Weight problems
April 17, 2009Everybody who has suffered with ulcerative colitis probably doesn’t need to read too much of this description to know what this video is about: the title alone says it all.
Flare ups can take a terrible toll on one’s weight. Countless people have expressed to me the horror they first felt when they lost 40 pounds in a matter of weeks, or watched their weight drop below 100 pounds for the first time since being a kid. When all of your waste is leaving your body before your system has a chance to process it, the body doesn’t get the strength it needs. So it eats away at its own reserves to survive.
And surgery can be just as bad. The body works overtime to heal itself from so much trauma. Weight loss is natural. But sometimes hard to deal with. Especially for people who are thin like me to begin with.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: How has your weight fluctuated since being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis? Reply to this post!
Hi Dennis,
I had a very similar experience to you (2 major flare ups requiring hospitalization, 2 major surgeries; takedown still to come) and I agree with you about the ability of the body to gain weight without colon. I’m sure that some of the weight loss as compared to pre-UC is absorption (especially water) and the colon itself which can weigh on average 5 lbs because it is never really empty. This also contributes to a lower energy level which I find is not only due to recovery from fare-ups and surgery but also a less than perfect absorption. Maybe it takes quite some time after takedown for apsorption to adjust to a more normal functionning. I really hope so; I use to feel so strong and healthy prior to UC. I would love to feel that vitality again with my new perspective on life, I would be the happiest ever. I think we deserve this don’t you!