Meet Pat:
I was diagnosed with UC in July of 2009. I am twenty one years old applying to dental school. I am so relieved that I found this website and now I know that I am not the only one struggling with this disease.
My Symptoms:
For the past 3 years with ulcerative colitis, I had yearly flareups. These flareups were blood and mucus with my bowel movement. For the past two years, when these flareups occurred, I would take mesalamine enemas for appx. two weeks and everything would be back to normal. For some reason, NOW, for the past month and a half, my flareup is STILL not gone. I am currently taking 4 pills of Lialda daily and hydrocortisone enema. I have a scheduled sigmoidoscopy tomorrow which can hopefully help the doctor give me the right medication.
My Story:
I was 17 years old when I was diagnosed with UC and I have been living with it for 3 years. I have been taking Lialda, two tablets daily, and it has helped me maintain remission with only a few flareups until now. I am very scared that my condition got worse.
The first time I saw blood in my stool was in 2008. I went to a GI doctor, went through a colonsocopy, and did not have UC yet. I was diagnosed with proctitis. But then, one year later, I saw blood again and one day I went to the bathroom 9 times! Then I went to a GI doctor again, he did another colonoscopy, where I was diagnosed with mild UC.
My symptoms while living with UC are mild abdominal pain, blood with my stool, mucus, occasional diarrhea, and occasional nausea.
After reading many stories on this website, and I only came across the website today, and reading Adam’s life changing story really gives me hope. All my GI doctors told me diet has nothing to do with anything, stress has nothing to do with anything, and that medication is the key. But now I see that if I try a good diet and a productive lifestyle maybe I can beat UC as well!
UC has not only changed my life, but my family’s life as well. I cried myself to sleep many times, and currently i feel helpless because my flareup is not leaving. My family worries so much and I feel so bad.
What concerns me the most is that this disease is supposedly incurable and that I will live with it for the rest of my life. I hope I can beat this disease just like Adam did and share with the rest of the people struggling with the disease my success and how they can beat it too.
Where I’d like to be in 1 year:
In one year, I want to be starting dental school colitis free. It is September 7, 2012 8:36pm and my battle against my disease has officially started. I will do whatever it takes to get rid of UC once and for all.
Colitis Medications:
Lialda was great for me. No side effects at all.
written by Pat
submitted in the colitis venting area
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Hi everyone,
I was diagnosed with UC in July of 2009. I am twenty one years old applying to dental school. I am so relieved that I found this website and now I know that I am not the only one struggling with this disease.
