how do you explain UC to people?

I start out with "I have an autoimmune disease called Ulcerative Colitis where my body attacks my colon." Then if I pressed for more information I pretty much explain what you do. "The colon gets swollen and eventually ulcers open up and bleed. It makes you just feel sick as well."

When somebody asks you to explain it more, I don't think there is a friendly way to explain it!

To really make people "understand" it, you have to pretty much relate it to something they've endured....I always say that IBD is like having the stomach bug (closest thing that it compares to that most people have had) and then explain a little more that it's a bit worse than that due to the fact that it doesn't really ever go away. That explanation pretty much gets a lot more understanding cuz people generally can relate to a stomach bug. Best is when a friend or family member is in the middle of having a stomach bug and then I say, how that sucks and that's pretty much how it feels to have IBD...then they really relate and have empathy and understanding.

I don't normally tell people about mine, unless they are too nosey about my special paleo diet that works for me to keep me from getting even worse (doesnt give me med free remission, but I do much worse off the diet and would have had my colon removed long ago had I just eaten whatever I want). If they are persistantly nosey (eg "but you are so skinny- surely you dont need to lose weight?") I tell them my diet is to keep intestinal issues at bay, and for most people they stop there for fear of "too much information," but if they still persist even then, i will explain re an inflammatory condition of the gut. Sometimes they are familiar with CD or UC already from some relative and have heard of it and ask more, but usually they finally leave it alone.

I do the same as Sara, I ask them if they know what Crohn's disease is except a lot of people say they know what it is now (probably from commercials on tv). I tell them that it's like that but limited to my large intestine. That it's auto-immune disease and my body is attacking my large intestine causing ulceration.

I really don't get into the bloody and gory details unless I can see it in their faces. If they are happy with my above mentioned definition than I leave it at that, but if they want more, I am not shy in telling them! lol

I also say it's similar to Crohn's Disease. That name sounds less foreign/obscure it seems to a lot of people. People are a lot more familiar with the name from my experience for whatever reason.

i usually just say "my digestive system hates me and it makes it hard to eat." i've noticed people don't like hearing explicit details.

I make a point to say "autoimmune disease" and increased risk for "colon cancer" and the need to watch for weakness due to "constant bleeding". I feel like saying it is "inflammation" does not have enough punch, and makes it sound like a sore joint or something.

If people try to ask more (or even help by making "upset-stomach" type of suggestions) I get more graphic and talk about 3 years of diarrhea and the need for 14 iron infusions to offset the chronic bleeding. I might mention restrictions on work, socializing, and travel due to fear of accidents.

I let them know that if the "limited" degree of control that I have obtained should ever slip into a really bad spell, that I might have to have emergency surgery to remove my colon, and would have to wear a poop-bag for the rest of my life. (I don't go into options like j-pouch.)

I never minimize this disease.