Laura Frank was an average college student at San Francisco State University. She lived with roommates, studied anthropology, and worked full time serving food at an Indian restaurant. She kept her body healthy by going to the gym, eating well, and avoiding medicine, not even Advil. Her main goal was to save enough money to backpack through India when she graduated.
In her junior year, she started finding small amounts of blood in her stool. She convinced herself that it was nothing to worry about, but eventually, the symptoms began to escalate, and the amount of blood began to increase. It was so bad that she was embarrassed to go to the laundromat- afraid that people would see her bloody underwear. Not only was she mortified, but felt isolated and alone. Laura was a full time student and had a full time job- she just didn't have time to be sick.
Laura finally decided that it was time to visit the doctor. At 20 years old, Laura was given brochures about colon cancer, colon removal, and other literature that seemed to be written for adults over 65- not vibrant twenty-somethings. She was bounced from doctor to doctor, each time growing more frustrated and discouraged. After enduring a flexible sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, and over 7 months of doctor’s visits, she was finally diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. The only good news that Laura received from these tests was that “the patients prep was excellent”. She immediately started using suppositories twice a day, and oral medication that required ingesting four pills four times a day, totaling 16 a day, 112 a week and 448 a month. Suffering from the painful symptoms of ulcerative colitis, she knew she was in no shape to travel to India. For now, she knew her dream had to be put on hold.
She decided that there had to be a better way of healing, and began to research homeopathic health options. She experimented with acupuncture, Reiki, meditation, various diets and vitamin supplements. During this time, Laura graduated from college, and was unknowingly removed from her parent’s insurance policy. Laura and her mother applied to every type of medical insurance they could find, but she was denied each time, due to her preexisting condition. During months of being uninsured, she felt guilty knowing that her parents couldn't afford her medication which totaled more than $2,000 a month, and neither could she. She stopped taking her medicine and lied to her parents that she had enough medicine and that her symptoms were gone, but they were actually getting worse. After nine months, Laura got a new job that finally allowed her to have health care coverage.
Though Laura’s symptoms were back under control and her medical bills were slowly decreasing she still felt alienated. She yearned for others her age to affirm that she was not abnormal, a peer to make her feel like she wasn’t the only early-twenties woman struggling with intense intestinal problems. While searching for young IBD groups, she came across CCFA and asked how she could get involved. She came into the office to volunteer weekly and was pleasantly surprised to find an office full of young, funny, active, progressive and understanding people. She immediately felt like she wasn’t alone in this fight and that she had the chance to help others just like her.
Laura recently returned from her first of many trips to India. She overcame her fear of symptoms returning and traveled to what she believes to be the “most beautiful place on earth”. She achieved one of her many goals in life and did so with a suitcase full of Asacol.