don't know why your company would throw a fit about it. Even though there aren't the most jobs out there right now there has to be a better one than the one you have now.


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