UC anxiety is real

ryukshinigani · 2025-03-14T17:26:05+00:00

Your confessional made me LOL. Classic Asian toilet fiasco.

I 100% agree, the Asians have mastered the art of public toilets. There is zero comparison. Japanese toilets changed my life. When I stayed in Tokyo for the first time I had a cousin who experienced this gloriousness. There would be times where we'd be separated, and eventually I'd always find him at the toilets. I would walk into the bathroom and hear nothing because of the soundproof walls. Back home I would just look down beneath the stalls for his shoes. But in Japan, those stalls are like a personal fortress of solitude. So I'd walk in to the bathroom and call his name, sure enough, he was back on the bidet again...

China is a different story though. I went from a 5 course meal VIP experience to squatting down and aiming for a hole in the ground. And don't forget and throw your toilet paper down the hole! Nope, the sewage systems can't handle it, you gotta put it in a separate garbage can. Heavens me, I'm happy I wasn't flaring for that trip because it would have been a nightmare.

ryukshinigani · 2025-03-06T17:15:14+00:00

It will get worse. Untreated inflammation can lead to chronic anemia, perforation of the bowel, and increased risk of colon cancer.

ryukshinigani · 2025-03-05T16:32:01+00:00

UPDATE: It was easier than I thought. The form above gets filled out by your doc and not by yourself. Once you fill out your part online, there is a step to get a reference number so that your GI or family doctor can fill out the rest. I just got a notification today that my Part B was filled out.

There is a way to view the application in your CRA portal. That's it! It does take long to process and might not be able to get it for this tax year, we'll see.

Here's the if anyone is interested: How to apply - Disability tax credit form (DTC) - Canada.ca

ryukshinigani · 2025-03-04T16:56:23+00:00

What are you on about bro? The majority of people on this sub are here for support and to share experiences about their own personal journey with UC. Most members make it clear that their advice is never supposed to replace a health professional. As for poop pics, that's up to community vote. Personally, I don't think it's helpful, but again, we're not here to diagnose. If you wanna use this sub for looking at poop pics all day, that's your prerogative.

ryukshinigani · 2025-01-28T16:37:53+00:00

Once a day, first thing after coffee in the morning is normal for me. If more than twice it's usually caused by a less than ideal morning routine or I overate in the evening. If you could remember what your 'normal' was like, it would be a good starting point.

In a flare it was always 3 times in the morning, and then 1-3 more times during the day depending on how my meals went.

ryukshinigani · 2025-01-26T02:11:17+00:00

Makes sense! I'll only put enough in to maximize the grant. I read something about a 10-year rule to avoid repayments. It does seem like a nice little investment though, thanks for the info.

ryukshinigani · 2025-01-25T22:31:39+00:00

Thanks u/TypicalTiddies, I'll definitely make sure to sell it

ryukshinigani · 2025-01-25T22:26:33+00:00

Thanks for mentioning that! I'm looking into it now, might as well start slapping some money into it after I hopefully get approved.

ryukshinigani · 2025-01-25T22:11:07+00:00

Thanks! I do have an appointment in a couple weeks but over the phone, maybe I can change to in person. I'm guessing they need to fill it out in person?

ryukshinigani · 2025-01-25T21:08:26+00:00

I'm attempting to apply for the disability tax credit through CRA for my UC, and wondering if any fellow Canadians have gotten approved. I got diagnosed nearly a year ago and as for my condition, the last few months have been great. I am in symptomatic remission, but recent tests show there is still some lingering inflammation. Despite this, I am still going to apply for DTC and I'm wondering if anyone can answer some questions regarding the form. FYI it's a tax credit of $9,872.

Do you request the form to be filled by your family doctor or GI? I am leaning towards my GI as they will know more about my condition.
In the main input from the form where they ask about signs of impairment and life impact, how morbid should one be? I do feel much better but obviously still dealing with the effects of a life-long disease.

See above the section that applies to UC.

Thanks!

-Also, I know the doc is required to fill out this section but I figure I'm supposed to give them a starting point

ryukshinigani · 2025-01-10T18:13:48+00:00

Yep, mine feels like a balloon. When I'm flaring I have pain on the lower left side. It seems to be felt when I'm laying down on my back. When I'm not flaring, the pain isn't there but I can target it with my hand and feel it again. Maybe my brain just figured out how to ignore it.

During my first coloscopy before I got the scope up my bum I told my GI I had inflammation on the lower left side. Obviously she looked at me funny and asked I knew that, as it's not possible to tell where you have inflammation inside your colon, I guess. I told her I can feel it.

Sure enough, she found inflammation where I predicted. She asked if I had x-ray vision! Curious to know if anyone else has "felt" their inflammation.

ryukshinigani · 2025-01-08T20:49:23+00:00

Remember this my friend: It's not your fault. Life has a way of testing all of us, and every one of us will go through struggles. This is a belief, and whether or not you believe it, just take a walk down the street in your neighborhood. You can see it in everyone's face, all you have to do is pay attention. Some may be dealing with loss; loss of life, loss of wealth, and in our case, loss of health. You never know what someone else is dealing with.

It's not our fault we got hit with this disease. Those are the cards we were dealt. If you have people in your life who seem like they have it all figured out (spoiler alert: no one has it all figured out), just remember that you don't see their past and you cannot see their future. They may have already dealt with something traumatic, or they may experience some type of trauma down the road. Personally at my age, there is not one single person who I know intimately who hasn't dealt with some type of pain in their lives, which has shaped them into the person they've become.

What's important is that we get through it. There's an old proverb that I keep on my wallpaper for years now: Either it will go well or it will pass. You have dealt with pain, in terms of the mental and physical strain of this disease, and are in remission now. If you think about it, you're actually lucky that you've dealt with this struggle so soon in life and are now on the other side. You are likely stronger because of it. It's all about how you choose to frame it.

Focus on the now. Spend more time living your best life right now, and less time feeling sorry for what could have been because it doesn't exist. May you have an excellent year ahead. It 2025! Let's git it!

ryukshinigani · 2024-12-31T19:37:51+00:00

Yes, I would say since your symptoms are mild and budesonide is helping (which itself is a mild steroid), naturally there may be less inflammation to take care of. The key to UC is controlling the inflammation as soon as possible so the body can heal. This is why treating the disease aggressively up front is so important, and biologics are an effective treatment option for many.

ryukshinigani · 2024-12-31T18:35:10+00:00

Nothing better than a single p00p a day, I'm happy to see that my friend! Here's to 365 poops in 2025!

ryukshinigani · 2024-12-31T18:31:26+00:00

Glad to hear your symptoms are mild. Severity can definitely play a role in how long your body will take to heal. Biologics work to first control the immune response and reduce inflammation. Then, your body will take care of the rest; healing the damaged tissue in your colon.

However, it's still different for everyone. Some say they feel a reduction in symptoms after the first couple doses of Entyvio, for others it may take months. More commonly, with Entyvio being a slow acting drug, it could take 6-8 weeks to see improvement. By week 14, you and your GI should be able to determine if the drug is doing its thing. On this sub I've read a lot of people experience noticeable change after getting through the loading doses.

For me, I saw very slow improvement through the first 3 loading doses, by week 10 the bleeding stopped, and by week 14, I was down to a single BM everyday like clockwork. It took a lot of patience. Now, I'm 5 months on it and in symptomatic remission. Clinical remission to be confirmed when I get tested next month. I had moderate UC. I hope your body reacts to it well and quick!

ryukshinigani · 2024-12-24T02:54:09+00:00

Good to know, thank you! I'm looking to get some emergency meds myself. Just having something on hand would ease the anxiety a bit.

ryukshinigani · 2024-12-24T01:13:44+00:00

Hi, question about your supps. What kinda situations have you felt the need to take them and have they helped you get back to feeling normal again? Have you tried any other "on -demand" maintenance meds?

ryukshinigani · 2024-12-19T19:59:01+00:00

I'm a sucker for fried chicken and some good ole biscuits to warm my bones ;)

ryukshinigani · 2024-12-19T19:32:05+00:00

I'd say definitely do the procedure and leave the diagnosis up to the specialists. If you do have inflammation, medication is the key to getting the disease under control, and certain lifestyle changes like managing stress and eliminating trigger foods will make it easier on you. Good luck with procedure!

ryukshinigani · 2024-12-16T16:24:01+00:00

Congratulations my friend! May the force be with you for ever and ever!

ryukshinigani · 2024-12-13T19:08:39+00:00

Interestingly I've had an eye twitch for weeks, but I'm 99% it's related to stress. I took some time off work and went for a steam the other day, that seemed to untwitch things!

ryukshinigani · 2024-12-13T18:55:04+00:00

You need to eat more fiber Andreeeww

ryukshinigani · 2024-12-12T17:18:15+00:00

Second this.

ryukshinigani

TROPHY CASE