Pity Party, care to chime in?

[Stushica]

So I realize that this is basically going to be me whining for the next few paragraphs but I just don’t know how to feel. For starters I’m not disabled per-say but I do have Ulcerative Colitis, which has nearly caused Lupus, amongst other painful things. I’m allergic to almost all of the meds. nearly unresponsive to steroids and basically if i get sick it’s going to be a mess trying to use experimental therapies or getting a colostmy bag, i’m 22 and i don’t think at any age I’ll think riding with a colostmy bag will be fun. Speaking of which anyone here have any advice on that?

Anyway, since I’ve moved I’ve had a hard time with farriers either their down right awful or like my last guy who was ok have decided to quit shoeing and pick up more training. gr. This has lead me to pull out some old skills that I learned traveling with my farrier as a kid (not THAT long ago) and combined that with information learned from my last farrier in PA that was FANTASTIC! to start trimming my two mares. flame suit on I’ve been laid off and just recently got a seasonal position that will get me a little money while I’m looking for a job… but back to where I’m going with this. I came home from trimming my girls and I made a comment about how I wish that the farriers here were better, when my boyfriend looks at me and is like “well why don’t you go to school and be a farrier so there will be good farriers and then you’ll have a job.” now this has crossed my mind before but I figured he would totally shoot it down. I’m like alright I’ll look into it, I bounce it off my mom and a few others and get positive reviews. my parents tried to save money for me to go to college but what’s in that account wont cover even half a semester at most colleges, but it will cove farrier school and most of my start up costs. awesome.

So last night we’re debating rig set up and vehicles and DH’s like “well you really only need something for a few years before you have to get a government job or something.” and i’m like wtf? why would i get a government job? and he’s like “that’s the only career field I can think of that will have good enough health insurance to cover you incase you get really sick again.” at which point i go into auto-pissed mode and i’m like well why the hell would i spend 11,000 on this and then just quit in two years?! and he’s like “well i want you to be happy and i think this is the perfect job for you so i want you to do it but no one will cover you and you getting sick can completely bankrupt us and i’m not doing that so you’ll need a real job.”

I know he’s right but i really really hate being the bubble girl sometimes and I don’t know what to do. I really want to do this but the idea of being forced to quit so i can go scrub toilets just sucks, I haven’t been able to pass a civil service test and I don’t really like kids and I might be able to get into the fire department but i struggled on the volunteer physical and they rarely rarely hire. anyone else stuck in a job they hate because of sickness or disability?

mods I realize this isn’t exactly riding related either but it is a horse career

[draftdriver]

I have no experience with ulcerative Colitis, but I do have auto-immune arthritis.

The happier and more relaxed I am, the better I feel. If a career in farriery is where your heart is, you will be much happier (and possibly healthier) than ‘scrubbing toilets’ in a government office tower. IMO.

[ccoronios]

As a government employee, I will warn said boyfriend that cushy gummint jobs are a bit harder to come by these days than they used to be.

That said, I’m assuming that you graduated from HS (since you said your parents had a college fund for you). You mentioned that you haven’t been able to pass a civil service test. Please feel free to PM me a response to this if you wish, but why?

Have you studied for them? The answers they’re looking for don’t always seem to make the most sense; some questions seem very tricky, but once you understand CS logic - and can divorce yourself from ‘normal’ logic - they are decipherable. We have material available for study which not only includes sample questions, but also answers and explanations at the end.

Do you rush through them because sitting at a schoolroom desk (or cafeteria table) for 3 hours is beyond your tolerance level? Do you sit & fret over the real puzzlers, or put a check mark next to them and go on through the ones that aren’t causing you extreme frustration, and then come back to the puzzlers?

I know you’re only 22, and at 22, health insurance was the very last thing I’d have scraped money together for - even though I was riding & training. But I had no health complications. Your boyfriend has a point - and even with national health care, it will cost you something. And you are talking about a career where broken/injured body parts are not uncommon, nor are they conducive to keeping your appointments. You have no ‘paid sick days’; and I doubt that you’d be covered by workmen’s compensation, since nobody would be paying into it for you.

One thought: I believe the national health care act pushed coverage under parents’ policy to 26 (in other words, your parents could cover you under their policy for another 3-4 years) - but I’m not sure of the limitations on that (whether you have to be in school/living at home).

Good luck…one of my former students has Lupus and I know she struggles at times.

[Fillabeana]

Can’t chime in much about the UC…but I had a lovely bowel resection in 2005, that my doc is SURE (from some blood test looking for a specific marker that nobody seems to be able to tell me about…) was due to my having Crohn’s Disease.
I also have fibromyalgia and chronic migraine. I am a TERRIBLY delicate flower, and it REALLY burns my butt. I’ve been a rancher’s wife for 20 years, and I work hard…when I can.

In terms of the management of my problems, I have a good doctor (MD) who is a Physiatrist. His specialty is helping you find out how to manage your health, with drugs (if needed), alternative therapies, physical therapy, etc. I find that I get a good balance if I can stay active. If I’m in shape, and stay that way, I can work, ride all day, preg check cows all day, remove shoes and trim a horse, etc.
I have the inevitable two days in a row in bed from a barfy migraine, or intolerable fatigue every so often, my husband simply changes his plans for a few days or figures out how to do something without me. I just HATE it when I’m in bed, and he goes out riding…but it happens sometimes.

If I am in a flare, or hurting, I MUST slow down and take it easy. You can’t patch it over with drugs and keep going, you’ll just make yourself worse, is what I’ve found out.
I haven’t had a really super painful Crohn’s flare for a while, but if I get one I have to just go lie down for a few days.
I really do NOT want to take steroid drugs for the Crohn’s. I will have to be unconscious and unable to deny docs the ability, before they give me steroids.

As far as a job as a farrier, you would have to look carefully at how much you would be earning, and factor in what to do when you are feeling poorly. You will have to manage your activity and stress levels, and be able to reschedule and cancel if you have to. That might be really hard to manage, in a business. But you might be able to manage it, and that might be what keeps you happy and healthy. You might have to have fewer clients, and charge more…and also have them understand when you need to reschedule or have another farrier fill in. That’s a tall order, but if you are REALLY good as a farrier, and also smart about handling business (and not taking on customers just to pay bills) you might be able to make it work.

I didn’t go to vet school as was my dream in high school. By the time I got to college, I knew my body would not be able to handle vet school. I could barely physically handle a BS degree. At that time I didn’t know I had Crohn’s and Fibromyalgia, I just knew that a lot of the time I felt crappy and couldn’t keep up, or keep long late hours. I knew I had the academic and ‘critter’ ability to do vet school, but still haven’t seen any ‘get your DMV degree over 8 years’ options, because that is what it would have to have been.
I love my career/life now, I wouldn’t change it. But you are smart looking now at how you can make your living, and have a life you actually enjoy.

[Snowflake]

Here’s what I would do. Do what makes you happy. Look into getting membership with a Farrier guild where they may offer health insurance at group rates instead of having to purchase your own individual policy. Individual policies tend to be more expensive.

Your boyfriend can always man up, put a ring on it, get the cushy government job and cover you under the family policy of the really nice government health insurance if he’s really that concerned.

But, in the event that doesn’t happen, I’m sure you’ll do well enough to take care of yourself. Stay strong and I wish you the best of health!

[wateryglen]

Just my 2 cents!

I’m not sure farrier work will be ok for you. It’s a terribly hard job physically and you’re going to be physically & emotionally stressed from your disease enough as it is. I vote you consider some other options. Something a bit more mainstream if possible.
Sad to say, your disease may prevent you from getting insurance coverage under “pre-existing” clauses in a non-employment or self employment scenario. And not all employers buy insurance for their employees that waives that clause too. You need to check that before you get a job with ANYONE if you are planning on getting insurance thru your employer.
Please accept the recommendations of your doctors for your UC treatment if you want to have the best outcomes. Even if that involves steroids which are quite effective in reducing flares. Medical treatment participation may prevent surgical interventions but even that is quite effective for a good quality life.
Contact a local hospitals ostomy coordinator and inquire about active lifestyles w/colostomy. They may have a support group of UC folks too you could learn from. I understand your anxiety & “whining” is just fine. Just learn as much as you can about all of it. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER AND REDUCES FEAR!!

[Laurierace]

I am having trouble getting past you having a boyfriend and a DH! I agree that being a farrier is extremely hard on an able body let alone one with challenges but you are the only one who can decide that part of it.

[Lucassb]

The rule proposals published in the current Federal Register to implement Obamacare would actually remove a lot of the concern that currently exists about coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. They won’t go into effect until 2014, but you can read about them here: http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2012/11/market-reforms11202012a.html

[AppendixQHLover]

Having an auto immune disorder myself I can tell you there are days that you are going to be so tired that shoing horses will be to much.

Most of my auto-immune disorder can be managed with a very strict diet. IF I go off said strict diet I have horrible flare up. I would think UC would be the same way.

I would think about going to college and finding a career that will make you happy. Continue to trim your mare’s and find something else for paying bills. IF I had to redo it all over again I would go into Ultrasound Technican. Work in the medical field and do something interesting. Also get paid well.

You can always get assistance for tuition, there are programs out there.