Posted 5/23/2018 12:53 PM (GMT 0)
1.) "If diagnosed with mild UC, is it likely to remain this way?" UC prognosis can be pretty wildly unpredictable, especially within the first 5-years of initial diagnosis. If UC will spread in extent and severity then the odds say it will happen within the first 5-years. Some of us have very mild cases that are little trouble, some of us have more aggressive cases that necessitate stronger-and-stronger meds, and some of us have belligerent/impossible cases that quickly involve a surgery (about 25% of cases).
2.) "Is the first flair a good judge of lifetime flairs?" Each and every flare is completely different from the rest. My initial flare that gave me a UC diagnosis was very mild. Afterwards, I had a flare from hell that was very severe. I've had a few "blips" or very minor flares since then. A lot of it has to do with how well managed your UC is with an appropriate treatment plan. If your UC is well managed, then you have the best odds of having the longest possible remissions, least frequent and mildest flares. So, find a treatment that works well for you, stick with that treatment whether feeling good or feeling badly, and be vigilant of flare signs. No matter how well treated, we all will eventually flare as that's the nature of UC. So catch a flare early when it's small, treat it strongly, and re-enter a remission as quickly as is possible. Flares are hell and pure misery, so you want to have the best quality of life through appropriate treatment. As in remissions we are essentially normal, without UC worries and can go about our days without bathroom worries, pain, urgency, etc.
3.) "Is there anyone here with mild UC? Has it always been this way?" There are some who've been mild cases for decades. The user Quincy comes to mind, she's been at this 20+ years, still on the mildest anti-inflammatory medications (Lialda/asacol) and has never once needed steroids like prednisone. That's pretty much the poster-child for having an easy, well mannered UC case.