Before I was diagnosed

My Colitis Story

It is time to share my story with Colitis so far in case it provides comfort to others or earlier diagnosis.

I was 44 at the time, and am a generally fit individual, although I do not exercise very much.

My first symptoms, although I wasn't aware it was Colitis at the time appeared around 18 months before diagnosis.

• Terribly smelly wind, and I mean really bad
• Suddenly feeling like I had flu later in afternoons and evening
• Variation in stool consistency

As a man I ignored these things but did think and consider going to the doctor, but as the symptoms came and went I never got around to it.

The flu like symptoms would hit me like train in the evening, so that all I could do was go to bed and sweat like mad, or feel freezing cold shivering as well as having no energy. The next day I'd wake up fine though which was really strange to me. 

This went on for about 18 months when while I was on holiday I became really quite ill with severe diarrhoea and a huge amount of wind. I suffered on day by day, still going out with the family but it was awful in the evenings as I also started getting severe cramp in my colon which was massively painful.  I kept thinking that a trip to A&E would be a good idea but never made the trip as we were staying in a remote place in the Yorkshire Moors.

Food was going through me in 2 hours or so and not being digested at all. I lost 7 lbs in a week which with my build I really can't afford to do.

It was then that I called a halt to the holiday and went home to the doctors.

Before this I spent 5 minutes on the internet wondering what was wrong with me... I cam across Ulcerative Colitis that I hadn't even heard of before and my symptoms appeared to match that amazingly well.