college students

I am a college student and I have never felt alone when dealing with my UC.

My UC started during my junior year of high school, but it was relatively mild then - easily controlled by 5ASAs. I told my friends that I was having some intestinal issues, which satisfied their curiosity and concern on days that the pain showed on my face.

My senior year was uneventful, and I entered college hoping that my UC would stay away for good. But it wasn't so. During the last few weeks of the fall semester, I entered what would become a very severe flare. Over winter break I found out that I had contracted c diff and that I was becoming pretty anemic. Every day I became more fatigued and ridden with pain. The 5ASAs didn't work. But I still tried to attend the spring semester.

I made it through two and a half weeks of class. I doubt I would have made it past the first week if I didn't have a friend in every class who was patient enough to walk beside me, step-by-painful-step. In fact, the one class that I didn't have someone to walk with me, which was also coincidentally my farthest walk across campus), I only managed to get to twice. Those two times caused me to drop the class. Soon, my dormroom bed and the communal bathroom became my best friends. I was in so much pain during this time that I didn't care to be social. I couldn't feel "alone" because I could only feel pain.

Finally, my condition worsened to the point that I could no longer keep down food. I went to the hospital where I was put on a liquid diet and IV steroids... and when those didn't work, TPN and cyclosporine... and when those didnt work and even dilaudid barely managed to breach my pain and I started needing infusions, I opted for surgery.

Needless to say, I had to withdraw from this semester. But I have found many other college students who have UC or who have family members who have UC. And I have also found this forum. Our shared experiences keep me from feeling "alone" in dealing with the sort of mechanics of UC, and even though my friends without UC will never understand what I and you and we all have been through with this disease, their willingness to listen and learn and in general just their constant companionship has been extremely important to me.

My advice - if you feel alone because you have UC, take steps to feel less alone!! Be very open to your best friends about yourself and your disease... people will surprise you with their support and understanding. And if they don't understand, perhaps you'd best re evaluate whether or not they were ever true friends with you to begin with.

And as for less close friends, just offer simple explanations for why you sometimes can't hang out, etc, and reassure them that you'll see them again as soon as you are healthy enough to.

I'm a 20 year old junior. It messed up my grades pretty bad last year. I skipped pretty much all the class, did bare minimum on homework, and rushed through tests. It sucks. I've been in remission throughout this spring semester, and I'm doing well in all of my classes. But recently, I started flaring up again and I skipped a few classes. It's terrible. Terrible... The straight A's I'm getting this semester may go down to nothing...

I'm not in college any more but i was diagnosed my senior year. I ended up in the hospital 3 months after being diagnosed and had to repeat classes and almost didn't graduate on time. I would say contrary to what Sibby said, do sign up as a student with a disability. I noticed she/he is in Canada and maybe their rules are different, but I didn't have to take extra classes nor was i ever told it would take me longer to graduate. I did not sign up while I was in undergrad as a disabled student, and I had 2 teachers that failed me regardless of showing them my papers proving I was in the hospital. And they were allowed to because i didn't have a doctors explanation on file that i should be excused for hospital visits, running out during exams, or possibly missing class. I registered with the student office of disabilities when i was studying to be a pastry chef after getting my bachelors and it saved me from having to worry about missing class when i needed treatments or leaving without permission to use the restrooms. you register, you let your teachers know at the beginning of each quarter that you have some medical issues and you are registered for them and they may require you to leave class suddenly, or sometimes run late and they will leave you alone. Without that registration, some professors will be real pricks and fail you the first chance they get.

don't be afraid to tell new friends about your condition, There isn't a single person I was friends with that didn't know I had UC. Every single one was supportive. I even found out through my honesty that a girl I worked with had UC and an old friend from high school had Chron's. you never know who might be just like you if you keep it hidden away. The disease isn't you, but it is a part of you and anyone who cares about you, will accept it and be supportive in ways you can't even imagine.

I am a college student as well dealing with UC. I was diagnosed at the age of ten (I'm almost 21) and missed school in elementary school, high school, and some in college. It definitely makes school pretty difficult. I've decided to have j-pouch surgery and take time off from school due to Humira no longer working/flares all throughout college. I'm a junior right now and plan to go back later on. You're not alone!

I was diagnosed in early November 2014 with UC. I am a fist year college student. It came as a shock as I had a muscular ,strong body going to gym daily. All kinds of fears popped in my head. In the beginning, Prednisone for 4 weeks controlled this first flair and now, I am on 4 tabs of Apriso with hardly any active symptoms.
My parents are extremely supportive and I live with my parents. My reaction to this stress was to go pound the books and read everything available in college library about this bad disease. I think knowledge empowers us and reduces our fears. Now, I am trying Nopal Cactus juice for last 2 days besides Turmeric, Probiotics and proper food. I think for us...college students..it can be really stressfull at times . We need to hang tight and ride this adversity by sharing our fears. I will be having a follow up colonoscopy in 2 weeks and ,Man...I hate the "prep" and that "golytely stuff"