College and Ulcerative Colitis, sharing stories :)

I did half my undergrad + work + MBA on UC severe. MBA was bad since I had quit smoking when I moved to New York to do my MBA (cigarettes are expensive in NYC!). Worst two years of my life, always flaring and in and out of hospitals, also, had to stay in top 10% to keep scholarship (MBA is expensive too !)

Long story short, I made it! Stay determined and plough / push through.


Watch Rocky 1 & 2 and listen to Eye of the tiger. And yeah, see if you can get on a Biologic. Simponi, Mesalamine Enema and Uceris foam helped me a lot!

Hi all, your replies have given me a big boost of confidence to go to college on Tuesday, thank you :)

I have tried steroid treatment and infliximab since April. They both haven't put me into remission at all, I still always get some sort of symptom..
My doc says that it is unlikely that azathioprine will have an effect on me either as it works similarly to inflixmab. Plus its a bit useless as it takes about a month or more to start to work and I need some treatment urgently. I've refused to take steroids again because of the horrible side effects I experienced so they said surgery is my last option really.

As for diet, I've tried low fibre, cutting out different foods(the usual, spices etc) and hasn't had much effect.. I am honestly looking for a quick fix as I want to get better ASAP due to college so I am actually looking forward to(and want)surgery as I always knew this condition may lead to this as a dead end :)

Thanks for replying guys!

Hi,
I understand that, I'm only going for the ileostomy and perhaps a j-pouch when I'm much much older..
I spoke to my college about it, explained the complications etc and they said I could catch up and also work from home using their moodle site. Plus I always have next year to redo the course if it goes horribly wrong :)
I am very determined to at least try (I managed to do my GCSEs in a really bad flare and missing nearly a year off so I think I can do this too)

Thanks for the reply!

I found my UC actually improved while at college because I was happy, found some really lovely and understanding friends, and the teachers were mature and accepts that I needed to go out to the bathroom in the middle of class. Overall I found them to be a much more inclusive bunch and that really helped me. In contrast, I was often confronted at school in front of my friends by teachers and told "you really don't look sick but you're mum has been up at the school" or told that I couldn't play in the school netball team because "you don't look sick but I know you are and that will affect your commitment". I had also been asked by teachers (who knew about my UC diagnosis) whether I'd had wisdom teeth surgery because my face was so swollen from the pred. I was also frequently in trouble because I had to go to the bathroom mid-class, in short school was a living hell for me, in comparison to college which I loved. If you can, talk to the college beforehand, they should have some sort of disability support program that can help you.

Hi Ziggs,
I did a health course too, first nursing and then a science degree so I figure if anyone should understand they should :)! Sorry to hear your high school experience was similar to mine, ie not exactly positive, so I can certainly understand the apprehension you feel. However I found college professors to be more intelligent and therefore much more mature and understanding. Similarly I found the people in my class to also generally be more mature and lovely, I put it down to them wanting to be there and it was also a more adult environment and everyone seemed to take to that. I'm sure some people have had negative experiences but I just wanted you to know there are positive experiences out there too, and when people give you support and understanding you really won't know yourself. I wish you all the best and hope that your degree is everything that you want it to be!

Ziggs,

I am currently a junior mechanical engineering student and it wasn't until the summer before my sophomore year that I was diagnosed with UC. At first I didn't think much of it until I had really bad flare and I ended up in the hospital for an entire week. I lost 14 pounds in about 3 days. As you know the hospital isn't a great time. During my hospital stay I met a great doctor who I continue to see. The prendisone can be tough to deal with, I was on 60 mg with a 10mg taper bi-weekly. After a few more flares, I am currently on 40 mg of Humira weekly and I feel normal finally.

As far as schooling goes unless your going to be an engineer nurse or doctor college will be more than manageable. The best advice I can give you is not to give up and just keep going. I missed a week of engineering school and managed to finish the semester strong. (That may not mean anything now, but it is hard enough to make up a day of classes.) Personally I love the stress that college brings and that isnt a good thing for people with UC. If it wasnt for modern medicine I dont know where I would be.

I haven't made any severe life style changes. I still exercise regularly which is about 5 days a week and I have always eaten healthy throughout my life. I do only drink water on a daily basis. I rarely drink caffeine which may sound crazy but that is a certain trigger for a flare at least for me. I also rarely drink alcohol.

You will be fine in school and most likely do great in school. Just remember your not the first person to do it or the last. Good luck and I hope this helps.

I would suggest against using Moodle and other online tools to complete college. They are nowhere near the live experience. Since you seem to be in the UK, a letter from NHS might convince school admins to give you time off.