I never got along with alcohol. I was always told that alcohol has nothing to do with inflammatory bowel diseases, but I’ve always established a link between the alcohol I drank and my diarrhea.

I went to this party where I decided to celebrate a bit more than usual. I still was very reasonable, but I think that evening acted as the real trigger to my disease. I started suffering from diarrhea after that party. There was blood in my stools a week later. The diagnosis came a month later, in August 2010. I came out of the hospital with an ulcerative colitis and regular medication. I was convinced those two would become best friends. I was wrong however, and inflammation caused a lot of damage.

My last year of college was dotted with stomach cramps, naps between my morning and afternoon classes and stress that would lead me straight to the washroom. The summer of 2011, right before my first year of university, was the most difficult period for me. I truly believed that everything would get better with time, but that is when I started to give up hope. I had to leave my two small summer jobs, much to my dismay. All I was doing was running to the bathroom, where I was spending most of my days and nights. My symptoms were terrible stomach cramps, anemia, severe weight loss, and severe fatigue that made standing up an incredible challenge for me. 

The idea of having an ileostomy scared me at first, but it quickly caught on, mostly because of the "before" and "after" comparison. I wanted to go see a play without missing half of it because I’d be stuck in the washroom, I wanted to go take a walk without having to focus on my stomach cramps, and I wanted to make love without bursting into tears due to the pain.

I finally made that decision in September 2011, the best one for me in my opinion. My ileostomy was supposed to be temporary, so they removed my entire colon, but left my anus and rectum for a possible reconnection of my small bowel and rectum. Biopsies showed I suffered from an unknown colitis. It could either be an ulcerative colitis, which only affects the colon, or Crohn's disease. If it was the latter, a reconnection could trigger the disease again.

For now I decided not to consider the possibility of a reconnection. I feel good the way I am, and I don't have to deprive myself of anything. Until proven otherwise, I will be an ostomate person who's happy and fully satisfied with her choice.

Andréanne

Français