I was recently reminded of one of my absolute worst UC experiences, ever! When I think back about this event and look at how things are now, it makes me soooo glad to not have those UC flares anymore. So here it is:

In High School I played in several sports: Soccer, Tennis, Golf. I was fairly good at Soccer as long as I didn't have any UC related problems. But, my Sophmore year, I started having a flare and it caused a lot of problems for me. I'm not sure if you can remember that crampy feeling that comes with UC, but it's not terribly comfortable to deal with that and run 5+ miles in a game!!! Anyways, the guys on the team started giving me a hard time because I was slowing down but mostly because I was always going to the bathroom. The portatoilets out by the practice field were a lifesaver - but here is where the real story comes, too.

A few weeks into the season, my teammates knew I was having trouble with my UC and I was no longer a starter just a sub. And, they really thought it was just funny. Well, one day the coaches weren't around and I had to "run" to the portatoilet. The whole team decided it would be "funny" to follow me over there and give me a hard time about it. Well, the verbal abuse was ok, but then they started rocking the portatoilet back and forth more and more as they got a little braver and held the door closed. I guess that they "rush" they were getting from that encouraged them to keep going and they tipped the whole darn thing over on its' side with me trapped inside and now covered with its' contents..... Sometimes people just don't understand that UC is a difficult disease to deal with and we need all the help we can get, not people making it more difficult for us.

Needless to say that was not pleasant and made it hard to stay a part of that team. I guess I had forgotten about it until I ran into one of my old teammates last week and apparently he was still feeling bad about it and made it a point to come up to me and bring it up and basically say that if he never truly appologized then, that he'd like to now. It was nice to hear that, but wow did it remind me of those UC days!

Rick

Ouch, that one hurts just to read.
Sorry, Rick
LoriP

Kids can be very cruel. I don't think they understood your problem at all and were not very good teammates.

That's horrifying! I am sorry you had to go through that and then "re-live it". UC has traumatizing enough moments without having the peanut gallery add to it.

I'm glad he apologized.

Teammates? I can see their parents never taught them anything about teamwork, compassion or understanding. Their actions were cruel. Just downright cruel. You must be an individual with loads of patience and an extraordinary ability to forgive. THEY are extremely fortunate that you have such an ability to overlook and forgive such actions.

Rick, I am so sorry to hear this story. I am sitting here reading your story and tearing up over the feelings it brings out.

Let's just sum it up by saying that as a teen I also was "harrassed" by others, girls mostly, as they didn't understand. The superintendant had to get involved and the girls faced suspension for their words and actions. I stepped in and refused to allow that to happen. I just stayed on my own except for the support of a few very good friends. Being sick from the time I was 12, made me very aware that kids are very cruel when it comes to things they don't understand. Mostly out of fear I'm sure. Being a teenager, and on at least 20mgs of prednisone a day and usually alot more, makes you a "prime target" for bullying/teasing, sad but true. When you don't look like everyone else, and can not partake in what all the other teens are doing, it makes you different which makes you a prime target. I have never written about my teen years before now, I turn 41 today!

The teen years were the hardest for me but I learned that I am a strong person and can deal with way more than I should have had to. I also did so while keeping up with schoolwork, and yet missing 1/2 of each year of highschool due to flares and hospitalizations. To "show those fools" I finished my high school career 16th in my class, with no tutors, just my stubborness and my parents to give credit to!

So, yes, it does bring back memories, some not so good and some with a few phenomenal friends. Thanks Rick...I think I should send you a check for the therapy!! Have a great day...hug a kiddo today!
Michele

Rick, that's a terrible story and yes kids can be very cruel but by the time they have reached that age they should know better. However, sadly it's not just kids that can be cruel.

I would consider myself to have a very good and well honed toilet humour and between my friends and family we can laugh about a lot of things that have happened thoughout my life with UC, j-pouch and now with Wee Willie. I like to think that I can laugh at myself too.

However, I can remember a really embarrassing event when I worked at my doctor's office a few years ago. Our clinic serves 13 doctors so as you can imagine there are a lot of staff as well as doctors there. The staff toilet was just off the main office where all of us medical clerics worked and the doctors did their paperwork and wasn't particularly private but there was always a lot of noise and bustle going on so normally it wasn't a problem to me.

Anyway, this one particular day I was in the throes of a particularly bad pouchitis flare and needed one of my collegues to take over the phone conversation I was having with a patient because I needed to go like 10 seconds ago! She took the call for me and I made my usual dash fo the loo. While I was in there I noticed that it had gone quiet out in the office then I heard one of the doctors start making jokes about me and then he shouted at the top of his voice that he hoped I wasn't going to stink the place out! They all started laughing but when I emerged from the toilet I was in tears with embarrassment and anger, not to mention the pain I was in! All went quiet except for the doctor in question who was by now practically on the floor laughing when he saw my face. He thought it was so funny that I was so upset.

Now you have to bear in mind that I worked in the medical profession and these were supposed to be professional people who were all fully aware of my medical history and this made it all the more hurtful. Needless to say I reported this incident to our Practice Manager and also put a note into the doctor in question's tray to ask that he be a little more understanding and a little less unprofessional in future.

You know I never did get an apology from that doctor and even to this day he totally ignores me if I bump into him while visiting my doctor. You would have thought that I would have had a little more sympathy from people who really should have known better but to be honest, working there was certainly an eye opener for me and made me see the medical profession in a totally different light.
Fortunately most of the doctors I worked with are compassionate and professional but it just shows that it only takes one bad apple....

Shell

My gosh these stories are terrible!!!! I would have been crying in both your situations. I think a lot of people don't understand the seriousness of our situations. Especially in high school where bodily functions are funny. And people don't respect the need for privacy and delicacy with our situations.

There are a lot of people that just can't understand someone being private about certain things and feel you should just put it all out there. The people that think these things are funny and not embarrassing don't understand why it would upset us so.

Not that it's the same but some people even get chastised a little on this site for being too private and not broadcasting to the world our situations. But that's just our personalities; I was very shy as a child, some were more outgoing. It doesn't make one right and one wrong just different.

I'm very sensitive to these things and would be horrified if people made fun of me for going to the bathroom so much or did something terrible to me like they did to Rick. Some people don't ever grow up and will always giggle when someone says "fart" or will make fun of something they don't understand.

All I know is that if I were coach those kids would run laps until their legs fell off and I'd love to require the doctor to get two enemas a day with a room full of intern students!

Michelle - Happy Birthday!!!! I agree teen years are rough when you're battling with UC! Funny thing is that I've never shared that story with anyone besides my wife - so I'm with you about not sharing those years of our lives!

Shell - of all the people I would expect to be understanding it would be a Dr., regardless of whether or not they are your personal Dr.!

Rick

Rick.

I missed the part about the guy apoligizing to you recently. You should of joked with him saying "now I can cross you off of my revenge list."

Wow you just never realize how mean people can be to each other. We all have events in our lives where people have been cruel but OMG your stories take the cake. I am sorry you ever had to go through anything like that.

Ignorance is a disease in itself.

Wow that just reminded me on the baseball field when I had UC!!

I was one of the fastest guys on the team , I had left for 2 weeks was so ill this is when I first got UC nobody could understand brother yelled at me we need you!!So I went ... We where playing the local sheriff department. Yes I wanted to play them we love kicking there @ss but besides the point . I went up to bat hoofing and puffing like I was a smoker (I never smoked in my life) tried running to first base and fell flat on my face and had face full of dirt. Couldn't even make it down to first base. needless to say I left the game and went home .....



Took my brother 3yrs to realize how sick I was ... I took care of him also when we where younger he couldn't undertstand or accept something was wrong with me. he needed me for sports life that was it. I was very active always playing baseball, bowling on teams so this post makes me relate and remember old UC days . Tells ya how people can be not so understanding when a person gets sick randomly or what not.

anyhow cheers! memory's

Sorry to hijack your thread!!

Rick that's awful! Some things in life we need to forget and I hope you quickly forget this event again. But I hope your ex team mates never forget how awful they were to you and I hope their embarrassment by doing those actions means that they never do anything like it again. I'm glad you got a heart-felt apology from one of them.

Suzanne

I only have one word for all the people out there that feel it's okay to poke fun at someone when they are down. "KARMA" What goes around usually comes around. Would love to be there to see it, but just have to feel in my heart the nature will take care of all the injustice in the world. Rise above and be thakfull everyday that you are not such a miserable person to do what has been done to you.