Colitis

[Simon.Pieman]

I've just heard that an old mate of mine has been living with a condition called Ulcerative Colitis for the last five years and I am told that he is having quite a hard time with it just recently. He's been off the 'scene' for the last month at least, I havn't seen him and I'm beginning to worry about the guy. I was thinking of going over to visit and/or try to get him out of the house for a clay shoot or something (that's one of the things he always enjoyed) but some of the other guys in the pub (mutual friends) say he's not keen to be 'socially active' at the moment and is best left until he sorts himself out.
 I've never heard of this condition before, but I had a good read about it on the internet last night though, it's an inflamed intestine that brings pain and sometimes embarressment and it sounds awful, I wasn't surprised he has stayed indoors all this time, I would find it impossible to live with.
 My scientist girlfriend says there is no cure but she says some people help themselves with all sorts of herbal teas and various 'snake oil' remedies, there's very little else to do. I would like to do something to help, I guess just visiting would be a start.
 Has any foccers had experience of this illness?  Perhaps have a friend or relative with it who have ideas on how best to cope?

[evesdad]

My wife was diagnosed nearly twenty years ago after being treated by a different doctor for seven years for an  anal cut! Came home on an afternoon shift and found her collapsed on the bathroom floor. The doctor who came out on call (they used to do that then) said within 5 mins he suspected ulcerative colitis. Treatment was usually steroids which long term bring their own problems. For a long time now she has been taking i think azothriopane which seems to work for her but, are known to cause cancer if used long term. Unfortunately if her dose of those is cut she suffers flare ups.
  I see you have read about some of the symptoms and can understand why your friend may not be keen to go out. In my wifes case now the fear of being out and too far from a toilet is far worse than the reality, long trips involve stopping at every service station, bus trips are out altogether. quite a few of our days holidays every year are used on outpatients appointments. It's not all doom and gloom symptoms can vary from being severe for long periods to being symptom free for long  long periods. Other  sufferers include Sir Steve Redgrave and Darren Fletcher (man u footballer)

[Fazerider]

I have two friends with the problem. In both instances the condition came on after a lot of mental stress. Diet and steroids got the situation under control for one of them and he is now able to cope with greatly reduced doses of steroid tablets. The other, sadly, ended up having her colon removed... it did the trick, but it's a drastic solution.

[caretaker]

an uncle of mine died from colitis out of sheer embarassment. he didnt tell anyone, didnt go to the doc. he would still be here if he had.

[adeejaysdelight]

I took UC in April of 2011. I was very sick for weeks and I ended up in hospital for a month. I had a total bleed out (twice) and had to have emergency surgery for a subtotal colectomy of the colon and a total blood transfusion. I was away for a few minutes and if it had not happened in the hospital, I would not be here now. I have had the reversal surgery in March this year and takedown surgery at the end of July. Contrary to your girlfriends opinion, there is a cure. The cure is having the colon removed. It is a last resort, but a cure none the less.


Between my surgeries I got back to good health. I ran a half marathon, completed tough mudder Scotland 2012, did a 9 country euro tour, took up sky diving, got back to fitness training and completed a Degree in Engineering. Its not all doom and gloom, but unfortunately there is so much social stigma attached to this disease that people are afraid to have it dealt with. I was more afraid of having a bag than I was of dying, and actually put myself in a very dangerous position by refusing the surgery for nearly 2 weeks. When I woke up on the toilet floor of the hospital at 4am with a defibrillator attached to my chest  and an adrenaline shot in me, covered in blood and looking at a dozen very worried faces looking down at me, I changed my mind. I was in theatre a few LONG hours later.


I am now back to work and looking forward to the rest of my life, albeit without a colon, but it is also without a bag. And I have some wicked scars, the biggest being some 14 inches. I know that my lifespan has been significantly shortened, but I am grateful for every day I have and don't take life or the ones I love for granted any more. If he is a good friend, let him know you are thinking of him. It made all the difference to me to have my friends and family support me through that time and I could not have done it without them.

[taksi]

The Manchester United player Darren Fletcher has had this condition for around two years now and has just got back playing. He played 67 mins for the reserves last week and has every intention of regaining his first team place. You must want to get out and not give in.
 
 
Taksi

[noggythenog]

Visit your mate, forget the pub blokes, imo blokes in pubs are usually the ones full o shite, even if they have good intentions...he probably is a bit ashamed or embarrassed but he'll still appreciate that you made the effort...ive helped a mate out before when he was depressed & when everyone else didnt bother & even though it wasnt fun to go see him & he didnt seem too keen on my visits he did remember it all when he eventually got better...thats what mates are for & youre already half way there by thinking about it...top marks

[Simon.Pieman]

Many thanks for sharing your experiences chaps, they are very much appreciated and I have to have respect for anyone coping with this disease. I've heard quite a lot about the condition in the last few days plus two aquaintances of mine have broken silence and told me they are sufferers too. From what I've read, cases of this terrible condition are rising, I think it is of utmost importance that research into this is stepped up, although I'm sure that present researchers are doing their best.
 I've been in touch with matey, he's chipper but bored, so I'm going round tomorrow with some 'shopping' he says he needs in, ie a large madeira cake and a bottle of 12 year old Glengoyne, I thought alcohol and stodgy cake would be adverse to his condition -but apparently not it seems.
 Interestingly, one of the chaps is going to be trying (i had to write this down) 'Helminthic' therapy in the near future, they are parasitic worms which exude a substance that calms the immune system. I read that in asia hardly anybody gets colitis -unless they take stuff that kills off parasitic worms (present in 85% of population).