"Get Well Soon" sign that my friends made me

Every PR practitioner is faced with challenges, either professional or personal. As an upcoming practitioner, I have one major personal challenge to cope with while fulfilling my career goals—living with UC, or ulcerative colitis.

Back story: Last spring break (March 2009), I went on a cruise with my family and best friend. On the last day of the cruise, I felt really sick. I thought it was just sea sickness or something. Anyways, I was in pain the whole car ride home from the port in Florida (which took about 12 hours from Fort Lauderdale to Woodstock). After being in the most pain that I have ever been in, my mom took me to the ER. I was so scared. I had no idea what was going on. I seriously felt like I was dying. Little did I know, I would feel this way for a whole month. After going to the ER a few times and getting a CT and tests done, I ended up seeing a GI specialist. The verdict was traveler’s sickness.

Middle story: I was treated for traveler’s sickness and went back to school after only missing a week or so. But, it was NOT traveler’s sickness. So, the medicine was not doing anything. Finally, my grandma got me an appointment to see her GI specialist, aka my savior. By this point, I had lost 20ish pounds because food, and food’s nutrients, would not stay in my body. 20 pounds was a lot to lose for my 5’6, 120 pound frame. I looked like death. I was weak, dehydrated, sleep deprived, and scared…all of the time. As soon as I met Dr. Jeffers (the GI doctor), she knew what was wrong with me. After having a colonoscopy (and being like the youngest one in the doctor’s office), her verdict was proven. I had ulcerative colitis.

What is ulcerative colitis? I had no idea. I found out that it is a chronic disease that makes my colon inflamed and develop ulcers. Doctors have no idea how the disease is formed or why some people get it. Over 1 million Americans have it (I am 1 of 1 million!) and it is usually diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 30. I have to take six pills a day (for the rest of my life) for it. Which luckily, through a Procter & Gamble program, I get these pills for free—for now. In the future, I will have to have regular colonoscopies because I am more likely to get colon cancer. For more info, if curious, go to my favorite website about UC: www.livingwithuc.com.

Side story: After being on my new medicine and some steroids for a couple of weeks, I had an interview at the Atlanta History Center for a summer marketing internship. The steroids were making my feet really swollen. Anyways, I went to my interview with swollen feet. It was so hard to walk in heels, and I felt so self-conscious! Luckily, no one noticed, and I ended up getting the internship. I will definitely remember this interview for the rest of my life…stupid steroids.

End story: Why did I just write an extremely long blog about having UC? How does this pertain to PR? Well, I wrote this to show how I persevered throughout this whole ordeal. I missed a month of school and did not have to drop a class. I worked hard, mentally and physically. I did not follow my doctor’s orders and stay home to re-coop. Instead, I went back to school, took it easy by laying back from a few extra-curriculars, ate a bland diet, etc…I wanted to finish the semester, I wanted that internship, and I wanted to be done with being scared of the unknown (and now I am because I know what I have and how to treat it). My perseverance shows my character. I do not like giving up, even through challenges. UC will be with me for the rest of my life (hopefully I will stay in remission, though) and so will PR. Bring on the challenges—personal (like living with UC) and professional! I will not give up!