Posted by Mia Scalamogna on November 08, 2017
My name is Mia and I’m 14. I was just diagnosed with ulcerative colitis right as my first year of high school began. One interesting fact that most people don’t know about me is that I love simply spending a day in the city!
One of the greatest struggles I’ve had, adjusting to life with IBD, is the anxiety it has brought on. This affects me because I feel sad a lot of the time, and anxious when going to my infusions or to a GI appointment. While I was relieved when I was first diagnosed, to finally know what was going on, I soon began feeling anxious and uncertain about what to expect. Talking to my doctors helped me feel better emotionally. Now, I've started treatment (remicade and methotrexate) and I'm feeling much better and I can't wait to see more improvements.
What I do to help cope with all this anxiety is I ask a lot of questions! The more I learn about my condition, the more questions I have. The more questions I ask my doctor, the less anxious I feel. Being diagnosed with a chronic illness can bring on a lot of anxiety, but learning more about the illness can help you understand and feel much better about the situation.
I'm joining the PAC because I want to help other young teens with IBD know that they are not alone on this journey!
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