HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Student exchange to The Netherlands and diagnosed 1 year ago

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 7/19/2017 9:27 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone!

Well I'm new here and very glad to find this forum! I'm from Peru, 21 years old and I was diagnosed over one year ago.

I can still remember how it all started: I started to stop eating because I felt full very quickly, also I was a coffee lover and suddenly it started to make me feel bad and with nauseas. Once I went to the bathroom and saw blood in the WC and I was VERY scared but also I hid it from my family because I though it was hemorrhoids or something like that. Suddenly, I started to feel very tired by 3 pm and I didn't want to eat anymore... I lost almost 10 kg and l looked like a ghost. Mom was very concerned about it so she took me to the hospital and my doctor said I had a severe anemia (7.6 hemoglobin... normal is 12) and my biopsia said distal ulcerative proctitis. I started to cry a lot because I was very afraid (I read lots of blogs that warned you about complications) but with time I've been learning to deal with it and continue with my normal life.

As you may know, it's been so difficult to me to learn to live with this problem and also control it, specially in a country where this illness is so rare. I take Salofalk suppositories daily one per night and I think it's fine... but the farts hasn't stop in all this time and also I'm still bleeding very often.

I'm really concern about one thing: I'm traveling to the Netherlands because of an Student Exchange Program that my home university offers and will be studying there for one semester. I know this will be an amazing experience but I'm also afraid of what this illness could mean to me or could avoid me to do. As I'll be far of home I'm a bit afraid of any complication that could happen or whatever... because I'm kinda new in this. So I'm here to read any recommendation or just experiences that you have had smile

Thank you all!!

Post Edited (Camilaguts) : 7/19/2017 3:43:24 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/19/2017 11:23 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Camilla

One bright spot for you is that UC is much more common in northern Europe so you may get better medical support than Peru. Make sure you have some temporary insurance to cover your stay there.
Pot is legal there and some people find that it helps their symptoms, just be careful about who you hang out with and stay safe.
Posted 7/19/2017 12:27 PM (GMT 0)
UC is very unpredictable (will I flare?) and makes planning ahead hard. Glad you're taking the opportunity to visit a new place despite your UC and worries. As said above, IBD and UC are much, much more common in northern Europe and you might have better treatment options there. Good luck!
Posted 7/23/2017 9:16 PM (GMT 0)
I lived in Amsterdam for about 5 years and in my opinion there are very good facilities for IBD sufferers there. There is a big community of people with IBD. I always felt comfortable with the doctors, treatment and pharmacists. I had maybe 2 flares there, and probably a couple of colonoscopies. I think it's a great place to visit. Enjoy your trip!

By the way, I live in London now.
Posted 7/23/2017 10:12 PM (GMT 0)
I'm much older than you (49 years) but just got diagnosed so I don't know much yet. I'm taking the same medicine as you are and I'm happy to hear that it might make a difference! What I do know, is that after the year is up you will be so glad you went and you'll feel strong and proud of yourself for pushing through despite your worries.

I hope we hear about it.
Posted 7/24/2017 4:42 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you so much for your advices!! They're very helpful to me because I'm about to start a new experience and I hope UC wouldn't make big complications. @Rosiedays yes! I'm about a year taking Salofalk but as here in Peru is not so common to find people with the same desease as us, I'm not sure if I'm in the middle of a flare or not. Of course that my first symptoms have decreased and my hemoglobin level is OK (I just had my last visit to my hematologist last month and everything was in order). But I'm still having gases that sometimes are very disturbing and they even hurt, also I'm still bleeding sometimes, which is very scaring! so I don't know if I'm eating something I shouldn't.

The problem is that here the food is very spicy and it's hard to me to leave some kind of food! But I learned that coffee is TERRIBLE to me (although I love it) and also things with lactose make me feel bad. I'm concerned about that bleeding I don't know if anyone know something about it or how I can stop it.

Btw thank you all for your good wishes!! I'm starting my trip on August 4, so I'm very excited smile

Post Edited (Camilaguts) : 7/24/2017 6:57:06 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/24/2017 7:16 AM (GMT 0)
a couple of comments:

1. I agree with the other posters who said that The Netherlands is a good place to visit for somebody with IBD. They have many people with UC and Crohn's, and they have many good doctors with experience treating IBD. So if you find yourself having troubles there, you will get good care.

2. It sounds like you are only taking suppositories? The bleeding and gas are signs you are under-medicated. Are you taking any mesalamine pills? You should try oral mesalamine medication in addition to suppositories. You might also try mesalamine enemas instead of suppositories. You are currently taking very little medication. Hopefully adding a little will make your current symptoms go away.

Enjoy your trip!
Posted 7/24/2017 7:50 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Camilla,

I'm a 33 year-old Peruvian-American living nearby in Denmark. You will be fine. You will probably have to go to a general doctor first and the general doctor will refer you to a specialist. Don't be afraid to request a change in doctors if you are not satisfied with your treatment. There are lots of good doctors. Enjoy the Netherlands!
Posted 7/25/2017 3:47 AM (GMT 0)
Beave thanks for your comments smile I'm very excited of visiting a completely new place (I've never been in Europe before) and very glad that now I know that I'll find great doctors and medical attention. And yes, I'm only taking the Salofalk suppositories and I feel concerned about what you said. But part of my current symptoms are my fault because I haven't take my medication properly... sometimes I forgot to take it and I could spend several days without taking my Salofalk suppositories because "I felt better". Now I'm taking my medication on time and I hope the results get better! If not, I would definitely consider to talk yo my GI to vary the doses or try other type of medication.

Charlote, thanks for your good wishes! It's good to see a Peruvian here smile I'm thinking of visiting a doctor in the NL because of the good things you told me about it!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply