Everyone, this is my mother: Patty, and this is about her battle with Ulcerative Colitis

Six years ago my mother had her large intestine removed due to complications with Ulcerative colitis (an auto immune disease that causes your white blood cells to attack the intestines and create ulcers).

She was fitted with a colostomy bag for six weeks and then her surgeon was able to re-route her large intestine with her smaller intestine, leaving no need for the bag. My mother is one of the lucky ones.





The illness she lived with is: Ulcerative Colitis/Ileostomy


She was diagnosed with it in the year: 2003
Year of the surgery: 2007


The biggest adjustment to make is: Shorter outings. Less outings. Less family time. More sleeping and bathroom time than we ever thought possible.


Most people assume: "That digestive diseases are the fault of the person and can be cured with some special diet. Digestive diseases are either hereditary or the result of a transcription error in your DNA reproduction (RNA). Simple as that." - http://runstrongereveryday.com/





Or they are caused by trauma. My mother had my sister at 37 and her body was so stressed out from it that it decided to attack her.


The hardest parts about nights: Trying to throw up or complete some other restroom task quietly, despite the pain and the tears. Or not making it to the bathroom at all and needing help cleaning it up.


Regarding alternative treatments: tried homeopathic methods, vitamins, avoiding certain things (LOTS of certain things: wheat, dairy, meats, processed foods...) Some witch doctor that decided she had a damn parasite...


Her illness has taught me: That we really could stick together, as a family, somehow, despite ourselves.


When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: Stay open with your family, don't be afraid to let them help you. They need to help you as much as they can, it's bad enough that they can't cure you themselves. It's bad enough that this disease exists at all. Don't give up.


To the family members and friends: Don't blame them or get frustrated with them when they want to give up. Don't take it personally when they do want to give up. It's their disease. It's their pain. Of course they want to give up. Cry with them. You're not necessarily being strong by not crying. Sometimes, they need someone to cry with them as much as they need someone to distract them. If there's an "accident" - clean it. And don't make them feel worse. With this disease: shit happens. Often.


Something that has surprised me about watching someone living with an illness is: Resiliency is an important quality. My dad is a very strong individual. A doctor prescribed something wrong, and almost killed my mother. My father pinned that man against the wall. My mother: forgave him.


The nicest thing someone did for our family was: Look out for us. They brought food, company, baby sitters, phone calls, support for my parents... If anything would have ended as badly as we sometimes thought it was about to, we still would have had support.