What Ulcerative Colitis means to me...

This is a hard one to write.  If you know me, I have a smile on my face, I mean business (just ask my students!), and I'm focused.  God has a sense of humor in knowing exactly what would put my whole control freak persona upside down.  I'm hoping that by writing this, someone, somewhere will not feel quite as alone in their battle...that I can humble myself...and that those I love can understand me better.  Here is to being transparent...


Many people ask what Ulcerative Colitis is and then either a). give me blank stares or b). try to relate it to their own life experience.  The best way to define it is for me to express the lovely "endearing (or enduring?) understandings" of this 'Invisible Disease'.  

What UC has meant to me and will mean to me during a flare...

• That I need to scan each new building for the closest restroom upon entering.
• That I plan activities based on proximity to a restroom.
• That I use the restroom 20 30+ times per day.
• That at any given time, I will have a ten second warning that I need to use the restroom.  How fast can you move in ten seconds?  
• That I have learned to have short conversations with people, so I won't have to cut them off awkwardly.
• That my dignity, as a person, can be taken away from me ever so quickly.
• That as an 'Invisible Disease', I can appear perfectly normal and actually be in agony.
• That a roll of TP can easily be tackled in one day...always make sure that there is enough for the next morning.
• That the word "courage" has a whole new meaning when leaving my house.  Likewise, the word "embarrassing" has a whole new meaning.

It ALSO means to me...

• That I have the most supportive husband in the world.  Believe me, you don't want to know what he has had to do for me.
• That I don't love this world as much as I once did.
• That I honestly have compassion for whatever disease others have in their life.
• That I better understand my students with anxiety issues.
• That I understand the book of Job better.

Can you relate?  We all have our own thorn in our side.  What is your 'disease'? 

~Andréa