My journey with ulcerative colitis
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/11/2021 (567 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
November is Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness month so I thought I’d share my journey with ulcerative colitis. My illness can be embarrassing to talk about. Perhaps it’s because it involves the words colon and rectum. At least, that’s how I felt until somebody pointed out if it was any other disease, like arthritis or diabetes, I wouldn’t feel that way.
Canada has one of the highest rates of inflammatory bowel disease in the world. Ulcerative colitis causes the body to attack healthy tissue resulting in inflammation and pain in the inner lining of the large colon and rectum. It hinders the ability to digest food, absorb nutrition and eliminate waste in a healthy manner. There can be periods of remission between flare-ups but there is no cure.
For me it started with pain in my lower left abdomen. Eventually, I experienced bleeding and an urgent and frequent need for a washroom due to diarrhea — between five and 10 times per day.
My doctor set me up with a gastroenterologist who ordered a colonoscopy. To prepare, you have to take medication that stimulates the muscles in the colon to clear out your digestive tract. I had to drink one full cup of the first medication every 15 minutes for two hours. I just couldn’t do it, since it tasted vile and I was nauseous. I cancelled the procedure. Then I tried Picosalax — also not great tasting, but only two drinks — one the day before and one the next morning, with copious amounts of water.
For the procedure you’re given a sedative. I fell asleep and missed the whole thing If you do stay awake you can watch the results on the computer screen. Right after the procedure my doctor informed me I had ulcerative colitis.
He prescribed an anti-inflammatory in pill format called Pentasa. For the next 10 months all my symptoms subsided. But, as happens with colitis, I had another flare-up. He then prescribed a six-week daily dose of Betnesol, a corticosteroid retention enema. It works wonders — but you can’t take it for too long ,as it’s a strong medication.
The most annoying side effect for me is the excessive sweating particularly my neck and head and having to have a fan blowing at me when I’m at work. Just over two years since my diagnosis I’m on my fourth course of this steroid to reduce the inflammation. Once it’s back to a good level, the doctor is putting me on a stronger maintenance medication.
When I have a flare-up, the medications help but there are days I need to be in close proximity to a washroom so you have to carefully plan where the nearest facilities are. This is a huge concern for many folks with this disease, so much so, there is a program called the GoHere Washroom Access Program which lists businesses allowing washroom access for this special circumstance.
If you have any symptoms, see your doctor and don’t wait like I did.
To learn more, try the website crohnsandcolitis.ca
Suzanne Hunter is a community correspondent for Transcona.