Twenty One and Sick of Being Sick

Hi! My name is Ann and I am a 21 year old junior in college majoring in education from the Philadelphia area. I was diagnosed with UC two years ago.

Some more about me:

I am a down to earth girl who loves to have fun, I love just hanging out with my friends and laughing but also love dancing at the bars with them. My family is a huge part of my life and I rely on them constantly. I love summer barbeques and sports. I played sports all my life and love watching them too.

Symptoms:

Currently I am just about two weeks out of the hospital. I contracted c diff which sent me into a nasty flare. I was in the hospital for two weeks and it was terrible. I had upper right side pain constantly, was going to the bathroom with the stupid iv pole every hour, was not sleeping at all, and developed terrible ulcers in the back of my throat. Now that I am home I am suffering from some anxiety coming off bu time pain killers. I have trouble sleeping at night. Some days I am in the bathroom twenty times a day with diarrhea others it is better. I have lower abdominal pain when going to the bathroom and experience some nausea here and there.

21 And Sick of Being Sick

I was diagnosed with UC my spring semester of my freshman year of college, fun. Having this disease in a dorm room setting where your room is farthest from the communal bathrooms was not the most ideal situation.

When first diagnosed I was put on lialda and it did calm my symptoms until I saw my GI again and she did not like that I was in the bathroom at least seven times a day. So for a year we tried every pill out there and I was on and off prednisone.  While on prednisone I always felt better. I got through my sophomore year and that summer my inflammation was getting worse. We decided to try Remicade, with high hopes I went through three rounds and no relief.

So of August last year I started Humira and Imuran. For some reason I am not a fan of Imuran but since Remicade did not work on its own my GI insisted I take it. Humira gave me relief and I went back to school to start my junior year. Until in October I was hit with c diff. I was taking vancomycin but had no relief. I was so sick, fevers everyday, not making it to the bathroom, stopping in every bathroom on the way to class it was terrible. Because of the fevers I was not able to take humira so that also didn’t help my case. I came home and spent five days in the hospital.

The c diff sent me into a flare up but with rest prednisone and taking in protein I was able to gain my strength and nourishment back. I returned to school for the spring semester and was doing very well, cooking all my own food and my symptoms were mostly under control.

But then I got c diff AGAIN. I knew something was wrong so I came home right away a week later I was back in the hospital terribly sick. I stayed there for two miserable weeks, the first was the worst I don’t really remember it, it was all a blur with surgical teams and so many other doctors coming in.

I came home and am now considering what to do going forward. I am still completely wiped out from the hospital and have again come home from school. My immune system is suppressed from the humira so the c diff hitting me twice is really my problem. I am looking with a stool transplant procedure that apparently will completely prevent c diff from occurring in the future.

I would hate to have surgery but it looks like that might be an option. As a 21 year old it is not ideal to have one of those bags attached to me. I am really looking for people to talk to that have had this surgery.

For my diet I avoid dairy, fried foods, raw veggies and fruits, nuts. I basically eat chicken, rice, pasta, soup, potatoes, I cook with lactose free cheese and milk as well. My goal is to get off the heavy drugs and have my life back. I am tired of UC holding me back from experiences I should be having as a college student.

I know one day I will not feel like this but right now it is hard to picture that day. I don’t really have anyone to talk to with my condition so finding someone to talk to would be wonderful.

written by Ann G

submitted in the colitis venting area