Our Battle with Ulcerative Colitis

No matter how you think about it, living with Ulcerative Colitis is a battle. It does go into a sort of remission for varying periods of time, but to my knowledge there is no definitive cure for this disease. There are times that you don't even think about the fact that you have the disease, then all of a sudden the symptoms come back, seemingly without any forewarning. The hardest thing for me is getting up in the morning to go to the bathroom thinking I am going to get some relief only to leave the bathroom often times with no results and still have cramping and discomfort in the abdomen.

There are several different medications to help relieve the discomfort, but so far nothing has completely taken the symptoms away. For those who may not be dealing with this malady, imagine getting up in the morning to have a bowel movement, and walking away after sitting on the toilet for a while with no results. Now imagine doing that five or even six times every morning until you finally have a large enough bowel movement to make you feel like you may actually be able to get yourself through the day. Then you get to work and what's the first thing you think you need to do? That's right, you need to hit the bathroom again. I know there are other far worse diseases out there than Ulcerative Colitis, but in my mind there are not many that will disrupt your daily life like this one will.

I have been dealing with Ulcerative Colitis for several years and even though I have learned to deal with the symptoms, I sometimes think this is as normal as I am ever going to get until they find a cure, which I don't think is going to happen in my life time. Along with the pain, discomfort and disrupted lifestyle, there is also at least for me the horrible odor you have to deal with when you do use the rest room. It is a highly embarrassing thing to hear your friends and co-workers sometimes comment on the wretched smell they have to deal with after you come out of the bathroom and some one else goes in right after you. There surely must be a way to lessen the distinctively rotten smell.

Ulcerative Colitis is not by any means an uncommon disease, and with enough research there will eventually come a day when we can put this disease in the archives and countless people will once again be able to experience a life free of pain and discomfort that most of society takes for granted. Those of us dealing with Ulcerative Colitis must be aware of what we eat at all times because there are many foods that will bring on an outbreak. I have to stay clear of peanuts and any kind of small seeds, especially like the seeds found in strawberries. As much as I love them I know better than to try eating them, I am sure different people have different levels if Colitis and even different symptoms. We can all probably get by with some foods that others dealing with this disease cannot.

There are as I stated before far worse and life threatening conditions than Ulcerative Colitis, but some scientists somewhere needs to hit on a cure for this disease and I can only hope it is soon. The medical industry can do some highly advanced and effective things these days and those of us suffering with Ulcerative Colitis can only hope we are next in line for a miracle cure.