background information

I will be 20 years old in June and I have been struggling with Ulcerative Colitis for the past year and a half. I'm sure a lot of people don't know what that is, considering I had no clue what it was when I was diagnosed with it. Here's a short little definition I found from the mayo clinic website…

Ulcerative colitis (UL-sur-uh-tiv koe-LIE-tis) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes long-lasting inflammation in part of your digestive tract.

Like Crohn's disease, another common IBD, ulcerative colitis can be debilitating and sometimes can lead to life-threatening complications. Because ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition, symptoms usually develop over time, rather than suddenly.

Ulcerative colitis usually affects only the innermost lining of your large intestine (colon) and rectum. It occurs only through continuous stretches of your colon, unlike Crohn's disease, which occurs anywhere in the digestive tract and often spreads deeply into the affected tissues.

Last summer I spent almost 30 days in the hospital due to this condition and it got to the point where I thought I would have to get surgery to get my colon taken completely out. Fortunately, I was able to try a very strong medication called Cyclosporin, which was basically a miracle because I was feeling better within a few days. 

I have now recently transferred schools in order to be closer to home and my doctor in Chicago. Even though things have been going great at my new school, my condition is still a major issue in my life and it affects me everyday. I am currently waiting until May when a new medicine is coming out that is supposed to work really well. I am hoping this can be my new miracle drug that will help me get my life back. If not, I will have to reconsider getting surgery again. I am trying to stay positive and I hope others will help me along the way.

-- JKL