Confused – Either I’m in Denial or I Don’t Have Colitis

I’m a 39 year old mother of two boys age 14 & 11 and married 17 years. I lead an active lifestyle and eat a healthy diet with a balance of my favorites, sweets.

I was diagnosed after two colonoscopies 2013 but either I’m in denial or I don’t have UC. I only experienced blood in my poop for 5 months and a feeling of not being able to empty, no other symptoms.

Some more:

My family and I live in the town my husband and I grew up in, in Ontario, Canada.
I would say I’m a quiet person who enjoys working out, looking after my family but am not very social in that it makes me a little anxious.

Symptoms:

Currently I have no symptoms.

Confused – Either I’m in Denial or I Don’t Have Colitis

Last July is started finding blood in my poop and when I wiped. I kept it quiet as I figured I must have had a tear or maybe a hemorrhoid. Then I experienced the feeling of not being able to empty my bowels along with some mucus. I would visit the toilet 6-10 times a day and not have the relief of being empty, never any diarrhea. At the end of August I saw a doctor and he issued blood work and a colonoscopy but no stool sample. In October I had a colonoscopy by a general surgeon and he put me on mesalazine 2 pills 3xdaily to clear up infection. He said I had areas of inflammation but not throughout so he thought Crohn’s or UC. This was still while I was in recovery room. After 7 weeks I saw him for results and he forwarded me to a Gastroenterologist.

By December I was in for another colonoscopy for this doctor and before I left the hospital he increased the mesalazine to 4 pills 2x daily and also Cortenema rectal daily for 21 days. He had found my rectum very inflamed and farther along inflammation that an enema couldn’t reach. After 24 hours of these meds I have not bled since and quickly returned to a normal pooping schedule.

It took four months to see this doctor again for a follow up. I had followed his prescription until it ran out early January and just saw him last week, end of April. I was chastised for ending my medications without his consent and told I would be on the mesalazine, same dosage, and coryenema rectal, 1-2x weekly for the rest of my life, come back in one year.

That was it!!! No education.

I wonder myself if I had a parasite that gave me the symptoms of blood and inflammation but never got to voice it as he moved on to the next patient. So I’m confused and not convinced I have UC. Just wondering if anyone had experienced my symptoms. Every story I’ve read and websites I’ve looked at say I should be experiencing diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Ask Adam:

“Do I have mild UC or something else? My doctor is useless. ”

written by Janet L

Hey Janet,

First and foremost, congrats to you for getting your symptoms under control so quickly.  That is really great news, and especially cool that it sounds like you had absolutely no symptoms even after your “required” medications ran out…

I have no idea if you have UC.  I’m assuming that the doctor(s) who performed your colonoscopy and diagnosed you with UC know what they are to be looking for.  In the end, we can all “have UC” but be in remission periods for long periods of time if not indefinitely that make our body and minds think we don’t have it.  Is that denial?  I have no clue.  Celebrate your feeling good, with our without UC, that’s great news Janet!

Cheers,

-Adam