WELCOME to iHaveUC.com,
My name is Adam Scheuer, I was diagnosed with UC in October of 2008 and it’s been 5 years already. The last 4 years have flown by lightning fast, but the first year after my diagnosis was awful. Maybe you can relate.
Chances are you or someone you know is not feeling great this very moment and ulcerative colitis is to blame. That’s OK.
After using this website, there’s a good chance that can change soon, and there’s almost a 100% guarantee that you for sure won’t feel alone anymore. That’s the goal here.
That’s right, you are Not Alone!
One more time: “You are for sure NOT alone” if you’ve got colitis. There’s hundreds of thousands of us, probably many millions in the world with UC.
Times do get better, and flares do not last forever. That’s the reality.
I started this website at the end of 2009, and it’s helped people in every country you can name (and some spots I’ve never heard of too). It’s used around the world by thousands daily and over 1 Million people have used it since it started. There’s over 20,000 comments on the site’s pages, and there’s over 1500 pictures you’ll find scattered throughout the site. Some pictures are of me, but most of them are others with UC who have shared their stories.
I’ve met hundreds of UC’ers in real life from several countries, and I hope you have that same opportunity in the future as well.
I’ll explain how to use the site below. (There’s over 2500 individual web pages (ALL FOR YOU) so I’m going to highlight some of the pages I want you to focus on.
I’ll give a brief “what’s what” regarding the pages listed below, and you can start surfing from there.
- SURVEYS – We conduct lots of surveys here on the site. And we’ve covered all sorts of topics in the past. Some topics include: Medications, Relationships, Diet, Dealing with Flare Ups, Pregnancy and lots of others. Heck, sometimes we run surveys that are filled with random UC related questions. Anyways, here’s the link to all the surveys, and please read through them: https://www.ihaveuc.com/category/ulcerative-colitis-survey-data/
- VIDEOS – Lots of topics, and lots of good information on how I’ve moved past living with out of control colitis symptoms. There’s even a few videos where I had some quality time interviewing one of the top gut biologists in the world over at Stanford University. If you’ve got speakers, turn them up and check out the videos here: https://www.ihaveuc.com/videos/
- POPULAR STORIES – There have been over 1000 different contributors who have submitted real life stories on this site. Stories from people from all walks of life who also have ulcerative colitis. Some are doing well, others are struggling and everything in-between. If you can think up a way to treat ulcerative colitis, I can assure you it is written about in one of the thousands of stories on the site. Here is a link to some of the most popular stories: https://www.ihaveuc.com/colitis-contributors/
- GASTROENTEROLOGIST REVIEWS – Who doesn’t want a GOOD doctor when you’re an ulcerative colitis patient? Right? So a few years ago, I started a section of the site for people to submit a doctor review of their GI. Turns out, most of the reviews that have been received are from people who ACTUALLY LIKE their GI docs. (I guess people don’t like talking about bad ones, and I can FOR SURE understand that). What this means is, if YOU need to find a good GI doctor, there’s a growing chance that a fellow UC’er has reviewed one in your area. Here is the link to search for a colitis reviewed Gastro: https://www.ihaveuc.com/find-a-doctor-near-you/ (And if you want to submit a GI review whether good or bad, here you go: https://www.ihaveuc.com/gastroenterologist/
- MEDICATION REVIEWS – Are you taking medications currently? People with UC use this site, that’s obvious. And, if you want to see what other UC’ers think about the common UC medications, read the reviews. Here they are: https://www.ihaveuc.com/category/reviews/medication-reviews/
- DIET DIET DIET – I use diet to control my UC, not medications. Diet and treating UC with diet has always been a very popular part of the site, lots of people have followed what I do, and lots of people have had some great success. So there are many pages all over this site on this. Here is a page I wrote at the beginning of starting this site which goes into some details about what treating UC with diet can be like – https://www.ihaveuc.com/the-diet/There is also a section of the website with many other diet related UC stories located here: https://www.ihaveuc.com/category/specific-carbohydrate-diet/
If you want to watch a video documenting the exact foods, meals, and drinks I had for one week which got me OUT OF A FLARE UP, here is that video: https://www.ihaveuc.com/the-colitis-flare-beat-down-party-getting-out-of-my-flare/
- ADD STORY – If you would like to add a story to the site, and have others make comments, you may do so here: https://www.ihaveuc.com/add-story/
- eBOOKS – I have written 2 ebooks for people who are new (or vetrans and struggling) with ulcerative colitis. They are only in digital format, but if you want them in hard copy, you can print them out as well. Here is a page which explains them, and here is an additional page with tons of customer reviews. Sales of the ebooks have kept this website running, and if you are struggling with getting your UC under control and open to something new, they may be a HUGE help to you as well.
- FREE NEWSLETTER – Takes two seconds to sign up, and you will for sure be informed with what’s happening from now on with regards to the site and ulcerative colitis.(And you can participate in the UC surveys if you want) – here’s the link to that: https://www.ihaveuc.com/newsletter/
- FACEBOOK – Check out our facebook group – its several thousand members and growing daily – http://www.facebook.com/ihaveuc
- SITE MAP – If you want to read about topics like “Getting Pregnant with UC” or “Strange Colitis Symptoms” or what life is like before or after surgery. Whatever the case may be, there are thousands of stories which have been sent to me via other UC’ers over the years, and I post them up as quickly as possible. Once they are on the site, that’s when other readers like you can post comments, and the conversation begins to roll. So…check out the site map, there’s all sorts of links there that may help you. https://www.ihaveuc.com/site-map/
Adam Scheuer
founder of iHaveUC.com
I’m really hoping that this website soon becomes your number one source for up to date, real information about ulcerative colitis. It has taken me thousands upon thousands of hours to maintain over the years, but it’s all worth it knowing that UC’ers worldwide make use of it daily. I know the site is probably not the flashiest thing you’ve ever seen, but I hope it’s usable and gets you the information you are looking for. There is some pretty incredible search functionality down at the bottom of every page, and feel free to use it whenever you like.
Like I mentioned at the top of the page, UC is most definitely NOT the end of the world. Flares do end, and normal life always happens. Whether you become an active participant with the website, a silent daily reader, or anything in-between, you are always welcomed here.
Adam Scheuer
founder of iHaveUC.com
I started site shortly after being diagnosed in October of 2008 with severe pancolitis (when my whole colon was inflamed).
For me, it was a very rough start with severe symptoms. Getting bounced from medication to medication was not easy or too helpful. But, I did meet another UC’er, changes several parts of my diet, and of course the rest is history.
Leave a comment, ask a question, take advantage of our past experiences here, use the search boxes, they are your friends to0:)
I’ve written 2 different ulcerative colitis ebooks, you can check them out here.
And, the Free eNewsletter, which has important updates can be joined here.