UClife-- yes, I got sick in the 1970s, young adult life. At that time doctors expected to see UC hitting people btw ages 18-35 so I fell within those parameters. Nowadays one can read about
8 yr-olds getting it, also 60 yr-olds. What to think ... ? The unknowns surrounding IBD can be very frustrating, to say the least! Yes, my 1st yr post-diagnosis was the worst. I was seeing a general practice gastro who had good intentions, but not much experience dealing with UC meds, as it turned out. Eventually, I changed to a gastro who subspecializes in IBD; that really enabled me to progress to real remission. In remission a UCer should be free of bleeding, D, & urgency. Once those things subside, you begin to feel more like your former self, like you can go out to a new place w/o having to worry if there's an accessible john nearby, etc. The trick is to MAINTAIN remission with the lowest possible amount of UC med. I myself have done better with Colazal than with any of the earlier 5-ASA drugs-- so I'm trying not to "max out" on it. Hope you'll feel up to the Presque Isle event, but definitely don't push yourself to do more than you feel comfortable with. / Old Hat