As a person who has UC I struggle with it every day. I am a 16-year-old boy who goes to school and while it is a struggle to get there everyday, and sometimes I am not on time, I just start early and do my best. My parents and I have had discussions with our school administration and my teachers. They have all been very supportive and understanding.

Every morning I get up at 5am and try to walk around as much as I can to get my body moving and to help me use the restroom. At first I would just not eat in the morning because I thought, “no food = no bathroom.” Wrong! Not eating actually made my colitis worse and my stomach hurt, not only from the cramping but also because I was trying to get by on an empty stomach. Now, I eat a normal breakfast but have found only having a small lunch seems to help me get through until I am home. I also have a hot chocolate in the morning with breakfast and that seems to move things through. I eat enough to keep me going and then when I get home I eat a normal amount.

Once I am at school, I will sometimes need to go one more time, but since the administration is aware of what I am going though, I am able to just go in and head to the restroom without a lot of red tape. My teachers have allowed me to choose desks that are near the door so I can come in and leave with minimal disruption. since they, too, are aware of what I am dealing with, I don’t have to ask to leave or explain when I am late. This saves a lot of embarrassment and makes my day go a whole lot better.

This system has been helping me get back to school earlier and I have fewer issues while I am there.