My Angry Ass Story: Number One

December 29, 2000 I turn 20!

December 30, 2000 my first symptoms of colitis appear.

I was a sophomore at Northern Michigan University (Marquette, Michigan's Upper Peninsula). Since I was over 400 miles away from my family, it was easy to ignore the bloody toilet bowl water. I was also a resident advisor, which gave me a private bathroom, so it was even easier to ignore the ghastly smells I produced after my frequent bathroom trips.

After two months and one episode of pooping my pants later, I broke down and went to the ER. At the time I was positive something had ruptured inside of me and I was going to bleed to death. The ER doctor diagnoses me with clostridium difficili, a gastrointestinal bacterial infection. That was the beginning of my struggle with Angry Ass (aka ulcerative colitis).

Summer One of Angry Ass was actually one of the best of my college years. It was the first summer I lived on my own. My colitis wasn't debilitating yet-- in fact, thanks to the heavy course of antibiotics treating the C-Diff infection, I was able to ignore my bloody stool for several months. I did have frequent conversations with myself that sounded something like this:

"No, that isn't blood-- I just ate strawberries/watermelon/cherries/red sucker/licorice/kidney beans/jelly beans."

My summer employment was 'security guard' for campus housing. Basically, I lived in an empty dorm and made sure the doors were locked at night. I was only on duty every other night, had free housing and a meal plan. It was the BEST job ever! I took one class and spent the rest of the time goofing off.

The biggest part of my goof of time was spent on a bike. The U.P. has some of the best mountain biking in the U.S. I was able to leave my room and be on a trail two minutes later. I wasn't hard core-- learning to bunny hop was my biggest accomplishment!-- but it was an awesome way to spend the summer.

When classes began in the fall everyone asked how I lost so much weight. I credited it to vigorous biking and a diet of green beans, rice and chicken breast from the school cafeteria. My pale complexion was a non-issue-- the U.P. in buried under snow and ice for nine months, no one is tan.

My body eventually wore down and I passed out in the shower at my parent's house during Christmas break. That was the big unveiling to my family of how sick I really was-- not that they hadn't noticed I was 1) pale 2) lost 40 pounds in four months and 3) had everyone in town asking if I was sick.

My green bean and exercise story wasn't fooling anyone who'd known me since the womb.

December 16, 2001- First blood transfusion

December 29, 2001- 21st Birthday

December 30, 2001- Second blood transfusion