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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 3/18/2008 10:12 PM (GMT 0)
Since you were diagnosed with UC what is the longest length of time you've gone in the day without actually thinking about your bowel, UC or some related matter.

I've been diagnosed for 12 months now and it just dawned on me that in that time I've probably never gone 60 (waking) minutes without at least thinking something about UC. Is this "normal"? "semi-freaky"? "needs to visit with Dr. Phil - freaky"?

And if it is the norm isn't that like sooooooooo soooooo unhealthy on the mind long term? Imagine the toll it takes on the mind especially if you view UC in a mind-numbing negative way.

But the weird thing is depsite UC dominating my mind I've never ever dreamt of it. I dream about a lot of my fears - death, loss of my good looks, Yankees winning the World Series but never about UC? Does anyone dream much about UC?

D

 

Posted 3/18/2008 10:59 PM (GMT 0)
I've noticed that the time I spend thinking about UC has been shrinking more and more everyday. When I was first dagnosed I thought about it almost every waking second, and it has gotten less and less since then. I'm feeling close to remission now, too. If you're feeling sick, then I think it's hard not to think about it.

I often have vivid dreams that I remember, but I don't remember if I've dreamnt about UC or not. If I have, it doesn't happen often. I did have a dream the other day that someone was trying to hurt/kill me, and they shoved a sharp metal thing (maybe a knife?) into my stomach. When I woke up, I thought it was odd that it was my stomach (maybe because I am now so aware of that area of my body or may be just a coincidence). I have never actually gotten to the point of being hurt in a dream before that either...it has always been me almost getting hurt/kills, running away from something, etc.
Posted 3/19/2008 12:44 AM (GMT 0)
After a period of remission, I find myself thinking of it less and less - unless I feel a "twinge" in my guts - or unless I'm in the bathroom. I don't think about it as much - the proof is in the fact that I'll forget my AM meds...
Posted 3/19/2008 6:56 AM (GMT 0)
I use to dream about finding restrooms. I would look everywhere for them in my dream, I thought it would drive me crazy but once I got better I quit dreaming about it. I was like you I thought man this cant be normal, think about it all day then actually dream about it at night. I havent had that dream for awhile now.
Posted 3/19/2008 11:21 AM (GMT 0)
The less I "feel" it the less it enters my mind. If I don't have that constant pain and other symptoms, I tend to forget that I even have Uc.

As for dreams, in all these years I have had only one. I can't tell you what it was about because I can't quite remember but it was so weird! I know it had something to do with bleeding massively while going to the bathroom.
Posted 3/19/2008 11:38 AM (GMT 0)
I agree with many of the comments above. When I am in remission, I really only think of UC when I take my pills. The daily pill regimen serves as a constant reminder. When I am flaring, though, I think of UC all the time - obsess over it, even. It's like Sherry said, the less I feel, the less it enters my mind.

I think this ability to let it go has come with time. When I was first diagnosed, I thought about my UC non-stop, even when I felt good and had no symptoms. I've just become more comfortable with my diagnosis over time and have learned to put it down.

I've never dreamt about my UC... although I rarely dream. If I do dream, I rarely remember them. So, I guess I could be dreaming about it and just not remembering the dreams.
Posted 3/19/2008 1:51 PM (GMT 0)
Once you're in remission, you'll go long periods without thinking/worrying about it - and what a relief that is. However, even in remission, my lifestyle and eating habits have changed permanently, so I guess you could say it's always with me subconciously.
Posted 4/2/2008 5:00 AM (GMT 0)
I had to dig this post up, because I had a horrible UC dream a few nights ago, that is still sorta haunting me. It was one of those dreams that seems so real you wake up wondering if it really happened.

I dreamnt that I woke up in a hospital bed and my colon had been removed. I had an ostomy bag, but no one had told me I was getting one and there were no nurses or doctors around. The bag wasn't secured onto my body correctly...like it felt like it was going to fall off or something. No one checked on me the whole time I was there. I had to get up to try to find a nurse and the few nurses I found were in the hallway of the hospital smoking cigarettes (yes, in the hospital, lol) and they were really rude to me.

It was so scary. I immediately checked my tummy upon waking -- just to make sure. =)
Posted 4/2/2008 12:32 PM (GMT 0)
I never dream about it, but I too think about it all the time. Even if I am feeling well, I still make sure I know where all the bathrooms are. I still check myself and make sure I am feeling well enough to drive longer distances without having to stop. I still watch what I eat, I still exercise, I still think about the effect it is having on my marriage and my kids, and the worst.....I still worry constantly about it coming back.
Posted 4/2/2008 1:22 PM (GMT 0)
i went years without thinking about it. I had a nice long remission (about 5 years) of which the last three i don't think i thought about it at all. The first couple years of remission i still thought about it everyday but then I saw a shrink and learned to put it out of my mind and focus on the rest of my life. It worked! Hopefully I will be able to do that again once i reach remission.
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