Ulcerative Colitis: Finding an Effective Treatment Plan for You

Ulcerative Colitis is a disease that causes frequent, very urgent trips to the bathroom because of diarrhea. A person suffering from Ulcerative Colitis has to be close to a bathroom at all times if their Ulcerative Colitis is not in remission.

It is very difficult to find a job that can accommodate the needs of a person with Ulcerative Colitis. If your Ulcerative Colitis is not in remission, you will, more than likely miss a substantial amount of time from work.

For a person who is still trying to find a treatment plan that is effective, Ulcerative Colitis is definitely a disability. In most jobs, bathrooms are few and far between. In some jobs, you can only go to the bathroom at certain times. When you are suffering from Ulcerative Colitis, it is impossible to use the bathroom only at scheduled times unless you are willing to use the bathroom in your clothes.

Another thing that makes holding down a regular job is the painful cramping. There are sometimes that my stomach cramps so bad that I cannot even stand or sit up straight. This was especially true when I was still working with my doctor to find a treatment plan that effectively controlled my Ulcerative Colitis.

Sometimes, during a flare up, sitting is painful because your bottom is sore from the diarrhea. I am sure that most people have had a sore bottom from a stomach bug that caused a day or so of diarrhea. Now, take that feeling and multiply it by about 1,000 and you have the feeling of someone with Ulcerative Colitis.

See, with this disease, a flare up can last a week or more. Having frequent diarrhea during this week makes for a very raw anus. And let's face it, there are a lot of jobs that you have to sit in a chair to do your job duties.

You also have to take into account the numerous trips to the doctor when you have Ulcerative Colitis. This affects your job too. There were times when I was trying to find a treatment plan that I had three or more appointments in one week for lab work, doctor visits and other tests.