Living with ulcerative colitis when it is not in remission is difficult, inconvenient, and often humiliating. The frequent urgent trips to the bathroom make going to certain events impossible. I know I have have certainly missed out on a lot of activities in which I would have loved to participate.
When I was first diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, it felt like a jail sentence. I remember my doctor telling me about flare up, support groups, the journey to find a treatment plan that would work for me and some of the side effects of the medications used to control ulcerative colitis.
I remember thinking that some of the side effects of the medications sounded almost as bad as the symptoms of the ulcerative colitis. With ulcerative colitis, I had to deal with seriously painful stomach cramps and diarrhea, but nausea and weight gain were possible side effects of the medications. I seemed like I would just trade in one torture device for another torture device that may not be as bad as the first one.
As I sat there with my doctor, I was scared of what the future would hold. Sure, I know ulcerative colitis wasn’t fatal and neither was the treatment. Unless of course, you count the death of pride because of the public humiliation of dealing with the symptoms.
Little did I know that the visit that day would be the start of a long 2 year journey of trying to control my ulcerative colitis. There were times when the medications that I tried made things much worse. My ulcerative colitis would still be very active but now, I had the added symptoms of the side effects. There were other times that the medication would lessen my ulcerative colitis but I could not cope with the side effects of the medication.
My doctor and I have finally found a treatment plan that works for me. I am taking Prednisone, a corticosteroid. I am taking it long term for now. Hopefully soon, I will be able to switch to short term doses.
I am more moody now since I am on the Prednisone. My face has gotten fat and I have gained about 15 pounds. I have a mild case of acne that gets worse around the time when I am going to start my period. Sometimes, I get nauseated.
Now, to a person who does not suffer from ulcerative colitis, these side effects probably sound awful. But, let me tell you, as long as my ulcerative colitis is under control, I will gladly deal with these side effects forever.
All of the side effects that I experience from the medications are easily controlled except for my fat face. All I can do about that one is pray. Well, I pray for all the symptoms that I experience. I use a gentle facial cleanser and a spot treatment to help with my acne. A controlled diet helps me to lessen the weight gain while helping me to keep my ulcerative colitis under control. Over the counter and natural medications help me alleviate the nausea.
The most important thing that I have learned during my journey is that sometimes the methods that seem unconventional are the ones that control the side effects the best. Do not be afraid to try odd suggestions for helping your side effects. The odd ones just may be the ones that help you the most.
