Recently diagnosed with UC

I read a book on relaxation techniques and practiced it regularly.  It was simple.  I'd lie down, close my eyes, and over a fifteen minute period I'd almost chant to myself "relax your toes", "relax your toes" and try to do as what I was saying.  I would move on the ankles, feet, legs, knees etc.to the tops of my heads.  In my life I'd try to avoid stressful situations with family, work and wherever possible.  Throughout the day I'd try to think of relaxing, taking deep breaths and checking to see if my stomach muscles were relaxed.

Now I'm sure I was lucky, but I largely remained symptom free for decades, although I'd have short periods of diarrhea.

You might want to try that.  Also it's important to take charge of your situation, become educated and involved and find a doctor (should you need one) that's sympathetic and understanding and one you feel you can talk to.  Make sure that it feels like a partnership.

Good luck and most importantly, don't despair, but act to try to help yourself.

 Here is a list of UC foods to have and avoid given to me by a nutritionist last week.

Avoid INSOLUBLE Fibre

Whole what bread, whole what pasta, rice

Vegetable skins – corn and peas

Raw vegetables

Fruit skins and seeds – avoid strawberries, raspberries

Whole nuts and seeds – almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds

Choose sources of SOLUBLE fibre

White bread, pasta, rice, bagels, pita

Peel and cook vegetables

Peel and core fruits, fruit cups and juice, applesauce

Nut butters instead of whole nuts

Oatmeal

Tapioca

Legumes such as chick peas, kidney beans, plack beans

Barley

Try not to panic, the vast majority of UC sufferers have careers, you may have more time off than non uc sufferers but it will get easier to control, hitting on the right meds can take a while after diagnosis. Look on the web for a low residue diet, this should help and milk aggravates a lot of sufferers, try rice milk or something. If you are really concerned about work ask your GP for a letter to explain your health issues.

No you didnt do anything wrong, just the luck of the draw I'm afraid.

Keep going for regular colonoscopies, no matter how well you feel, I didn't when I had remission in my twenties, and developed colon cancer, but was lucky to catch it early enough, that said lots of people don't develop cancer but UC puts you at higher risk, so keep your appointments.

Everyone hates them! I have suffered for 20 years now, and have never got used to anything entering that area!

Don't worry you will learn to live normally with it, with a few minor adjustments, it's not easy but becomes second nature.

Work stress should be reduced, when things are starting to get out of control speak to your boss, explain you don't want to go sick so can they help with your workload during a flare up, don't suffer in silence.

Good Luck.

It was a very long process of eliminatng foods and then gradually adding them back to see what I reacted to.  You can google about food allergies to get more information. Most people are allergic to something and sometimes just don't know it.  It is only when you combine multiple allergic reactions that you begin to experience the symptoms I had.   For me, I am allergic to certain preservatives and since it is impossible to determine which ones, I stay away from all.  I am allergic to eggs and although I do not have severe reactions, I limit my gluten because it just makes me feel better.  I may eat a bagel, but then try to have no other item with gluten the rest of the day.  Soda, inexpensive chocolate, high sugar, peanuts,  dairy, fried foods and foods with high amounts of sodium, all get me going.  You have to listen to your body and make an effort to eat fresh foods.  No prepackaged and fast foods.  I have been symptom free for so long now that I can occasionaly indulge in foods that I know I shouldn't but find that since I am not overwhelming my system with so much bad, it can tolerate a little.  I may have a

reaction to a food not because it has dairy in it, but because it has dairy and is high in sugar.  A double blow to my gut.   Do some research into food allergies and you will find so much information.  Then start listening to your body. I know that some have noted that stress is a factor and would agree, although I think that I eat really badly when I'm stressed so it is hard to discern which one is actually the problem.  Good luck.