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College Student Starting to Feel Pretty Stressed

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Posted 8/16/2013 8:35 PM (GMT 0)
Hi! I'm not sure how else to do this, so I guess I'll just jump right into my story.

I'm a 19 year old rising sophomore in college, and of course brand new to these forums.

about 4 months ago, at the end of my freshman year of college, I began to have severe bloody diarrhea. After a week or two of it messing up my classes, social life, extracurricalrs etc. I finally went to the school medical office. The woman I saw there just told me to try a high-fiber diet and gave me some immodium. Well after about a week the symptoms almost completely went away, so I never went back for a follow-up with a GI specialist.

Around a month ago I started having the same problems. After my regular doctor ran some basic tests and whatnot that all came back negative I finally got set up with the GI doctor. This bout of bloody diarrhea has lasted for almost a full month now, with the symptoms only recently starting to die down.

I just got back from my first ever colonoscopy, and the doctor told me he is pretty sure I have ulcerative colitis. After my second bout of bloody diarrhea in the past few months and a little too much research on the internet, I had pretty much decided that's what they were going to tell me anyway. The Dr. said he couldn't be sure yet, but took some biopsies and the test results would be back within the next two weeks. He also prescribed me with two medications:

Daily oral pill of Lialda
Daily rectal enema of Rowasa

He then told me to come back in three months...

Unfortunately I head back to college in six days and feel utterly unprepared to face this possible disease along with a part time job and some pretty intense classes.

I really have no knowledge of what I should be doing in the meantime or how I'm supposed to handle things. Especially since I'm heading off to college so soon, this is stressing me out quite a bit. (I found this forum frantically searching for advice on dealing with UC in college).

Right now I'm especially stressed about the daily enema (I've never done one before). I genuinely cannot think of a feasible way to do this without it being a horrible process. I live with a roommate with only one public-style bathroom for the whole hall to share... I'm hoping there is some sort of alternative for that...

Of course I'm worried that if I do have UC it will severely limit my college experience as well. I'm scared to go places without easy access to a private restroom, and I have been feeling weak lately and losing quite a bit of fitness level. I was hoping to travel abroad, go camping and hiking often, and do all kinds of other new and interesting things. I don't want to let this stop me but I'm also not a big fan of having an accident in public.

I don't know if I should tell my professors just yet, talk to the health center at my school or what. I'm really just overwhelmed by it all right now.

I'm sorry about the giant wall of text I've left here, but any advice/suggestions or information you guys have to share would be much appreciated.

Post Edited (InspectorFish) : 8/16/2013 2:42:13 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/16/2013 11:29 PM (GMT 0)
Hi and welcome.

I'm sorry you had to find us.

about the enema. That's probably the best medication because UC always involves the rectum and an oral pill might not always cover that. about the bathroom situation... well how are you handling it right now with diarrhea?

Maybe you should ask your GI for some prednisone. It will work very fast. It's a short term med and you have to taper it but it will relief you from the inflammation maybe even quicker than the mesalazine does. It will give the Rowasa & Lialda time to kick in. There is a lot of options in regards to meds out there.

All the best
Posted 8/17/2013 12:24 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you Andrina,

I guess I should have said this, but the worst of the urgent diarrhea has occurred at home for me where I have my own bathroom. When I go to school in 6 days and live on campus things will be different. With the diarrhea I could probably go up a floor to the single bathroom and try to make it quick, but that bathroom is a bit of a walk and has fairly heavy traffic since it's shared by people on the upper floor.

I'm sure if I explained the situation to my roommate I could get the privacy necessary for the enema, but it seems like access to a close, private toilet is a necessity, especially as a beginner to enemas. I was hoping to talk with my doctor about possibly using a suppository instead.

Also my symptoms have been slowly calming over the past week, and while it would be nice if I got a break for awhile, I have no idea when things might flare up again. Thank you for the advice on the prednisone, I will be sure to add it to my growing list of things to talk to my doctor about before I leave for college...
Posted 8/17/2013 12:32 AM (GMT 0)
Oh Gosh, UC is hard enough when you are older let alone being a college student. Im so sorry for what you are going through.
I think talking to professors would be good, just so they don't think you are slacking and taking too much time off.
about the bathroom issue: how have you been managing so far? This is a really difficult situation tbh, maye someone who has been in a similar situation can chime in...?

As for diets and UC: there isn't one because everyone is so different! However alot of people report relief and remission with the SCD diet or a Paleo diet. Or atleast try gluten free/dairy free for a while.

So going high fibre helpe with with the first flareup? That is interesting...what type of fibre did you increase/use?

Someone here, AguywithUC, reports acheiving remission from adding resistent starch to his diet.

Hang in there, it'll get better..
Posted 8/17/2013 1:27 AM (GMT 0)

Conquer UC said...
Oh Gosh, UC is hard enough when you are older let alone being a college student. Im so sorry for what you are going through.
I think talking to professors would be good, just so they don't think you are slacking and taking too much time off.
about the bathroom issue: how have you been managing so far? This is a really difficult situation tbh, maye someone who has been in a similar situation can chime in...?

As for diets and UC: there isn't one because everyone is so different! However alot of people report relief and remission with the SCD diet or a Paleo diet. Or atleast try gluten free/dairy free for a while.

So going high fibre helpe with with the first flareup? That is interesting...what type of fibre did you increase/use?

Someone here, AguywithUC, reports acheiving remission from adding resistent starch to his diet.

Hang in there, it'll get better..

I guess I was thinking I should wait for an official diagnosis before I start contacting all of my professors. The severity of symptoms (and urgency) has been on the decline recently, so maybe I'll be able to handle classes without ever having to bring it up.

For the bathroom situation the only way I've been managing so far is because I've been at home with my own bathroom down the hall for the worst of the diarrhea.

I'm interested in learning about how diet affects symptoms; I would love to minimize prescription medication as much as possible. I haven't read up too much on it, but it seems like nothing is concrete when it comes to how diet relates to IBD.

You know, although the nurse told me to follow a high fiber diet, I didn't really go out of my way to actually change my diet much at the time. I have no idea if what minimal steps I did take were actually helpful or if it was just coincidence.

Thank you for replying, it's been reassuring (albeit a little scary sometimes) to surf the forum and see that there are plenty of people here who are making the best of a crappy (:D) situation

Post Edited (InspectorFish) : 8/16/2013 7:31:10 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/17/2013 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
Oh ,honey...as resident mother of another college student I have too much advice for the forum posts
. Feel free to contact me [email protected]. Perhaps I can assist in the navigation. Hang tough.
Posted 8/17/2013 2:31 AM (GMT 0)
It's always bittersweet to see someone new on here.

Anyways, UC is a ******. It just is. Fortunately, there are a lot of different ways people have found success in treating it from dietary and lifestyle changes all the way to FMT's and Remicade. The good news is I'm sure you'll find something that works for you. The bad news, you'll be hard pressed to figure it out in 6 days.

The best advice I can give is to try not to stress about it so much. Do the best you can with what you have and the social situations which you'll surely encounter being in a group setting will be difficult but you know what? **** it bro. I was Dx when I was in Afghanistan as a Marine, you know how I was Dx? I went to medical and had a guy jam his finger up my butt, which he then didn't like the liquid that came out and sent me to a base medical to get a flex sig. THEN had to deal with those symptoms in those conditions for 7 months, using only colace to treat it...miserable. My point is, I'd do an enema in a public bathroom anyday of the week before I'd go back and tell a bunch of Alpha males another dude stuck a finger in my ass.

Sorry to be blunt but hopefully you'll find the funny in that situation, it's really the best way to deal with anything.

But, if you need immediate satisfaction from symptoms, prednisone is the way to go until you figure out the best maintenance strategy. Good luck and know you're certainly not alone in this fight.
Posted 8/17/2013 12:54 PM (GMT 0)
Fish,

Welcome to the forum.

I'm sorry you're suffering so.

You've gotten some very good advice.

Definitely tell your profs about your diagnosis.

Also, you might be able to find some support group ( maybe through CCFA) on campus?

Some meds work for some and not for others.

For me, the traditional meds failed me and the mesalamines I became intolerant of.

And when the doc gave me a choice of surgery or remicade, I balked and had to find my own way.

 

He also told me diet has nothing to do with UC, but I found that it has a great deal to do with excarcebating(sp?) its symptoms!

 

I found that by doing these things it helped control my symptoms by 75%:

1) adequate high intake of vitamin d3 ( need to get your levels checked first)

2) probiotics are key, are you on any?

3) slippery elm powder to coate the intestinal tract helped greatly

4) l-glutamine amino acid powder for long term colonic repair

5) food combining

6) diet modification as in gluten and dairy free

7) rectal meds help lots of folks out

 

 

The Last 25% was taken care of by LDN, low dose naltrexone, which put me in remission.

If any of this interests you, there are things IMO that you can control, which will have a direct impact on your disease, the symptoms you experience and their severity.

I was able to control my UC into remission through various supplements, probiotics, diet modification, and LDN , low dose naltrexone.

 

For more info on the protocol which has put me into remission, please go to this link: https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=1666318 , and look at the 11th post.

I hope you feel better and let us know how we can help you.

Posted 8/17/2013 1:03 PM (GMT 0)
Honestly a suppository might not cover as much inflammation as an enema would. Once you have some practice you'll do the enemas within seconds.
Posted 8/17/2013 2:44 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Sorry to hear about your UC. Glad that you are taking this disease seriously and gathering info.Just thought of sharing some knowledge I gained from my daughter's UC journey.(She too is a sophomore in college. So far so good)
Its very important to keep your disease under control right from the beginning so that the disease won't progress. Or else your body will eventually get into an autoimmune inflammatory mode.
Each person's symptoms and triggers varies.
Most GI''s deny the connection between food and symptoms.But remember that, its your body and what you feed your body is reflected.
Keep in mind, for many sufferers-the symptoms can be controlled just by avoiding inflammatory foods like sugar and sugary drinks,processed foods , milk and wheat.
Keep a food journal and record your symptoms. That way you can identify your triggers.
Check into popular anti- inflammatory diet like SCD diet, Paleo Diet and Gaps Diet. Lots of blogs in the net regarding recipes.The only drawback following diet is, you have to plan and cook. Being a college student will be really challenging for you to manage. But if you can contact your dorm chef and give details, most of them will be willing to make adjustments.
Also don't stop your medication even when you feel perfect.
Regarding classes and college life: It will greatly help if you could sign up with the school disability office for your medical condition. By doing so, you will be protected from all medical related absences and your professors will be aware of your situation and can make necessary accommodations in-case you need it.This will greatly reduce your stress and anxiety during flare ups and missing classes.
Practice deep breathing and meditation- will help you to calm yourself when feeling low.
In short you have to make some lifestyle changes and adjustments to have a close to normal life.
Best wishes....
Posted 8/17/2013 8:55 PM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry you have to deal with this just when starting college.

IMO, InSoFla, Bloom93 and others gave some excellent advice.
You would be wise to follow it.
Don't let embarassment get in the way of using the enemas.
Please try to stay away from prednisone if possible.
Best of luck.
IAS
:-)
Posted 8/18/2013 1:12 AM (GMT 0)
Fish,

Your post made me start to cry--I am so sorry about your situation and I feel like I completely understand what you are going through. I was diagnosed freshman year and had a terrible flare up last year (junior) that I thought ruined my third year of college. Please email me if you want.

Quick pieces of advice:
!) Even though you're starting to feel better, talk to your disability/accessibility center now. They will give you (and your profs) the ability to switch test days, take incompletes, etc. You don't want to deal with it finals week when you're going 8 times a day (trust me).
2) Any chance you can temporarily quit your job? I totally understand if you can't, but I think my job is the stress that put me over the edge and sent me into a flare. Your health is top priority right now...not money or resume-building.
3) Don't miss a dose of your meds. Call your doctor once a week if you want. It's his/her job to get you into remission.
4) Are you friends with your roommate? If yes, I say tell him or her about the enema! My roommates took it really well and it was such a load off my mind. Plus, he probably won't even know what it is...haha.

Good luck!

Post Edited (HillHunter) : 8/30/2013 11:10:04 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/18/2013 2:26 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,

This is my first post too. I am a college professor and have had UC for two years now, so maybe I can give you some advice.

By all means contact the disability services office and see how they can help you find out what accommodations are available to you. If you tell your professors directly, be sure to make a specific request of them. If the request is one that has been authorized by disability services let them know this. If the request is beyond what you've been authorized for, let them know this too. There is often some flexibility. Also, if disability services authorizes you an accommodation, you don't have to use it if you don't feel you need it. But you can't go back after the fact and retake a test because you didn't use your accommodation when you really should have. Different campuses have different rules, but this has been my experience.

This disease is manageable for most people who have it. Your flare won't last forever. I have continued to work without taking time off since my diagnosis. The process of finding the right meds and dosages can be frustrating, but the meds do work for most people.

You should sit by the door in class. I have had to stop the class to go, the students don't know I have UC. You should quit your part-time job. The potential costs associated with it far outweigh the benefits, unless it is in your field or it pays extraordinarily well. I tell students this who don't have UC. You might think about moving off campus so you can have more privacy in the bathroom, or to a suite-style dorm. You can put the enema in by flipping on your side and putting the sheet over you, you don't have to do it in the bathroom.

I know it is hard for young people, but try to think long term. Your goal is to make the most of your college years and graduate with a good GPA. It can take time for a flare to come under control, and you'll just have to fight through it. Don't beat yourself up about it, you can still enjoy your life and be productive in a flare. Life keeps going. It may take you a little longer to graduate because of the UC, if you have trouble getting flares under control and they are bad ones. This is OK. There have been times where I have begged students to take incomplete grades and finish up the work next semester. An example of this would be a death of an immediate family member, where I know the student can't come close to doing their best work. You will have to decide when you reach the point where you'd be better off taking some time away. Hopefully it won't come to this, but I thought I'd comment on this just in case.

I hope this helps you. Let me know if there is anything else you have questions about.
Posted 8/18/2013 5:49 AM (GMT 0)
Hi I seldom post but I'll tell you my story and what I did.

InspectorFish, I got DXd the same time as you, bloody D the end of frosh year and then a DX in May.

You can do the enema at night before bed. You get good at sneaking them, I've done them while in hostels with 8 other people, and even gotten away with a girlfriend sleeping next to me.

The Lialdas should help. If they do not help, you doctor can up your dose of Lialda to two times per day.

You DR can also prescribe you Attivan for anxiety, however, I do not recommend this until you are a little older. At 19 you really want to learn physical ways to expel stress like working out, going for runs, playing music... I hope you have a physical hobby/creative output. If not, please get one, UC taxes the emotions.

When you get on campus, look for support groups, go to counseling... Don't hide your disease, but talk about it with people who want to talk about it. I had to go to counseling during a flare up, there is no shame my friend. I was so stressed, I had a presentation and so scared I was going to sh my pants in front of everyone.

So I did 4 years of college with UC, with one semester abroad in Australia. Things were pretty OK for the first two years, but then when things wouldn't stop was about the time my dorm had a kitchen, and my parents agreed to support me on the SCD diet. I skipped a few classes just to make soups. I had to email teachers a lot for prednisone withdrawl (ie, slight depression, and lack of drive), or just plain flaring and I didn't want to leave my bed/ glued to toilet.

You sound like a smart dude, the SCD is the diet for intestinal upset. By eating simple carbs you ease stress on your GI tract. Since you just got DXd I suggest you start immediately: there is a trend: the longer sick, the longer to heal (via SCD). Believe me it's hard, and I know you aren't going to just do it immediately. You will go through your own growth and challenges as you realize your interesting future. As you go through college you will generate an obsessive interest on UC and especially if you choose SCD for healing, it's amazing. It's quite a journey.

Anyway, for my last year of college, I was 9 months into the SCD diet and had the funnest year of my life. It was the college experience I always wanted. I dated two beautiful girls (almost at the same time), my band played numerous parties around campus, I got to drink (on the perfect occasion), I got to be social, be with my friends all the time, killed my two final year long projects, and spent way less time in the bathroom, and a whole heck of a lot of time in a kitchen.

Also, listen to the album "Sound the Alarm" by Saves the Day. The singer Chris Conley has crohns and the album displays an adolescent hate on the disease. It's a little immature, but it's always fun to have that side come out. I feel like it's a good way to hate on the disease too hahaha.

Ok peace, good luck, find a way to manage your flare, enjoy remission, then find a way to manage the next flare, etc (try SCD, people who do SCD aren't on these forums cuz they feel better(then why am I here?) because it's 2am and I am procrastinating going to sleep, and I wanted to help a new friend))
Posted 8/18/2013 12:32 PM (GMT 0)
ucitis,

Welcome to the forum.

And thanks for reaching out to Fish, by giving him your perspective as a prof, it's very helpful.

And mindoverbutter, thanks to you too, sharing your experience will go a long way in helping FIsh.

Posted 8/23/2013 1:18 AM (GMT 0)
I would love to reply to each and every one of you individually, but I'm not sure anyone has the time for that these days. I do want to let you know that I have read all of these posts, and I sincerely appreciate everyone's advice.

I figured I should go ahead and update this thread with what's been going on with me. I scheduled an appointment with a nurse practitioner at my Gastroenterology office so I could basically pester her with the endless questions I was struggling with for the week after my - sort of - diagnosis.

Luckily I have steadily getting better since the first colonoscopy and am now at the point where I feel completely healthy. I understand that even though I feel well right now it is important to maintain a healthy diet to minimize the trouble I have when/if the disease does start to flare up again. Unfortunately many of my questions couldn't be answered fully, but I guess that's just what happens with a condition like this.

The nurse practitioner seemed to think that the only thing I need to worry about right now is steadily taking the Lialda as the doctor has prescribed it. Between the outrageous cost (which insurance won't help with), the trouble of doing an enema in the college dorm setting, and the fact that I am now having completely normal BMs, she said it was reasonable to not worry about the enema or any sort of special diet. She basically told me to call them immediately if I start noticing signs of a flare-up and they would help alleviate it as much as possible.

So now I'm all moved into my dorm, thrilled that the colitis is letting me have a nice break for the beginning of the new semester but also a little worried about what I'm going to do if a flare-up does occur. I'm hoping fort the best, but I am aware that I need to maintain healthy habits and keep up with the Lialda for now. I guess that's where I'm at and figured I'd let ya know.
Posted 8/23/2013 1:35 AM (GMT 0)
I got UC while in my first year of college. And it was the hardest time of my life. So I'll just tell it to you honestly.

Find every washroom for every class you have. You should tell your professor's about your illness so they understand what you're going through. I would be hesitant in telling the disability services. I had a very difficult time with them and my liaison. It might not happen to you, but they tried to force me on the disability list that would make my 2 year study into 3+. It might NOT happen to you, but it has happened with other cases, outside of UC also. But, that's your choice.


What dosage is your medication at? Do you need any help with anything else like diet restrictions if necessary, or how to relieve stress? just let us know and we'll help. Hope everything will go well.
Posted 8/23/2013 4:12 AM (GMT 0)
Hi InspectorFish,

I'm sorry for all you are going through.  Once the meds start to work your life will be very normal. :)

You can get a medical card that says you are supposed to have access to ANY bathroom in the vicinity when you are in public.  This means you should have access to toilets not open to the public so that could help.

You could wear a pad if you are afraid of some mucus/blood slipping out.

I remember having problems in college, but I was able to get access to the bathrooms.  Many times I took Immodium, but of course this was before I had the right medication.  With the right medication I really don't have to worry about running to the toilet....things get better! :)

Maybe you can get into a different housing situation at school?  If not don't be embarrassed using public restrooms.  You have a medical condition.  You could bring a freshening spray with you in the stall.

I'll keep you in my prayers.  You might want to cut some of your classes and activities down until the symptoms are under control.

God Bless

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