Please Excuse My Whining, I’m a Teenager with Colitis

Introduction:

Hi, I’m a 15 year old female with colitis. I was first diagnosed in 2004 in 3rd grade so this year is going to be my 8th year living with colitis.

My Story:

This past year (or two) I have finally understood the seriousness and scariness of colitis. When I was younger I just took the pills, and dealt with the pain. I have had to conquer the mocking voices of middle schoolers (and some high) while on prednizone (sp?) and just basic embarrassment of having colitis not to mention much more. So far I have had 3 hospital stays each about a week and a half long and a total of 7 flare ups; 2 of which were in these past couple months. I have had a total of 10 bags of donated blood transfused through me and countless bags of fluids. As my sophomore year of high school starts I worry more and more about college, being in a college preparatory school its hard, really hard. Staying honor roll through 8th grade was something I took a lot pride in until this past year. The school really bumps up the difficultly freshman year, and between being sick and the difficulty of the school I only achieved Cs. It was a bl ow to my academic self esteem to say the least. My parents (and the school, cant put all blame on them) forced me to get a tutor, who to quite blunt, stinks. Yeah, she does help me do my homework but that’s about it. Honestly, she just convinces my parents that I have a learning problem which is hard to hear when you have another problem, colitis. Its also hard to hear when you have spent your entire school life being told how bright and smart you were. So between working on projects, books, and tests the tutors give me and homework I struggle to be a normal teenage girl. I understand that its in my best interest, but I think part of being a teenager and living with colitis is getting out and having fun when you can. Which sadly I dont get to do a lot of because my mom lives in fear of me over doing my self with my friends and getting sick. My friends are cool with it and help me though tough times but they never really understand what I go through everyday. My family h as been my backbone and support system when it comes to the disease for a long time. There supposed to be right? But, I find even then they dont understand. My grandmother who also had colitis, then colon cancer, and then cell cancer, which she eventually and unfortunately passed away from, was suffering from the disease until I was in 2nd grade (when she died). I always wonder what it would have been like to have a mentor of the sorts for colitis, but alas, I was not so lucky. My sister was really the one I turned to this past year. We have become much closer and I find that although she isnt as mature its nice to vent sometimes. I would have loved to turn to my mom but I find she stresses out about it a lot and I know not purposely makes me feel like their lives would be much easier either a) without me or b) with colitis (which makes sense but still). My dad is pretty important man at his job so he isnt around as much as I would like, and its always a bit easier for girls to talk to girls. Needless to say I guess I am just an average teenage girl living with colitis, and that typing this made me feel a whole lot better. If anyone does happen to read this…well thank you for bearing though my story. Which, by the way, was not checked by my tutor so forgive my grammar.

Medications:

6mp
Lialda
Prednizone
dark yellow/orange round pills?
VSL#3
iron supplement
folic acid

Questions:

1. Are you really not supposed to drink alcohol? Being in high school the temptation and pressure only gets worse…

2. Any tips for coping with abdominal pain?

3. Any tips in general for a teenage girl with colitis?

4. Ideas for the easiest way of explaining colitis to friends?….finding that I used the weirdest explanations

5. Colitis and teenage boys…dare I ask? To tell or not to tell? What would be their reaction?

6. Does the surgery really reduce changes of getting pregnant (for when im older!) ?

Submitted by and Anonymous UC’er in the Venting Area