“My empty space in photographs was an open wound; I’d cry scrolling through Instagram, feeling left out and forgotten, wondering when things would change. I’ve read time and again people are grateful for their illness because it’s shown them who their true friends are. But what do you do when your illness proves you had almost no true friends at all?”
I Got Chronically Ill At 19, And All My Friends Abandoned Me
‘Every morning I trudged, syringe in hand, to get stabbed in the abdomen on an exam table while my classmates grabbed Starbucks. I began silently screaming, ‘Why me?’: 19-year old diagnosed with IBD, ulcerative colitis advocates for change
“I was warned about the freshman year dorm life and told where to go for mental health counseling if exams became too stressful. I was not told what to do, how to continue, or who to turn to if I was suddenly forever ill.”
‘He confirmed I was disgusting and worthless. He instilled in my mind there was better out there.’: Woman battles Ulcerative Colitis, finds love after infidelity
“Just last week I was celebrating my birthday and now I’m in the ER with the unknown happening.”
‘I presented my urgent toilet card. ‘Do you expect us to believe that?’ Bouncers, staff mocked me for my medical condition, accusing me of faking it.’: Crohn’s-Colitis warrior shares invisible illness journey
“The doctor told my parents, ‘If 10 was dead, your daughter is a 9.” I was making 30-40 trips to the toilet day and night.”
‘The doctor said, ‘It’s just teenage girl stuff.’ I was living with everyday pain as if it were normal, forced to accept feeling this way forever.’: Young woman shares journey to Ulcerative Colitis diagnosis, ‘My life is just beginning’
“I was 21, almost done with my senior year of college. These were supposed to be the best years of my life, yet every day I felt sick and exhausted and no doctor could tell me why. I was told it was ‘all in my head.’ I lost friends because no one could understand. Soon, I was withdrawing from my semester from a hospital bed.”
‘Where’s the nearest bathroom?’ I had to plan an ‘escape route’ if things went south. I went home defeated, but tried to do life as normal.’: Man with ulcerative colitis urges others to ‘choose joy and love’
“It wasn’t until the first few times I completely crapped my pants in public I started taking my illness seriously. I blacked out, screaming, ‘Help me!’ Something wasn’t right. I had to take back the life I’d lost.”
‘I was accepted into Juilliard. I’d worked SO hard, and suddenly I couldn’t even do what I was there to do. I was forced to STOP.’: Musician details struggle with connective tissue disease, ‘My health became priority’
“I practiced 2 hours the day before, but when I got to class I couldn’t remember ANYTHING. I ran out of the classroom and cried. I HAD to acknowledge my pain.”
‘I looked at the poop bag and cried. ‘I’d rather die.’ I didn’t want my partner to stop loving me.’: Woman with ulcerative colitis advocates for stomas, ‘Every body is worthy’
“I was toxic. ‘You need emergency surgery.’ The thought of having a bag was the worst thing possible. I refused to discuss it.”
‘The doctor said, ‘How do you want to leave this hospital? With a poop bag or in a box?’ I denied consent 8 times.’: Woman with ulcerative colitis, ostomy bag says ‘you only get one body, love it!’
“I’d spent so long thinking no one would ever love me and then when I finally found the perfect, most precious man, I had to get a poo bag? I wanted to scream and cry and throw things. On my 26th birthday, I was looking death in the face.”
‘My boyfriend didn’t sign up for a sick girl. ‘I’d rather die than have a poop bag attached to me.’: Woman with ulcerative colitis learns to ‘love herself’ despite invisible illness
“How can an athletic, smart, strong young woman who has the entire world ahead of her have an incurable sickness? Even with a doctor’s note, my administration accused me of trying to get out of my contractual duties. ‘It’s ridiculous Jess keeps calling off. Does she expect us to cover her classes all of the time?’”
