(NC)-Crohn's disease, an inflammatory disease of the gastro-intestinal tract, should not limit your career and if it is doing so, you need to talk to your doctor about improving your treatment, says a leading gastroenterologist.
"The range of treatments now available for Crohn's disease means that patients should be able to pursue any career they choose," says Dr. Brian Bressler, who practices in Vancouver. "That is the goal of treatment."
For the newly diagnosed or those experiencing severe symptoms, the disease presents some unique career challenges, says John Harvie, a Winnipeg-based Human Resources consultant who battled Crohn's for more than 20 years before being prescribed a new biologic therapy that enables him to live a near normal life again. These include:
1. Embarrassment - People are uncomfortable discussing bowel issues, such as diarrhea, especially at work.
2. Invisibility - Crohn's patients may not look ill, making it difficult for employers to understand the need for special accommodations.
3. Youth - Crohn's is often diagnosed during the early career-building years. With fewer years in the workforce or with an employer, there may be less goodwill or fewer benefits.
"Be honest," Harvie advises. "And be as open as you can to make them understand what you are dealing with."
He suggests that patients who are struggling to meet work obligations meet with their human resources department to explore alternative work arrangements, such as telecommuting.
Dr. Bressler stresses that patients must to talk to their doctors about treatment options that will put them on the path to remission. The newest biologic therapy, for example, can be self-administered wherever one happens to be, thus opening doors within or to careers.
For more information on living with Crohn's disease, visit www.ccfc.ca.
- News Canada