www.incontinentsupport.org

Hello all. I have given my studies in college careful thought. Right now I am studying history and minoring in education. I have decided I don't want to teach. I have to teach this semester in my classes and I am just thinking it's not for me. I love history, but there are very few jobs for historians besides education. And they are hard to come by. I want something that is promising with a good job market and good pay. It has to be rewarding and fun.

I am thinking about going to school to be an Occupational Therapy Assistant. The education would be for 2 years. It would be an Associate of Science degree. The pay would be on average $25 an hour according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There are plenty of jobs and the needs are rising. When I graduated, I could work in a hospital, nursing home, or in the school system. I plan on working in a hospital setting in Pediatrics perhaps.

I got this idea because when I was hospitalized, an occupational therapist came to help me. I liked the idea of their job. They are there to improve the lives of disabled people by showing them how to be successful despite their disabilities. When my elderly grandfather broke his arm, they came to his house and showed him how to put his socks on. They also show people how to do things like brush their teeth, get dressed, or get from a bed to a wheelchair. I have done quite a bit of research on this profession and it seems to be very rewarding and these people (from what I have read) love their jobs.

As far as education goes, I have already studied most of the prerequisites. The only one I need is Anatomy and Physiology. I have already had multiple psychology courses, english, human growth and development, speech, and calculus. I have an Associates Degree already, this would be a second one as an Associate of Science. This associates degree would actually be useful unlike my first one.

I am looking for a job that is compatible with my bipolar disorder and incontinence. I was wondering if diapers are visible under scrubs? This wouldn't stop me from pursuing this profession. I know scrubs are pretty thin. I plan to wear the diaper, kins plastic pants (which reduce noise) and a tshirt style concealer from Easy Access Clothing. I really want to help disabled people like myself live a happy life. I'm pretty sure I can do this. I emailed my doctor to see what she thinks; I think its doable. It is certainly worth trying. For my program, I have to volunteer with an Occupational Therapist or Assistant to see what they do. I just hope my bipolar doesn't get in my way, I don't think the incon will be a problem. I have been incontinent for 4 years and have learned many tricks to live with this disorder successfully. I am going next week to look into applying.

If you are young and looking for a career medical is pretty much the way to go, and will be for the next 20 years or so. As the baby boomers age out demand for medical care is going up, up, up. That's everything from hospitals, to assisted living facilities, to in-home care and all the doctors, nurses, therapists, aides and assistants that go along with it.

My wife has her degree in the arts and was looking to be an art teacher. However the downturn meant most school districts stopped hiring teachers, so she jumped over to the personal care field about two years ago and is now Activities Director at a small assisted living facility. Once she has a few years experience at the small facility she can look at moving on to a larger one and thus climb the corporate ladder.

As far as professions being "incontinence friendly"... I believe you can do anything you put your mind to. I've been working in warehouses since 2004 and haven't run into any problems with being IC. Those who know are discreet about the matter and those who don't are (obviously) ignorant to what's going on around them. Nobody has ever given me any grief about it.

The career path you choose is, of course, up to you. I would advise you to choose something you enjoy, but I would also advise you to choose something that has a future and potential for growth. Don't sink a ton of money into a college education if you're not going to be able to find a job in the field you majored in. So many students do that and it's just a big waste. The best thing you can do is to look at the city you live in and see what's in demand there. As an example, Salt Lake City has lots of kids, lots of seniors and lots of individuals with special needs... so childcare, seniorcare and special needs care are huge employers here. SLC is also home to a number of large online retailers. Overstock.com is based here, Amazon and E-bay have large centers here, and there are hundreds of smaller startup companies.

Take a look around... check the local paper, check craigslist. See who is hiring and what they are hiring for... odds are if a company is growing in these tough times they will be doing even better when things eventually turn around.

Don,

There should be no problem in this type career and having to wear diapers. Scrubs are baggy and you already have the noice problem taken care of. Go for it, man!! .....Paul Martin

Paul and Puddleguy,

I spoke with one of my doctors the other day and she supported me even though I have the Bipolar disorder. She is a therapist and has her masters degree. She believes with me having multiple disabilities, that I could bring some fresh ideas to caring for patients because I have experienced things the other OT's personally have not. She believes I could go quite far. I hope so. I am going to meet with some OT's that work for area hospitals soon. I plan to shadow them and see what they do day to day. Maybe after I do that it will give me an idea if I truly want to do this or not. I'm pretty set on it right now. My family is not crazy about me changing my major or going after a second Associates degree. The more I learn though, the more I want to do this. Cheers.

Don

Don't worry about what your family thinks. Go with what your heart is set on and continue to do the research. Many, many people have ended up doing things other than their major. If your mind and heart are set on something then family or friends can't dissuade you unless, of course, it's completely dangerous or impractical. Occupational therapy, of course, is neither and I know there will definitely be a growing demand for it. So it's really smart to set your sights on something like that. With an associate's degree, I believe it'll lead to a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) and once you get on that level the opportunity for growth is almost limitless. At that stage you're probably looking at the OTR or registered occupational therapist level and you'll be qualified for that program. You're lucky to be at the point where you are now and the thing to do is go for it!!!

im thinking about becoming an OT or OTA.. as ive probaly mentioned before..

Rob,
I gave up on the OTA job. I did manage to get a degree in business admin. And I have some business certifications in Lean/Six Sigma. I am looking for a career in logistics. I worked logistics for the Marines for 6 years before I became disabled from Bipolar Disorder. My Bipolar disorder is very severe. Doctors have described me as severely, chronically mentally ill. I try to work with my conditions but I don't always win. The OTA job isn't the first thing I've had to give up on. My Bipolar disorder has beat me in many ways. But I still have my family to lean on and they help me in so many ways.

Don,
I hope you dont mind me asking these questions about you.. if you dont want to answer on the board, feel free to send me a private message..i only want to help..and you dont have to answer if you do not want to.

First of all, is your Bipolar stable? are the medications you take effective? I ask because what i do for my job (the title is Recovery Coordinator) is help find resources for individuals who are disabled find resources who dont have recourse to community mental health system, with particular emphasis on severe mental illness. Do you have a current case open with your CMH(community mental health system)? Is there a local drop-in center where you can go for peer support? Have you attended WRAP (wellness recovery action planning) meetings? Are you on SSI or SSDI, or some other assitance program in lieu of job income?

I myself have a form of mental illness (PDD-NOS and ADHD) and its not easy to live with at times, but id say its probably not as debilitating as bipolar. I am very glad that you recognize the importance of staying on your medication despite the unpleasant side effect of incontience. Are you able to afford your medications?

If you need help, i might be able to google some stuff for you in your area... just let me know..

Again, forgive the very personal questions.. im only trying to help

Peace out!

Rob

P.S. Mods, please forgive the off topic nature of this post..