A young lawyer has revealed that she has a constant fear of soiling herself after developing the debilitating, incurable disease ulcerative colitis at the age of 23.
Sarah Alsarrage, now 25, had completed college and was looking forward to getting her foot in the door as a commercial attorney when her health declined.
It started with abdominal pain which the doctors told her were just signs of a urinary tract infection and they gave her antibiotics.
But things quickly escalated and within weeks she was suffering from persistent bouts of diarrhea, dizziness and fatigue.
She told FEMAIL it took two months for her doctors in Townsville, Queensland, to take her complaints seriously – and only because her doctor father was pushing through from the sidelines.
At the age of 23, Sarah Alsarrage was diagnosed with a debilitating, incurable disease: ulcerative colitis
The young woman is now afraid to venture too far from home during a flare-up in case she soils herself
“He knew I had the symptoms of IBS, he lived with me and saw me every day. So he insisted on a colonoscopy,” she said.
And the results proved him right. Unfortunately, they also showed the disease was ulcerative colitis and showed it was affecting most of her gut.
She was given pain medication and steroids, which is a short-term solution, but the meds didn’t work and she eventually lost control of her bowels.
“For a year I was constantly afraid that I would soil myself. I went into a depressed state and barely got out of the house,” she said.
“I had to start wearing adult diapers because I have little to no warning before going to the bathroom.”
At the time, Sarah felt like she was “the only person going through it” and was incredibly embarrassed.
She used to like to go to the gym, but that is no longer possible
She went from an outgoing, sociable young woman who loved walking and lifting weights at the gym to a hands-on recluse.
She lugged around with clean clothes and was uncomfortable being too far from the house.
Then one of the drugs worked – and she went into remission. Giving her the freedom to leave the house without a diaper and the confidence to pursue her legal career.
‘It felt great. I would wake up after I got enough sleep and be able to go out and socialize, stay out late after dinner, all without fear of pooping on myself,” she said.
She moved to Brisbane – for work – and to find independence. Something she had always dreamed of.
“I was so proud of myself for taking the step and being brave,” she said.
Sarah’s father, a doctor, knew his daughter had a bowel condition and insisted on testing when her GP claimed her symptoms were consistent with having a urinary tract infection
But the solutions always seem temporary.
She will go into remission for a month and then all of a sudden all her problems start again.
“It starts gradually. Gradual pain and gradual diarrhea,” she said.
And after a few days, the symptoms of the disease return completely.
‘I get a signal before I have to go to the toilet.
“Sometimes it’s not even poop, it’s just slime,” she added.
But she made it work, she sits near the bathroom at work and set up an apartment near the office.
Sarah’s life has changed a lot in two years – she’s even spent months in adult diapers
Strawberries can trigger a flare-up — but other than that, Sara still doesn’t know what caused it.
“I’m doing my best to stay in remission this time, to focus on this new me. I don’t want to trigger myself into a flare-up,” she said.
Sarah is getting better at dealing with her social anxiety surrounding her condition, but admits she hasn’t told many people about it.
Her support network has nurtured her through most of the social anxiety
During a flare-up, she simply plays the introvert, traveling alone between home and work and spending most of her time trying to overcome her fatigue.
The illness had made it difficult for Sarah to make new friends or date, but she’s confident it’s on the line.
She hopes to one day enter a more permanent remission – her longest health phase has been two months.