What It’s Like to Get a Colectomy for Ulcerative Colitis

For most people with ulcerative colitis — an inflammatory bowel disease in which the immune system repeatedly attacks the large intestine — surgery is not something they will ever have to truly consider. Thankfully, about half of people with the condition are in remission at any given year, according to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. That means the treatments for ulcerative colitis (UC) have been effective and they are not experiencing symptoms.

“Having a life again was everything, and I felt like I didn’t have one when I had UC,” says Chelsea Freeman. “It was really scary, but at the same time, I was very excited to have my life back.”

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Written by:

Lauren Smith, MA

Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.

Reviewed by:

Sanjai Sinha, MD

Sanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.

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