Gracie Cappel was probably excited to start her freshman year at Texas State. But instead, she found herself facing ulcerative colitis (UC).
“I had no idea what ulcerative colitis even was,” the 19-year-old shared. “It took me a while to understand what was really happening in my body.”
She received her diagnosis in the summer of 2024, which wasn’t easy for a college student. To manage her symptoms, she had to eliminate dairy and fatty foods, as there’s no standard treatment for UC.
About a million Americans are thought to have UC, which is a common type of inflammatory bowel disease. While the precise cause remains unclear, experts believe it may be linked to an abnormal immune response.
By causing inflammation and ulcers in the colon and rectum, UC can lead to issues like stomach pain, bloody diarrhea, and frequent bathroom trips. Though similar, Crohn’s disease can impact any part of the digestive system.
UC is often diagnosed in individuals aged 15-30, with a higher risk for those between 50 and 70.
Initially, Cappel didn’t recognize the severity of her symptoms. She occasionally noticed blood in her stool but dismissed it as a minor issue.
“At first, it wasn’t alarming,” she recalled. “I looked it up and found references to internal hemorrhoids or colon cancer. I thought, ‘Well, I don’t have colon cancer, so it must be hemorrhoids.'” However, the bleeding increased, and she began needing to use the bathroom more often, leading to a colonoscopy just weeks before college began.
“I walked out of the colonoscopy, and my doctor told me I had UC,” Cappel said.
She had to make significant dietary changes right away. While triggers can vary, UC patients often experience flare-ups from high-fat or spicy foods, as well as those high in insoluble fiber. Alcohol and caffeine can also complicate matters.
Before her diagnosis, her meals were quite different—yogurt for breakfast, ground turkey or chicken for lunch, and fast food for dinner.
“I definitely wasn’t eating well,” she admitted. “If I wanted fast food, I would go for it without a second thought.”
She particularly missed her spicy snacks and fizzy drinks. But unfortunately, her stomach pain lingered.
“Eating healthy is tough, especially as a freshman when you live in a dorm without a kitchen,” Cappel explained. By December, she returned home to the Greater Houston area, where she eliminated dairy and alcohol from her diet and ramped up her exercise.
Working with healthcare providers, she began infusions of prescription medications aimed at reducing intestinal inflammation.
Now, while some symptoms have improved, including the bloody stools, she plans to return to Texas in August.
“Next year, I’ll have an apartment with my own kitchen, so I think it’ll be easier,” she said.
She acknowledged the social challenges: “It can be tough not eating what everyone else is eating. But for me, it’s just not worth it given the consequences.”
On TikTok, she shares her journey, hoping to connect with others in similar situations.
“The hardest part for me is just wanting to convey a message: You’re not alone in this, and you can get better,” she emphasized.
