How Ulcerative Colitis Changed my Life

When I was first diagnosed with ulcerative colitis I was twenty-four years old. Being told that you have a disease like this can be overwhelming and confusing. I didn't understand what it meant to have inflammatory bowel disease but my gastroenterologist told me that once I was on medication my symptoms would lessen and I would be able to lead a normal life. He had a very optimistic outlook about my condition and gave me confidence that that my prognosis looked good.

I was started on the most common medication for ulcerative colitis called Asacol. Some weeks went by and I didn't notice any change in my condition and in fact, at times I felt like my symptoms were worse than before I had started the medication. Because this medication didn't work my doctor tried another therapy that was used in moderate cases of inflammatory bowel disease. This therapy didn't work either.

I started becoming very negative and doubted every decision my doctor made in how to treat me. Eventually I acquired toxic megacolon and had to have my entire colon removed. Because I no longer had a colon I was told that I couldn't have colitis. My symptoms should have started diminishing within weeks of my operation. After my body healed and I was able to go back to a somewhat normal life I noticed that the symptoms were coming back and felt even worse than they had the first time around. I went to see my doctor again and was re-diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in my small bowel.

Again I was put on medications to remedy my symptoms. This time I was even more skeptical about my doctor's decisions. I was assured that with the treatments I was on things would get better. When one drug didn't work we would move on to the next. This pattern continued until finally my doctor decided to try a more rigorous therapy that was used to treat cases of severe ulcerative colitis or Crohn's Disease. I continued to suffer the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease even after being put on this biologic therapy. From the time of my initial diagnosis up to now I have had seventeen surgeries and am still experimenting with different therapies. In the last seven years there have been very few instances in which I have gone into complete remission and didn't have to endure the pain.

At the beginning I felt anger and resentment. I was angry that it was me and not someone else that had to get sick, and I was bitter towards those who had their health. A lot of this negativity was directed at my family. It affected my relationship with my parents and with my siblings. I became depressed and distant and I lived in my own world of self- pity. It was very difficult to get out of this hole that I had created and buried myself in. The most important and taxing part of my therapy was humility. If I couldn't humble myself and ask for help I would be allowing this disease to control my life and dictate my future.

Once I accepted the fact that this disease was going to be something that I would have to deal with for the rest of my life, things began to get easier. I changed my attitude towards my family, my friends, and most importantly myself. Today I do my part in contributing my time and energy to help educate those who have been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and give them hope and encouragement that there is a future for them.