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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 11/4/2015 5:05 AM (GMT 0)
Hello,
My husband has UC and I am looking for tips/ideas to help him through things. He is currently in a bad flare and seems really down. Any ideas on how to make him feel more comfortable or relaxed or loved?
Thank you
Posted 11/4/2015 6:05 AM (GMT 0)
Learn as much as you can about it so that you can discuss it openly and in an educated way
Posted 11/4/2015 9:20 AM (GMT 0)
Is he seeing a Gastroenterologist to discuss his flare and med options?
Posted 11/4/2015 10:40 AM (GMT 0)
I suffer from anxiety which makes things even worse for my wife, my advice would be to be sympathetic to his dietary needs and try and point out that a lot of things that go wrong may not be related to his IBD. It's a horrible disease as it involves the very thing we have to do everyday - poop. It can be embarrassing to - so try and think of words that relate to this without it sounding embarrassing.
Posted 11/4/2015 11:45 AM (GMT 0)
A sense of humor and some patience can do wonders. I've seen a couple of people post who have said that they never discuss their UC with their spouse because it's embarrassing and gross and all I can think is, "How do you live like that?" Even if we're not experiencing symptoms, we think about them and structure our lives around them every day all day. The best response I've had from a significant other is, "I'm sorry that's happening to you. Is there anything I can do?"

Also, make sure you're taking care of yourself and communicating with him. It doesn't help anyone if you let your own needs fall by the wayside. Get creative with work arounds. For example: Maybe he can't take you out to dinner, but he can order something fancy in. Or if he feels too ill for intercourse, ask him what (if any) type of physical intimacy he feels up for.
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