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Inflammatory bowel disease can keep you from working

by | Jan 16, 2019 | Firm News |

Every now and then Alabama residents suffer from digestive illnesses such as a stomach bug or food poisoning. They would probably say this is one of the worst sicknesses they ever experienced. The difference between you and them, however, is that they recover. You have a chronic and incurable condition called inflammatory bowel disease.

IBD is the umbrella condition for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Regardless of which condition your doctor diagnosed, it substantially interferes with your ability to do the things you want to do, including work. In fact, estimates indicate that IBD costs companies with employees somewhere in the neighborhood of $800 million a year in lost productivity, but that probably isn’t your primary concern.

What you do care about

When it comes to your suffering, you probably care more about the following issues than how it affects your employer:

  • Your stress level and diet don’t contribute to it.
  • Doctors have yet to find a cure for IBD.
  • No one dietary solution exists to abate your symptoms.
  • Your IBD leaves you vulnerable to other conditions.
  • You could suffer extra-intestinal complications.
  • People mistake IBD for irritable bowel syndrome.
  • IBD and IBS require different treatments.

Fortunately, the condition is not fatal. Even so, that may be of little consolation while your symptoms peak.

What do your symptoms look like?

If you suffer from IBD, you probably experience the following symptoms during a “flare up” whether you have ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease:

  • You could have a fever.
  • You may lose weight without trying.
  • You probably experience abdominal pain.
  • You more than likely experience diarrhea.
  • You could even have eye or skin irritations.
  • You could experience rectal bleeding.

These symptoms are often embarrassing, scary and frustrating. You probably have days where you can’t even leave your home. If your condition is bad enough, you may not even be able to return to work for a substantial amount of time. This probably leaves you wondering how you will support you and your family.

It may be possible to obtain Social Security Disability benefits  if the conditions are right. You have enough to worry about dealing with your medical condition; the last thing you should worry about is paying your bills. Considering the importance of your receipt of such benefits, you may greatly benefit from discussing your situation with an attorney experienced in filing such claims for people, especially since many are denied the first time and require an appeal.

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