Does any bride-that-was out there have UC?

TheMuccis · April 2010

I have a condition called Ulcerative Colitis and mine is a rather severe case. I was wondering if anyone out there with this condition has already taken a walk down the aisle and how you dealt with it on the day. I'm so worried I'll have to make a mad dash to the toilet half way through our vows!

saschaduran · April 2010

Ugh...I'm sorry:(

No advice, but my dad had UC and Crohns, same with my brother, and my sister had Crohns. Hers went into complete remission after treatment with Remicaid, but she did not have UC.

It is a horrible disease and I don't think people realize how much it affects your life. My father's was very severe. Good luck.

TheMuccis · April 2010

Thanks for your kind words, it really helps when I know people understand how hard it is

baystateapple · April 2010

I'm so sorry. My little sister/MOH has it, and I know how difficult it is for her.

Do you know what foods/vegetables/drinks make it worse? I knwo my sister always gets really bloated and sick after she eats pasta with marinara sauce or anything really spicy. My advice would be, if you know what these foods are, to stay away from them for the week or so before the wedding. Also, talk to your doctor about this. I'm sure you're not the first bride to have anxiety about UC. Maybe there's something s/he can do to help.

*HUGS* Good luck.

Becky&Chris · April 2010

A close friend of our family has UC as well, so I know how difficult it can be. I'm not sure if this is typical, but I know he has flare-ups where it is really bad and others where it's not so bad, so I'm crossing my fingers that your case is similar and your wedding is flare-up free.

I'm not sure how religious you are, but if possible I would keep the ceremony short and sweet, so there is less time for a potential problem to arise. Your guests will thank you anyway

Also, talk to your bridesmaids about an action plan. If the worst does happen, then maybe one can escort you, while another gives a light-hearted announcement to the crowd that you just forgot a handkerchief or something, so no one thinks it's a Runaway Bride situation.

LauraT25 · April 2010

My FI has Crohn's (before that, UC), and it's very severe. Like PP said, he's basically going to be super careful about what he eats the few days before the wedding. He has a Remicaide infusion scheduled two weeks before the wedding, so hopefully he'll be feeling ok by then - it generally seems to get really bad just before his infusions and then takes a little before it kicks in.

But if something happens, it happens. Our close friends and family know about his illness and if he had to excuse himself during the ceremony it wouldn't be the end of the world. Even if the guests who don't know find it odd, so what? It's better than standing up there in pain or worse, having an accident. The ceremony is very short, so we figure the odds are there won't be issues during that 20 minutes, and during the reception hardly anyone would notice if he had to sneak away a few times. Not that I want him to be miserable, but if you're worried about what your guests will think, maybe that will ease your mind?

Also, we got cancel-for-any-reason trip insurance for our honeymoon, and wedding insurance. On the off-chance that he's too sick for the wedding, we'll cancel it. And if he's having a flare-up, we'll cancel the HM. Not something I want to think about, exactly, but it's a very real possibility, so I thought I'd mention it.

TheMuccis · April 2010

@baystateapple - food isn't connected to the UC condition or flare-ups though it can make the condition worse during a flare-up, so unfortunately there isn't really anything I can do to keep it at bay...
@Becky&Chris - I'm getting married to a Roman Catholic so we have a one-hour wedding mass lined up

Thanks for the BM tip, it's a good one!
@Laura - excellent idea re the insurance for the HM, haven't taken one out for the wedding and don't think we can in my country.

@all of you - thanks for all your understanding, it's funny but it's really supportive, and I need that too!

LauraT25 · April 2010

I'm glad we could make you feel better, I know it's tough and it can be embarassing to talk about.

What country are you from? I saw it said you were from D.C. so I assumed you were getting married here - I don't know anything about wedding insurance anywhere else, I'm just curious

Even if you're having the full mass, it's still not too terribly long, and I like PP's idea of having a bridesmaid cover for you if you have to duck out. ("Oops, she must have forgotten the ring!" or something).

Try not to stress too much about it. I don't know if it's true for everyone, but stress brings on flare-up for FI, so if you're like that the best thing you can do is try not to worry about it and just accept that you don't really have any control over it. Enjoy the planning and get a massage or something the day before

aboom44 · April 2010

I have digestive-related issues as well and they are NOT fun! Sometimes in high stress situations mine will flare up so I am focused on being as laid back as possible on the big day! Hopefully everything will go smoothly for you!

Ginabean2011 · April 2010

Hi,
I don't normally post on here but I thought I'd jump in. I have crohn's, had it for maybe 12 years or so and just within the last 10 months it has flared up with a vengeance out of nowhere (I had surgery for it back in college maybe 9 years ago and had been in remission ever since). I have been hospitalized 5 times since June, for about a week each time. It's not fun. I know what you have is similar but there are a lot of differences. I know everyone and every case is very different anyway so my advice would be to have a very blunt talk with your Dr about the wedding date and if there is anything he/she can give you to keep your system "calm". You can try to take it easy and not stress and watch your sleep and diet but in my experience, if it wants to go haywire there is very little you can do to prevent. But if you are worried about bathroom issues and pain for just a few hours, your Dr might be able to give you a special Rx for just the very short term.
Oh I am on Humira. I don't know if that would be appropriate for you but ask if you have any questions about it.

LauraT25 · April 2010

GInabean - I actually have some questions for you about Humira, I'm sending you a PM.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · April 2010

Good luck! I hope you come back and let us know how it goes. It could be helpful for other brides with similar conditions.

Bubbalub · April 2010

I don't have any advice but I just wanted to send you virtual *hugs*.

Pink7781 · April 2010

I don't have UC but I do have IBS. I was talking to my doctor this morning and she said the best thing I can do on my wedding day and leading up to it is to relax, get enough rest and she also prescribed an anti-spasmodic that she said I should try taking now and then if it agrees with me and helps to take it proactively on my wedding day.

I'm pretty worried about it though because I never know if what I'm eating is going to trigger an attack. My only advice is relax and try not to worry about it.

Does any bride-that-was out there have UC?

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