Does 'holding' with UC make the condition worse?

I know of no information anywhere that holding it will make your condition worse. It probably won't make it any better either. It must all be a mental issue with her as the average UC'r that has to go would not want to wait 15 minutes while going to another location and then returning, several times per day. My best advice, if you can, is to find a way to diplomatically talk to the parents about it but my opinion is she is very embarrassed and depressed about the whole thing and just needs to be given some space and understanding. Hopefully at some point she will be able to deal with her issues better. In her eyes, her life has been ruined. Teenagers in general have a lot of stuff on their plates and this girl has that times one thousand. Stress can make her condition worse so the less stress she has, the better off she will be.

I have a 14 year old, no UC yet?!? Anyway kids just hate to poop when not at home no matter uc or not! How many times does she need to go? If it's 2 or 3 not terrible. Any more than that and she is just gonna stop coming back.

She is gonna start feeling obvious pretty soon. Not good.

Can she get a bicycle? Cane she be given more time in the morning at home? A lower residue diet?

This is gonna mess with her self esteem!

Can she be given shorter days?

She is senior now? Just help her get thru this year without fail,

Thank you teacher! You rock

There is no medical reason that I can think of why it would be bad. But I also can't think of a reason why someone with UC would want to hold it in, especially with the facilities she's being given. The problem is, in the initial stages the worst part is just the embarrassment. It's a very hard disease for a teenager to cope with mentally, having been diagnosed at 17, I was the same way. Eventually she will get used to it, and the quicker that happens, the better. I wish I could have had a private pass to a private toilet when I was in high school! Once she realizes that, she will be okay.

When we talk about chronic "holding it" causing evacuation issues down the line, we're talking about people who will ignore the urge to have a BM and wait hours or even days. The problem with "holding it" is that when an uninflamed GI tract "holds" a bowel movement, the stool moves backwards from the rectum back into the sigmoid colon, where more water is absorbed and it becomes more solid. The urge goes away at that point, and even if the person who is "holding it" wanted to have a bowel movement at that point, they probably couldn't (there's an episode of Seinfeld about this). Holding a bowel movement *until* you get to the toilet isn't damaging. Waiting 15 minutes until you can walk to a toilet you're comfortable using isn't "holding it," it's normal toileting habits. If the student were holding it until she could go home at the end of the day that would be one thing, but it sounds like she is holding it for 15 minutes to walk home.

We don't know why this student isn't comfortable using the secluded restroom. Maybe she is ashamed that people will see her going in there and know there is something wrong. Maybe her bowel movements are so painful that they make her cry out and she thinks someone might hear. Maybe she needs to use a rectal med after a bowel movement, or to hop in the shower and wash herself clean. Or maybe she just isn't comfortable having a bowel movement in a public place. Ask 100 "healthy" people and PLENTY of them will say they aren't comfortable having a bowel movement in a public toilet! Yet just because we have a disease, we're expected to automatically overcome neuroses that other people are "allowed" to have because they're "normal."

If you think her leaving school is disruptive I can understand talking to her parents, but you are her teacher, not her doctor. It's clear you care about this student but I don't think it's appropriate for a teacher to get involved in medical care and judgment.

I'm amazed that she can hold it in...but the holding part might be because she's improving and is able to do it.

I suspect it's because of the discomfort, possible "whimpering" during a bm , and of course...cleaning up afterward.

Leave the option open for her, for one day she might need it, and leave her be.  If that's what she needs to do (go home) then that's what she needs....but she may change her mind about it gradually once she improves.

I can't see it causing her issues if she's heeding the urge at its initial presentation.

I didn't ask you....how long is she normally gone?

q

I am with q. I am amazed she can hold it too. When I was flaring, I would have to go to WHICHEVER toilet was available and trust me, I don't like going to public toilets. If i had a key to a private toilet, I'd be there. I understand going home if you had an accident but going home to use the toilet when there is one available in walking distance doesn't seem logical for a UCer. I do love that you're such a caring teacher and that you've done so much to make sure she's got access to a private toilet.

I honestly don't see how it's possible for this girl to hold it for 15 minutes until she gets home. In a flare, I'm lucky to make it across my bedroom in time to get to the bathroom.

I had UC when I was in junior high, and I has to get a note from my mother to leave the classroom without notice because it would just hit me out of nowhere. It was very embarrassing, but it would've been more so if I would've had an accident. Is it possible that she's having to go home because she's already soiled herself?

Holding it in can't be good. My reasoning: your body is telling you to get it out. I had such frequency that walking more than 2 minutes of holding after the initial urge would be all I could bare, if that. It also allowed me to become very familiar with the better toilets around my daily routines. You're a really great person for doing this, and it really is an interesting disease. Reference my "poop slash" thread from a week or so back. I couldn't make it through school without eliminating poop splash...

Best of luck.
-Alex

Have to agree with the 'don't do it' people.. holding it in will only increase the amount of gas build up and likely cause constipation/blockage over time. A better solution would be to take the middle road, not going every time there's a tremor, but not holding it in for the maximum time. Better to help her get over the issues in using the school's facilities.. (e.g. disabled toilet, etc.) Kudos for your caring.

I can hold it. I might have to go more than most but I can hold it most of the time. So far I am lucky but I have a change of clothes in my car and my office.

The anxiety of not making it is overwhelming though. There is always a first time.

She might have leakage issues.

I am so sorry for her. This kid is not faking it. Wow!

I'm glad that there is a teacher who cares. Most of them don't understand the condition or think it's an excuse. It's not!

I'm glad she's able to hold it. It means her flare is not that bad.

I'm not sure how much you can legally do to support her. Missed lessons are not good and may impact her grades. She may have to provide a doctor's note. That's what I would do.

I was in school too when I got UC. And the restrooms were just horrible. So I totally understand why she doesn't want to use them.

Keep doing what you're doing and maybe try to be a shoulder to lean on. It helps a great deal if there is someone who is trying to understand.

*suposed to, not speed.
Also should i try eating and what should i eat? Or is water enough?