Just the wife.

If his inflammation is limited to the rectum, the first choice in medication is rectal - usually mesalamine enemas. If he is in the hospital because of this flare, I am assuming his inflammation has gone way beyond the rectum and now involves a large part of the bowel. He will probably start with oral steroids to quickly reduce the inflammation, and then you will have to discuss a maintenance medication. He will be taking an oral medicine for the rest of his life, no doubt, and he should also consider a rectal medicine. It is possible that he will be able to take mesalamine, which is a low risk medication, but it is also possible that the extent of his inflammation will require an immune modulator. You can read about all of the treatment protocols at ccfa.org.

I'm sorry that you've had so many health scares in recent years. UC is a chronic illness and shouldn't be that difficult to manage, but it does require management. Denial is not a good choice as this kind of thing really doesn't just go away. Some people have spontaneous remissions that last a long time - you won't find them on this forum. Some people find great benefit in adopting restrictive diets (I am gluten free, for example). It seems to be a very individual thing and may require a lot of trial-and-error on your part. People here are very helpful and I hope you will find lots of support.

Welcome to the forum.

Denial is a completely normal reaction to a chronic disease. Many of us had symptoms for a while before diagnosis; as long as they're intermittent with long periods of normalcy in between it's easy to blame it on "something I ate" or "stomach flu." What's important is that now he's diagnosed and it's time to start moving on from denial.

Gleaned from a dozen years experience, here are some things I'd want to know if I were just starting out:

Stay off the steroids as much as possible. Long-term steroid use leads to permanent, life-changing side effects. What is long-term varies from person to person, but can be as brief as four to six months in some.

Never, ever stop taking your medication, even if you feel like you're cured. The only cure for UC is removal of the colon. Stopping the meds invites worse flaring and more difficulty in getting it under control.

Keep a food diary for the first couple of months. This is the only way to tell what foods, if any, may be bothering you. Some of us are pretty much unaffected by food while others are highly intolerant of certain things.

If diarrhea or urgency is a problem, keep emergency supplies available. Wet wipes in a pocket or purse and a change of clothing in the car and/or at the office can make life much less unpleasant.

Rest whenever you need to. This can be a debilitating disease with utter exhaustion one symptom, and paired with recent cancer treatment your husband may need to rest a lot. For some of us when we're flaring we're in the bathroom off and on all night, so naps during the day are beneficial. I used to come home from work and take a nap almost every day.

Exercise when you can, and to the degree that's comfortable for your body and mind. Laying around all the time creates stiffness and soreness.

Finally, for you: you are not "just" the wife. Your role is difficult and important. Be sure you and your husband are communicating; it can be difficult to find the balance between too much information and shutting the healthy partner out. I find myself not wanting to air my daily aches and pains or other issues, and sometimes my husband feels shut out because of that. He needs your support now more than ever. You need to make sure you also take time to meet your own needs, and some time to yourself is important to nurture you and give you time to de-stress.

I'm sorry this has come into your life, and hope your husband finds a quick and lasting remission.

Welcome to the forum! You will find some great information here.

Keep a food journal.