Comments on: When it’s time to take charge of your body and your schedule http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2008/03/when-its-time-to-take-charge-of-your-body-and-your-schedule/ Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:24:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Rosalind http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2008/03/when-its-time-to-take-charge-of-your-body-and-your-schedule/comment-page-1/#comment-2440 Rosalind Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:09:52 +0000 http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2008/03/06/when-its-time-to-take-charge-of-your-body-and-your-schedule/#comment-2440 Now that's a good one I never thought of. Here's another trick for those with crohn's or UC- and find that public bathrooms can be a shameful experience due to odors. I always carried (I no longer have UC due to ileostomy) a "deodorizer" with me - and sprayed it in the stall. Amazing what lengths we'll go to to be able to go out in public! It takes a bit of thinking in advance but is worth it. Now that’s a good one I never thought of. Here’s another trick for those with crohn’s or UC- and find that public bathrooms can be a shameful experience due to odors. I always carried (I no longer have UC due to ileostomy) a “deodorizer” with me – and sprayed it in the stall. Amazing what lengths we’ll go to to be able to go out in public! It takes a bit of thinking in advance but is worth it.

]]> By: Chris http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2008/03/when-its-time-to-take-charge-of-your-body-and-your-schedule/comment-page-1/#comment-2439 Chris Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:16:29 +0000 http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2008/03/06/when-its-time-to-take-charge-of-your-body-and-your-schedule/#comment-2439 I've found myself in this situation quite often, particularly during long, intense sales calls. We, as people with chronic illnesses, believe that every spotlight will be focused on us if we have to excuse ourselves from a meeting. But, we forget that the other people in the meeting are most likely just as tired and in need of a break as we are. I always make it a point to say at the beginning of any meeting or sales call that we'll go full bore for a while and then stop to clear our brains for a few minutes. I have never had anyone want to continue plugging along (unless we have so much accomplished that we'd finish shortly anyway). Everyone, whether or not they have a chronic illness, needs to have a few minutes to reset their minds periodically. I, on the other hand, need to run to the ladies' room to take care of an inevitable flare of my Crohn's disease. It's all about managing expectations before a meeting even starts. On a lighter note, a neat trick that I use when I'm having a terrible flare is to bring coffee for everyone in the meeting. Jet fuel from Starbuck's can be counted to go through everyone quickly and guarantees a break. The added bonus is that you get brownie points for bringing treats. I’ve found myself in this situation quite often, particularly during long, intense sales calls. We, as people with chronic illnesses, believe that every spotlight will be focused on us if we have to excuse ourselves from a meeting. But, we forget that the other people in the meeting are most likely just as tired and in need of a break as we are. I always make it a point to say at the beginning of any meeting or sales call that we’ll go full bore for a while and then stop to clear our brains for a few minutes. I have never had anyone want to continue plugging along (unless we have so much accomplished that we’d finish shortly anyway). Everyone, whether or not they have a chronic illness, needs to have a few minutes to reset their minds periodically. I, on the other hand, need to run to the ladies’ room to take care of an inevitable flare of my Crohn’s disease. It’s all about managing expectations before a meeting even starts.

On a lighter note, a neat trick that I use when I’m having a terrible flare is to bring coffee for everyone in the meeting. Jet fuel from Starbuck’s can be counted to go through everyone quickly and guarantees a break. The added bonus is that you get brownie points for bringing treats.

]]> By: Are You Wondering About that Next Job? http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2008/03/when-its-time-to-take-charge-of-your-body-and-your-schedule/comment-page-1/#comment-2206 Are You Wondering About that Next Job? Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:48:19 +0000 http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2008/03/06/when-its-time-to-take-charge-of-your-body-and-your-schedule/#comment-2206 [...] I got this email from a reader in response to my post, When It’s Time to take Charge of Your Body and Your Schedule, [...] [...] I got this email from a reader in response to my post, When It’s Time to take Charge of Your Body and Your Schedule, [...]

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