Hi, I am Samantha and I have ulcerative colitis. I was diagnosed a little over a year ago and since then I have been trying to find a way to manage my symptoms and live a healthy life. I am looking forward to starting college where I will be studying aviation, which is a huge passion of mine.

My greatest struggle related to my UC is finding ways to not let it affect my daily life.

I often find myself making decisions based on my UC. If I want to do something, I sometimes will think twice because I feel like it isn't an option for me. I feel like my UC will get in the way of my enjoyment. UC has given me anxiety over the things that I can't control, which often gets in the way of my normal life.

If I want to do something, I sometimes will think twice because I feel like it isn't an option for me. I feel like my UC will get in the way of my enjoyment.

I am currently trying to remind myself that I shouldn't let UC take over my life. I know that if I let the anxiety get the best of me, I will not be able to enjoy myself. I am also trusting that my current treatment (Remicade) will be able to help me. I know that I will always have to find ways to live with my chronic illness, and I will also not let it make my decisions for me.

I know that I will always have to find ways to live with my chronic illness, and I will also not let it make my decisions for me.

IBD is often something that people are afraid to talk about, which has led me to not knowing very much about the disease I have. I joined the PAC hopeful that I would meet people who, like me, have a chronic illness and have learned how to manage it. I know that ImproveCareNow has many resources that I will always be able to access. I hope that through the PAC I will be able to take my disease head on.


Everything we do in ImproveCareNow is magnified by the efforts of thousands of improvers! No action is too small; here are some ways to get started:
💚 Join the Patient Advisory Council (patients with IBD who are 14+)
💙 Join the Parent/Family Advisory Council (parents/caregivers of young people with IBD)
💚 Participate in our Current Research Opportunities (subject to eligibility)
💙 RSVP to join us at one of our upcoming ICN events
💚 Subscribe to blog updates to stay #InTheLOOP with our IBD stories
💙 Download, use & share our free, co-produced IBD resources
💚 Connect with our welcoming & supportive pediatric IBD community and receive IBD resources, community stories, and ICN updates & opportunities
💙 Donate to ImproveCareNow - we are proud to use every dollar donated to advance our mission!
Our mission is to transform the health, care and costs for all children and adolescents with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD) by building a sustainable collaborative chronic care network.
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