Hi, I just want to share the roller coaster ride my life has been for the last year.
I am the 32y-old very proud mother of a delightful 8m old baby boy. I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Proctitis last year when I was 20 weeks pregnant. The gastroenterologist performed a Flexible Sigmoidoscopy as a Colonoscopy is contra-indicated during pregnancy. Shock and horror! I have never been sick in my life and now this weird chronic disease! The gastro prescribed a 6 week course of Prednisone, which at first I did not want to take for fear of harming my unborn baby. After a long discussion with my GP (also a woman and mother) I succumbed. I was also put on a maintenance dose of a Asacol suppository once daily. My symptoms (chronic diarrhea and rectal bleeding )immediately disappeared and I felt great during the rest of my pregnancy.
When baby was 6 weeks old I started having severe stomach cramps and diarrhea. Two doctors diagnosed food poisoning even though I told them about my chronic condition. After a week of having this symptoms another GP sent me for a CT scan. An hour later I was being prepped for an emergency operation! I had a colon intussusception and ended up having my appendix and a quarter of my colon removed. So, after bravely giving normal birth I still ended up with a 20cm incision over the length of my stomach! According to the surgeon the intussusception had nothing to do with my UC, but I still wonder. My husband and baby were wonderful during this crisis. I was still breastfeeding and my husband and parents brought my baby into the hospital for feeds during the day. At night he happily took a bottle. After being discharged it took me about a week to return to exclusively breastfeeding again. I was still not allowed a colonoscopy as 3 months had to pass to ensure proper healing of my colon. Almost 3 months later I woke one morning with severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. I was admitted to hospital again with having an intestinal infection and received intravenous antibiotics which fixed me up in 2 days. I had lost a lot of weight and felt weak and tired and decided to stop breastfeeding. At last I could go for a proper colonoscopy and was subsequently diagnosed with having Total Ulcerative Colitis. I took a 9 week course of Prednisone to heal the flare and have been taking 800mg Asacol tablets thrice daily since then. I have been symptom free for the last 3 ½ months and am hoping that I can maintain this remission. I consulted a dietician and am following a diet high in soluble fibre, while trying to cut out all insoluble fibre.
Wow, what a year it has been! We were blessed with the easiest, happiest, most perfect baby boy in the world. And on the other hand I am trying to come to terms with the fact that I am not the healthiest person I know anymore...
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Anon, thank you so very much for this post. Your journey has been a tough one and it's fabulous that you are sharing it with others.
Anon2, ulcerative proctitis is a subcategory of ulcerative colitis. For you and for others who are interested, here's a very good resource page on Ulcerative Colitis & Proctitis:
http://www.ccfa.org/info/about/ucp
Anon, I hope your remission is a very long, even permanent one. Come back and let us know how you're doing from time to time. And congratulations on your darling baby boy! It sounds like both you and he hit the jackpot.
March 23, 2009 - 9:08amThis Comment
Wow, what a story. How strong you are to have gone through so much, and all the while being a new mother. I don't know how you did it all. Do you know what caused the ulcerative proctitis in the first place? And besides avoiding insoluble fiber, do you have to have a special diet? I've not heard of this condition before, and wonder how common it is. Thanks so much for sharing your story!
March 22, 2009 - 10:43pmThis Comment