I first began getting symptoms around the age of 13. The bloody stool and soreness from using the bathroom was first to come. Then the symptoms began to become worse. The worst part was I wasn't diagnosed till I was 16 years old. I had been suffering for years because none of my doctors believed me and kept checking for an ulcer.

Then when I was finally diagnosed my condition was so far gone they could not control it with any medication they tried. I was not allowed to attend high school and missed out on being a teenager. I was admitted into the hospital for an abscess when I was 17. I also had to have a feeding tube placed and have half my colon, part of my small bowel and two feet of my small intestine removed. I was released from the hospital two days before my 18th birthday. I was not allowed to eat any food for three months -- only formula through my feeding tube.

In August of 2008 I had my feeding tube removed because I had finally made it into remission. I started college in the spring of 2009 and decided this disease was not going to control my life anymore. I am now 20 years old and I will continue to fight to live a normal and happy life!