Second Major Flare Up - Age 20

My second major ulcerative colitis flare-up was the worst. I was in the hospital for nearly two and a half weeks as my doctor tried to do everything possible to prevent me from having surgery. My ulcerative colitis symptoms were the worst they had ever been.

Working as a restaurant manager, I was pulling 72 hours a week, working 6 days minimum. The weight of the world was on my shoulders as I was a 20 year old interim general manager. It took my restaurant 3 months to find a permanent GM, where I was placed back into an assistant manager position. Nevertheless, the job had taken its toll on me.

Factor in as well that I was nearing the end of a very ugly 2 year relationship, that ultimately ended with some domestic violence...from her. It wasn't anything too serious, but I put an immediate stop to that the first time I was swung at.

Needless to say, stress and exhaustion ultimately spun my ulcerative colitis symptoms out of control. After 3 weeks of symptoms, they drastically got worse, and about 5 days later I was in the hospital.

Much like my first flare-up, my ulcerative colitis symptoms consisted of:

• Extremely bloody stools. Blood in the water as well. Much more blood than my previous flare-up.
• Diarrhea
• Frequent bowel movements, approximately every 20 minutes. Very little stool with actual bowel movements, but lots of blood. Often I would just stay curled up on the bathroom floor waiting for my next urge to hit.
• Extreme nausea. Vomiting every hour or so. Was so dehydrated at this point that it was lots of gagging and very little substance actually coming back up.
• Inability to eat. Could not keep anything on my stomach. Couldn't even keep water down.
• Extreme cramping, causing large amounts of abdominal pain. On a scale of 1 to 10, my pain was a 10.
• Extreme exhaustion. I wanted to sleep, but my body wouldn't let me.
• Extreme difficulty walking, due to the pain I was in.

I was driven to the ER, and this time, we knew what I was suffering from. I was very quickly given an IV, in addition to blood work and a suppository. The suppository stayed in for maybe 5 minutes. I told them it wasn't going to work, but they insisted.

As I was hurling from the side of my bed into a trash can, they decided to take me and have me stand up for an x-ray. Bad idea. It was once interrupted for an emergency bowel movement, and then again after another bout of nausea. I did manage to summon every bit of strength I had to stand up straight so they could get their images afterwards.

My pain was so intense that they actually gave me morphine in the ER. The morphine worked so fast, that in moments the pain subsided. It truly is a miracle pain drug. I might have lasted 10 minutes before I fell asleep in the ER, exhausted, and finally free of pain...for the moment.

When I woke up, I was still in the ER, but they were moving me to a private room. More nausea and bowel movements followed throughout the night, and thus ended day one.

Day 2

Morphine was a consistent part of my treatment throughout the next week and a half. I wasn't on a pump, so I had to call for it when my pain got really bad. They increased the dosage after two days, then started weaning me off a couple days after that. The best sleep I had was with Morphine.

When your body is constantly wracked with cramps and abdominal pain, any temporary relief is a blessing. Ulcerative colitis can plague your intestines with so much ulceration and inflammation that it tears you apart from the inside out.

Day two saw my vomiting subside, but the pain was still there. I was constantly lying in my bed on my side, in a fetal position. My parents were at my side night and day.

Day 2 has me scheduled for a PICC line placement in my upper left arm. This was to help feed my body nutrients from a TPN. A TPN is basically liquid food. Since my stomach and GI tract couldn't handle anything at all, nutrients would be delivered to my body through my bloodstream, via PICC line.

They tried to place the PICC line 3 times. I was given a local anesthetic, but I could still feel the doctor digging around in my arm. It was a dull pain that made me grind my teeth. Ultimately, the PICC line failed, because I was so dehydrated that my veins were collapsing every time they tried to insert the line. I still carry a scar on my arm where they tried to insert the line.

Finally, they had to resort to a central line, which was placed on my chest, just above my heart. This fed everything straight into my system, circulating very rapidly. The morphine was given to me in my central line in this point as well, and it was instant relief. I'm telling you, as soon as they started pushing the med through, I felt the pain ebb.

The central line was removed a couple days before I was discharged, so I had it for just about my entire hospital stay.

Days 3-7

My body was not healing during this time period. My nausea was gone, but the cramping was still very intense, and the pain was still about an 8 on a scale of 10. I had a CT scan done, as well as an abdominal sonogram. No colonoscopy had been done yet. I was also on a healthy dose of IV prednisone. Whatever other medications I was on, it is difficult for me to remember.

Days 8-10 and the NG Tube

Days 8 through 10 were the absolute worst days of my experience with ulcerative colitis. My condition had gotten so bad that they decided to put an NG tube down my nose and into my stomach. This would continuously pump out the contents of my stomach in an effort to give my intestines much needed relief. This was a last resort before surgery.

I prayed harder than I ever have. I realized surgery may rid me of this problem forever, but I also realized the extent of the surgery could leave me with an internal pouch, or worse, a colostomy bag. I was 20 years old, and wasn't ready for that outcome yet.

The inserted the tube down my nose while I was awake, having me sit upright and tilt my head back. Using KY jelly to help lubricate the passage down, they inserted the tube down my right nostril, only to fail. They then attempted my left nostril, with success. I remember gagging several times, and the feeling brought tears to my eyes. As bad as it was for me, I felt sorrier for the nurses having to do that to someone.

Container after container filled with brownish, gunky sludge. For 3 days I had that awful tube down my nose. Every time I even turned my head slightly, I could feel the tube against my throat. It made me want to gag. My throat was dry, and I could only have a few ice chips every 30 minutes or so. Luckily, my parents helped regulate my ice chips, because I definitely would have eaten more than I was allowed.

For three days I suffered through the NG tube, my ulcerative colitis FINALLY coming under control. On the second and third day, my patience was growing very, very thin. I couldn't talk, eat, drink, or move. Sleeping was near impossible. It felt like I was always choking on something in the back of my throat. My dad said he had never seen anyone scream and yell on paper, but apparently I accomplished that feat, because that's the only way I could communicate.

The NG tube came out at the end of the third day, with my ulcerative colitis finally subsiding.

The Final Week

After the NG tube experience, I was finally able to start eating chicken broth and jello. I asked my doctor if I could have Gatorade as well, and I was allowed 2 per day. During this time, my pain meds went from morphine to Vicodin. They barely worked. I wanted the morphine back, and it made me realize very quickly how pain medications can become so addictive. Nevertheless, Vicodin it was from there on out.

I had been receiving prednisone via IV for so long now, that I started having severe arthritis pains in my ankle and knee joints. Sitting still and lying down was unbearable at times. I was finally able to walk around, so sometimes at night, even at 3am and 4am, I would get up with my IV pole and walk around the floor.

FYI, hospitals are usually very cold, so bring pajama pants, or sleep pants. Something to help keep warm!

About 3 days before I was eventually discharged, I was finally able to eat. My first meal was 1 scrambled egg, 1 biscuit, and a cup of jello. I devoured my food, only to throw it up about 20 minutes later. My stomach wasn't used to having food again. Lunch came and I kept all that down.

I was finally discharged around noon on my 16th day in the hospital. I was determined to walk out on my own, and I had barely made it. I had been lying in bed for over 2 weeks, and it was like I had forgotten how to walk. When I got home, I walked up to my bedroom upstairs, and almost didn't make it. My leg muscles were useless.

I went home on a very heavy dose of prednisone, 6-MP, and this time, Asacol as my anti-inflammatory.

At this point, I realized my life would have to change. Career, relationships, mindset, lifestyle...everything. I had lost over 30 pounds when I was in the hospital. I went from 165 to 135.

After I got home, I started eating everything in sight. The steroids were making me very, very hungry. I ate, and ate, and ate. Couldn't help it. I rapidly gained all my weight back, and then some. My cheeks were chubby and fat, and I even started getting a chubby stomach, where I had a six pack before. Beware the prednisone and the ensuing appetite that follows!

My next flare-up would occur about 6 months later. I relapsed while at college, and was put on a brand new treatment. Luckily, no hospital this time around.