Ulcerative colitis cannot be cured. You can only alleviate the troublesome symptoms of the disease. Which does not mean that the diagnosis must make us give up our dreams.
Recently, the world of sports heard news that Manchester United star Darren Fletcher, 27, is interrupting his career for a while due to a serious illness. The footballer suffers from ulcerative colitis, a serious chronic condition which, however, does not prevent a normal life and even excellent results in sports. Proof? Example of Steve Redgrave, British rowing machine and multiple Olympic medalist, and Lewis Moody, rugby player. Only in some cases is cumbersome surgery necessary.
Professor Alastair Forbes, consultant gastroenterology at University College London, explains why the disease does not have to end Fletcher’s career. Of course, ulcerative colitis can have a significant impact on a person’s daily life, and may even leave him / her at home all the time, he says. – That’s why I consider it a great achievement that Darren has managed to keep his sports career at such a high level so far. The characteristic symptoms of the disease are diarrhea and bleeding, which is why sooner or later every patient will develop anemia. This, in turn, may be of little importance to an ordinary mortal, but in the case of a professional athlete, even a minor anemia immediately translates into speed, endurance, and overall body performance.
Steve Redgrave, who also suffers from diabetes, proved that in spite of the disease one can make a sports career at the highest level. For many athletes, however, such a challenge may prove too difficult. Today Darren is still very slim and doing very well. (…) I suspect that the footballer is currently undergoing intensive treatment with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, mesalazine, which will lead to remission of the disease. (…) The next few months are crucial for the fate of the footballer: the need for surgery appears within the first year after the diagnosis of the disease. Hopefully Darren is not in this anymore.
To cheer Darren and the others, several people with ulcerative colitis have agreed to share their experiences.
Angus McLean, lat 40
Angus is an accountant and lives in Edinburgh. He was diagnosed with the disease five years ago. “Frequent diarrhea has always been my problem, but it never occurred to me that it could be a symptom of a serious disease,” he says. – In early 2006, the diarrhea became much more bothersome: I had to run to the toilet in the middle of the night and about ten times a day. I was tired and dehydrated. Over time I started to have stomach cramps and my stomach made unpleasant noises, like a loud gurgling gurgling. However, I delayed my visit to the doctor. I did not run to the clinic until I noticed blood in my stool.
Initially, the doctor thought it was hemorrhoids, but first of all, more serious diseases had to be ruled out. I was referred for a colonoscopy and biopsy at Murrayfield Hospital, where I was diagnosed with colorectal ulcers. I’ve heard of another serious inflammatory bowel disease before – Crohn’s disease, but never of a colon ulcer.
The causes of my illness are unknown, incl. therefore, it cannot be effectively treated or prevented. Fortunately, there are measures to relieve persistent symptoms. As an avid runner, I was concerned that the inflammation of the intestine would deprive me of my enjoyment of the sport. I was heartened to hear that the same condition was diagnosed in 1992 by the rowing boatman Steve Redgrave, who later won a few more gold medals at the Olympics.
I was treated with an anti-inflammatory drug, mesalazine, which relieved my symptoms for two months but then stopped working. Then I was treated with steroids, the effectiveness of which lasted for several months. The turning point came in March 2008, when I started on immunosuppressive drugs. It is worth explaining at this point that the disease is probably caused by an overactive immune system that destroys the intestinal mucosa.
How does all this affect life? Since my diagnosis, I have participated in five marathons. Therefore, I can say with certainty that the disease did not interfere with my plans.
Heidi Minter, lat 35
Heidi lives in Brighton and works in marketing. “When I was in my twenties, I started to have severe stomach pains after every meal,” she recalls. – When I noticed blood in the toilet, I immediately went to the doctor. Just in case, he referred me for a colonoscopy, which showed that I had hemorrhoids and clots in the intestine. I had hemorrhoid surgery and felt better for a while. Thinking that I was completely cured, I decided to travel the world. I took care of a healthy diet and led a quiet lifestyle, lounging on the beach, but a few months after returning to the UK, my problems returned with redoubled strength. I suffered from terrible stomach pains, had to go to the toilet several times a day, and again noticed blood in my stools. Once again I was referred for a colonoscopy. Two weeks after the examination, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. I have never heard of this disease before, but a stone fell from my heart anyway, that it is not a cancer. I was treated with steroids, which made my face swell terribly after four weeks. I also had to take large doses of a calcium supplement because the steroids were flushing it out of the body. At the end of the steroid treatment, I felt an improvement, but after a month my symptoms returned.
I have been taking various anti-inflammatory medications since then, but none have worked well. I understood that in this case it was more about controlling the disease rather than full recovery. In times of fatigue or stress, these ailments are depressing for me, but I know that the best way to control the disease is to exercise regularly. I use turmeric rhizome supplements to help reduce gas, often so powerful it makes me look like I’m pregnant.
For other patients, I recommend that they eat more regularly and smaller portions. Our life is certainly not easy: sometimes I have to go to the toilet about eight times a day, and then for six days I cannot have a bowel movement. Of course, this has a huge impact on everyday life, making it difficult to leave home, work in the office or be in a relationship. The worst part, however, is the shame that comes with the disease.
Tekst: Lynsey Haywood i Matthew Barbour
Also read: Intestinal fire, or ulcerative colitis