How long have you had Uc?

This is an unofficial poll.  Curiosity is striking me again     And in case you didn't know, I am just the curious sort of person! So I am interested in knowing:

1. When did you first start having symptoms and also at what age?

2.  How long did you let your symptoms go before seeing a doctor about it?

3.  How long have you had it since being diagnosed?

Here are my answers:

1.  I was 21, just had my son when I noticed blood in my stool.  I thought it was hemmeroids so I didn't think much about it.  The blood came and went.  Then the D started and the left sided pain.  So I went in to a proctologist, still thinking it was hemmies.  He took a quick peek and said I need to see a GI because he thinks I have Uc, just by visual.  I guess it was pretty bad.

2.  So basically I let the symptoms go on for over a year before I went to the proctologist and then to the GI.

3.  I was officially diagnosed at 22 and I am 39 now.  So come this spring, it will be 17 years for me.

1. I was 18 (during the last month of high school).

2. I went to the doctor a week or two after my symptoms began. My first symptoms were constipation and abdominal pain, so my doctors just told me that I just had a virus and to use Miralax as needed. When I went a second time, they told me the same thing. When I went the third time, they told me to take Prilosac (I think). I went again two months after my symptoms began and the doctor took my blood and saw that I needed a blood transfusion immediately. And that's when all the tests started.

3. I was diagnosed 2 weeks before starting college. I've been diagnosed for a year and a half.

1. i first saw specks of blood in chris' stool at about 6 months. his pediatrician assured me it was perfectly normal... anytime i'd bring it up he'd tell me there was some bug going around.
2. he got worse and worse and finally at age 2, I demanded that the pediatrician refer him to the pedGI. within days we had a diagnosis and meds followed by a short remission, and then a flare, and another remission, and now another flare...
3. 3 years since first symptoms, just over 1 year since diagnosis.

1. I first remember symptoms in October 2004, when I was 36.

2. First, I noticed mucus in my stool (didn't realize it was mucus at first). Blood appeared probably within a week, which sent me to the doctor's office. They initially did blood tests and fecal analysis; nothing showed up. Told me it was probably just leftover effects from stomach flu, which I'd had right before symptoms appeared. Blood and mucus persisted, I pestered my GP, and I finally got an appointment for a colonoscopy in mid-December. By that time, symptoms had been cleared up for a couple of weeks. The GI told me my colon looked perfectly healthy. about every year after that, I'd have blood and mucus for a few days, but it would always resolve quickly. Until May 2008.

3. Last spring, symptoms reappeared and kept getting worse, plus I got more and more fatigued. Went through the same rigamarole of blood tests, etc, and finally got a referral back to the GI in mid-June. about 3 seconds into the flex sig, he said, "You have ulcerative proctitis". So I've been diagnosed for 8 months.

1. I was in my 2nd trimester of pregnancy and I started having D one weekend. I thought it was food poisoning from a tuna sandwich I ate (boy, don't I wish that were true now!). The D lasted all weekend and I started seeing blood after a few days. I was 31.

2. I saw my regular doctor immediately. I was tested for c.diff. which came back positive. It took 3 months for it to go away. about 2 weeks after having my baby, I started having bloody D again. I tested positive for c.diff again. The treatment wasn't working so my GI did a colonoscopy, it was then that I was diagnosed with UC.

3. It's been almost 7 years since the c. diff diagnosis and 6 years since the UC diagnosis.

Noticed blood in stools at around 16-17 yrs of age. Immediately had samples sent to lab. They never figured out what it was, probably because I was having no diarrhea. At age 19 I was officially diagnosed with Ulcerative Proctitis...a year or two later UC. I'm currently going on twelve years with this disease with only one time going full colon flare, otherwise it's left-sided.

     1)  First symptoms were mucus and diarrhea, then blood.  Everything I ate just passed right on through.  These started while I was on the Atkins diet...no or low carbs.  Went to a quack GI doctor in Philly who performed a sigmoidoscope and sent me on my merry way with the diagnosis of irritable bowel.  That evening all hell broke loose...high fever, running to bathroom every fifteen minutes, lots of bleeding.  Hubby took me to ER.  In hospital for eight days where I was diagnosed with UC.  I was then 52 yrs old back in 1998.

 

     2) Symptoms started in beginning of Sept of 98 and I wound up in hospital beginning of Oct. So one month.

 

     3)  It was ten yrs last October.  I also would like to add that while growing up my family physician prescribed antibiotics for EVERYTHING and like a loyal patient, I took them.  I think now I am paying the price.

1. When did you first start having symptoms and also at what age? I had 1st symptom in my early 20's - continuous watery diarrhea and alot of weight loss.
2nd time in my 40's - symptoms started as bloody mucus. - tho I had diarrhea, mucus, urgency and gas for years prior

2. How long did you let your symptoms go before seeing a doctor about it? In 1983 I waited a few weeks because of the weightloss -had sigmoidoscopy, mild inflammation found, diagnosed with "spastic colon" tho I think now it was UC
In 2005 I waited 2-3 months because I couldn't bear the thought that I had colon cancer. Finally got up the nerve in October & diagnosed via colonscopy 2 wks later

3. How long have you had it since being diagnosed? Official dx for a little over 3 years

I started showing blood in my BM's when I was about 11, but didn't officially flare until I was 25 (2007). From when I was 11 up until I was 25, those symptoms came and went. Just thought it was the way I was. It hit hard when in 2007. I was hospitalized and in there for 25 days. Now I'm on medication to keep me in remission, but the sucky thing right now is that I constantly get the stomach bug. ANNOYING!! I have been in remission since may of 2007. Wohoo!

1. When did you first start having symptoms and also at what age?

2. How long did you let your symptoms go before seeing a doctor about it?

3. How long have you had it since being diagnosed?



It was mind january of 2007. I was 22. That last week of December I stopped smoking. And one weekend in mid january i was out with some friends and had one to many to drink. So the next day I was really hung over. Or a should say the next couple of days I was hung over. I stared to get D and thought nothing about it. It would always happen to me for about a week after I had to much to drink. Well it kept going. It went about 3 months before i went to see a doc. They did some tests and couldnt find anything. So they had me go see a GI. I only had to wait like 2 or 3 days before I got in. I went to see them and they told me they thought it was either UC or Croins. I had a colonoscopy the next day and about 3 days later I went in and they told me it was UC. So its been almost 2 years since I was diagnosed. And its been hell lol

Im sorry to hear that. I will be praying for her. I dont ever wish this on someone. I dont ever wish that anyone would have to even deal with this for a day.

1. When did you first start having symptoms and also at what age?
   I often had random issues with D for years but not to the point of needing to see a doctor. I was 27 when I started seeing blood in my stool. I assumed it was hemmroids.
   
2. How long did you let your symptoms go before seeing a doctor about it?
   I had to wait about 4 months simply because it took me that long to find a female GI that was accepting new patients.
   
3. How long have you had it since being diagnosed?
   A little over 2 years

1. I am 36 now, and was diagnosed aged 14

2. I was so scared at 14, bleeding and constant diarrhea, losing lots of weight, my family thought I was anorexic! Probably about 3 months before I admitted what was happening and my Mum forced me to the doctors!

3. 22 years I guess, but I have been 'lucky', just 3 major flares and nothing in between, I know so many of you have to deal with this every day.