College and UC

I did the 4 guys to 1 bathroom situation my first year at Ohio State and is sucked, and that was before I had UC

I'm a freshman this year at Winona State. When I was signing up for dorms I had my GI write a letter about my condition and the nature of the disease and I also wrote a personal statement (more to make them pity me :) ) I said I wanted a dorm with a bathroom right across the hall and they actually granted my request. Even though there are only 2 stalls in our bathroom on my side of the hall there is almost never people in both the stalls. Freshman here are really aren't eligible for suites (eligibility for them goes by number of credits earned) but this set up is actually pretty nice. If the college refuses to make any reasonable accommodations they can get in some big trouble so I don't see why they wouldn't. Also, I wouldn't suggest a bunk bed. It sucks sooo bad to have to climb out of a bunk when you're about to poop your pants.
Wish him good luck for me!!

I had undiagnosed crohns in college. I stayed in a dorm with 1 big bathroom per floor with about 6 stalls per bathroom plus showers and sinks. It really wasnt so bad. There are so many people going in and out, showers going, and hair dryers going, that no one really is aware of who is doing what. Everyone has to poop in there so its not like you are just visiting someone and stink up there bathroom. Especially since you have a son, the boys were kind of shameless about pooping and would brag about who stunk the place up the worst. I also found one private one stall bathroom in each dorm that were for visitors using the lounge. If I knew I really was going to stink it up but had a minute or two to get to the toilet I would use the lounge bathroom instead since no one ever used that one. My junior and senior year I lived in an on campus apartment. Junior year it was 5 girls and 2 bathrooms and Senior year it was 4 girls/2 bathrooms. One of the bathrooms had the shower, the other was just a toilet. There was never really a time that both were being used. However, I think 4 guys 1 bathroom might be a problem since they would all have to shower etc... it would be even worse if any had a girl staying over that had to shower there too. Finally, my school had 1 or 2 dorm rooms that had their own toilet inside. They were reserved for students with medical conditions. Only problem is, if you have one, by default everyone knows you have some issue... I was friends with a guy who had one and I didn't know they were reserved... so I said "wow! Sweet room, how did you get so lucky?" and he said "oh I have a medical condition and needed a private room" (aka no roommate)... I never did ask what condition he had and now I wonder if it was an IBD... anyway, best of luck to your son! Don't worry too much...we all adapt.

  For sure file with the Office of Disabilities!!  Even if you feel like you're being "over the top".  No one told me about this until after I already had a bachelor's degree (that I suffered through class for).  Now that I'm in nursing school one of my teachers saw I was in trouble both grade-wise and health-wise (both were dependent on the other) and encouraged me to file "just in case".  She said it makes it easier for THEM to make accomodations for us in case we need it.  A teacher can have all the compassion in the world for you and your illness but their hands may be tied legally (in order to be "fair to everyone") unless the paperwork is complete.  I wish your son luck! :)

Becky

I lived with 4 girls to one bathroom and it was pretty gross. We had to clean it ourselves (and that never happened). I think a bathroom down the hall with people going in and out would be much less obvious and less stressful. If one of your other three roommates are in the bathroom, you are screwed even without UC.

yeah, its a sucky disease. I was able to get through college ok with it, but there were rough times. I lived in a suite with three other guys the first year, and it had a sectioned off bathroom. I just made sure all of them knew about my stomach condition to some level. I didn't go into details, but I was frank and to the point and basically said 'its like food poisoning that doesn't go away'. They never had a problem with it. One of those three guys became my roommate for the rest of college, in an off-campus apartment. By that point I was in remission, but he was pretty tolerant all the same of the bad days I had.

I agree with everyone else--sign up with the college's Disability Services. They're supposed to be your advocates and they can help with getting a private room.
p.s. Another piece of advice for your son: Don't procrastinate! I know that's a common thing to say, but it's better to get work done ASAP (when you're feeling well) that way if you get an unexpected flare-up, you won't have much to worry about!

So glad you're going with the hall bathroom! And as a suggestion, if you have time to make it to the floor above or below you, nobody knows you there so it's not like you'll walk out of the stall and see your friend from down the hall. Just a thought. I got diagnosed in the middle of my sophomore year of college. Luckily, health services was literally a 2 minute walk, and that was really convenient and helpful for blood level checks and stuff. I was in Massachusetts when home was in Ohio, so while the distance may have bothered my mom a little, it didn't matter at all for me if I was 100's of miles away or in school in Ohio--I wouldn't have gone home any more often. And I had a great GI doc in Ohio at the time who was very reachable by phone and email. It was as smooth a process as it could have been. Even my teachers were very understanding during the time I was missing so much class (as a pre-vet major)! Hope the flare gets under control before school starts, but I'm positive things will go well!! Get some sleep!