Newly dx w/UC & new to site

Hey guys! My name is Emily. I am a healthy 24 year old who is engaged, has a great job as a certified dental assistant and my fiance and I are currently looking to purchase a house. Everything in my life has been lining up just right, so I thought, until May 30, 2013.

Just the day before May 30th, I jogged around my neighborhood for 3 miles. It was a good run and I felt great afterwards. The next day I was working and felt somewhat nautious. I tried to use the BR or throw up, something, but nothing happened and I was fine. After returning home for the day, symptoms started up again. This time with a vingence. I had diarrhea all night and throughout the entire weekend which included awful abdominal cramps, blood in my stool and just overall an achy body. It was so bad that I had to miss an entire week of work. During that week I scheduled a Dr. appt, with my moms GI doc, where I was scheduled for a sigmoidoscopy for the 13th of June. That day changed my life. I was diagnosed with UC. I couldn't help but break down and cry when I heard the news because my mom had UC for 20 some yrs and ultimately had to have her colon removed. She now has j-pouch. I was immediately put on Prednisone, Flagyl, Robinul and Delzicol. My symptoms improved somewhat for a week and I was able to work again. The following week I began feeling sick again. Same symptoms of course, but no blood. After being up all night Thursday June 27th, I had to beg my fiance not to go to work that Friday. (as a dental assistant-we always have fridays off) I was scared. What I was going through now was worse than the episode before. I had a follow up appt with my GI dr that Tues. July 2nd. After discussing with my dr the challenges I had been facing; being dehydrated, not being able to eat and losing 15 Ibs in a month we decided that I needed to be hospitalized. I was admitted on the 3rd. (yay, happy 4th to me :/ ) That night the nurse informed me that I had C-diff. (Clostridium difficile-bacterial infection in my colon) I cried again. I just couldn't understand why this was happening to me. Long story somewhat short. I was released from the hospital yesterday July 5th. The dr. said that there was nothing that I was doing at the hospital that I couldn't do at home minus the IV for fluids. Unfortunately, I had that awful diarrhea again the second I got home and through the night. Hardly happened at the hospital mind you. I am now using 2 enemas a day and have reduced my dosage of Robinol and Prednisone. For the C-diff I am taking Vancomycin and cannot return to work for another 2 weeks when I am not contagious.

Everyone at work now knows that I have UC but I have not told them about the c-diff. The dr feels like that's really my personal medical hx and none of their business. I work for 2 wonderful female drs, but I'm still worried about my job security. I have used all of my sick/personal and vacation time and I cannot get an fmla form because our practice is not large enough.

I guess my main purpose for this post is to ask this...Am I ever going to be able to live a somewhat normal life again? I'm young. I like drinking beer and having a good time with family/friends. I want to get married and travel. I like spicy foods. Is there anyone out there who can give me positive advice or incite from personal experiences? Any book recommendations?

If you've sat and read through all of this thank you so much! I've had so many sleepless nights and just want to see what info/advice others may have to offer. And btw my parents have both been by my side through this whole ordeal and I have been able to talk to my mom but because she has the j-pouch she is able to live life better/differently so I wanted a different take on this.

Thanks again! I look forward to hearing from you.

Emily, it's impossible to predict anyone's future, but I think you are likely to move beyond this original flare and live a great life. You might not be able to drink a liot, but hopefully your friends will move beyond that as you all get older and you won't miss it, LOL.

Take a look at today's New York Times for a really interesting article about treating C. Diff with fecal transplants, by the way. There is some excellent research now about our gut flora and the role of bacteria in UC. I have high hopes that more effective treatments are coming soon. And I think a lot of your discomfort and misery is due to the C. Diff and not the UC. Hopefully that will get better quickly.

Meanwhile, do you know the extent of your inflammation? You should probably schedule a full colonoscopy once you are feeling better to get a complete story of the health of your colon.

You might want to read about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, which helps some people quite a bit. Dietary changes in general turn out to be individual, but you can start by eliminating lactose, or all dairy, or gluten. These are the most common intolerances. The SCD is more restrictive than that.

Welcome to the forum.

If you have C. diff right now it could easily be causing all of your symptoms. Even if you technically DO have UC, once the C. diff is under control it's entirely possible you could go back into remission. I think you should plan on being on a maintenance med forever, but that's an exceedingly small price to pay. On the other end of things, I would think having a mom with a j-pouch would show you that even the "worst case scenario" (ie surgery) is actually not that bad at all, right? No matter what you're going to be fine. This won't stop you from traveling, getting married, having fun, etc.

Emily, i hate c diff with a passion! Ive had it since january and first was on flagyl and then vancomycin twice. It seems everytime i stop antibiotics, it comes back. Its so hard to get rid of it! Definitely use bleach in your bathroom at home. I gave it to my mom and felt so terrible. Luckily flagyl took it away very quickly for her.

Well I like drinking beer and having a good time and I still do. Now that might not last for me but it seems not to affect me either way at the moment. My symptoms are not as bad as some here though. I've had UC for close to a year now. I still eat what I want also since I notice no difference with what I eat. Of course I am taking a lot of meds. You will just have to play it by ear and see what you are able to do.

Emily I agree with lizzie73 :)
I have had UC for 4 years now and this is my first time here, and I am having a flare now.

I live a normal life, I just graduated from a university, I got married last summer (I drank a lot of white wine in my wedding) and I have a 4 year old boy and a great job.

I try to do everything I want and think as little as I can about my UC. But of course sometimes I have a flare and then I have to take a better care of myself.

I hope your doctor will find meds that will work well fore you and you can live a normal life 90% of the time :)

I am so sorry you are dealing with this. My mom got an ostomy when I was 13 and I remember the hell she went through. It is a long, tough and unfair journey.

My advice is to take care of yourself emotionally, physically and be your own advocate. Learn when to say no. Also, get a notebook and write everything down.

Me personally, I wish I tried remicade two years earlier.

Here are the positives. I have a great career, husband and trying to start a family. I travel to the UK for work every couple of months, I love Zumba (but am terrible at it ; ). I have a very active social life and I appreciate it so much more than my friends. I don't sweat the small stuff and try to make the best of every day.

I hope you are able to get the flare under control soon. A heating pad helped me when the cramps were terrible.

Take care,
Beth