Finding out you have ulcerative colitis can impact your life in several ways and often requires extreme changes to your diet. Here is a list of a few things you might learn when dealing with this disorder.

1. The list of foods you can eat becomes extremely short in comparison with the foods you can no longer eat.

Seriously, I was shocked when I saw the list of foods I could not longer eat. No raw fruits or veggies, no nuts, foods with seeds, no carbonated drinks, etc. The list seemed incredibly long, especially when compared to the list of foods I COULD eat.

2. Trial and error with meds

There are several different medicines used to treat ulcerative colitis and you might have to try a few before you find one that works well for you. Your doctor will probably seem like a great big jerk at this point who is using you as a guinea pig, but they really are trying their best to help you out.

3. Spending an above average amount of time in the bathroom

At times, you are going to feel like you spend half your life in the bathroom. This is completely normal. As you learn to better manage your colitis hopefully the amount of time you have to spend in the bathroom will decrease.

4. Your relationship with food becomes complicated.

Food is essential; you need it to live. Most people love food. However, when you have ulcerative colitis it can seem like food hates you. You love it, but it seems to hate you, so things become complicated. In fact, you'll probably develop very mixed feelings about food as a result of this rocky relationship.

5. Being aware of where the restrooms are becomes very important.

Whenever you are out, it now becomes extremely important to know where the closest restrooms are located in case you need to quickly make your way to one.

6. Going out to eat becomes incredibly nerve-wracking.

When going out to eat you no longer browse the menu for what looks the most delicious, but instead you look fot the least likely option to make you sick later.

7. Indulging now and regretting later

Every now and then, you may just decide to let yourself enjoy one of your favorite foods and suffer the consequences later. Go ahead, satisfy your craving, just realize that you will probably regret it later.