Surviving College When You Don't Know That You Have Ulcerative Colitis

As I have said in other articles, I have a mild case of Ulcerative Colitis. In college there was really no need to talk to college professors about the illness; I didn't even know I had it. Most discomfort I had could be handled. Many people have to deal with mild cramping for aberrant reasons.

I found it necessary to tell my roommate that I had some kind of tender bowel problem because it did, at times, create odd restroom habits and did, at times, cause severe cramping. It was necessary that my roommate know what was happening.

I never confided in any dates about the condition (again, I didn't formally know about it until age 24) but, I did have to be careful about diet and stress as well as the availability of a restroom. I had to watch how full I got and how much spicy food I ate. One major offender was Monosodium Glutamate or MSG. If I ate food laced with that flavor enhancer, I would suffer for days.

Finals were a very difficult time for me. I would have a "Flare" because I was upset but I really didn't understand what a "Flare" was at that point so I didn't understand what was going on. It was a flare that didn't subside on its own that got me diagnosed.

Finally, when I got serious with my wife and knew I was going to marry her, I talked about the "problem". It was a difficult problem to talk about because it is not a very attractive condition as conditions go. Of course, if someone is in love with you it is a non-event, and, luckily for me, my wife cared less. It was only a year after we got married that they diagnosed me with the illness.

Probably, what got in my way the most during my college years (besides finals) was trying to hold down a part-time job. It was difficult to make it to work on a regular basis as well as keep up with classes. The only jobs that are available to students tend to be jobs that have to do with restaurants and that means late hours.

As I said, I was lucky. People with severe Ulcerative Colitis, often do have to make major arrangements regarding their personal hygiene; from restroom availability to change of clothes, to transportation.