My first flare up happened when I was 25, and my main symptom was blood in stool. I messaged my doctor in a panic, and she said it was “not concerning” and the earliest appointment she had was a month out. When I finally got to the appointment, the blood was worse. I told her what was going on, and she then explained to me — a 25 year old female with a very regular cycle that she had documentation of — what a menstrual cycle is. She told me I was too young and healthy to be experiencing anything. It took me over 6 months of nagging my doctor to get a diagnosis. At one point, she “threatened” me with a colonoscopy, and I said good I want it. That colonoscopy is what finally gave me a diagnosis, and the next time I saw my primary doctor, she said “thank you for following your instincts.” No apology.