My Journey with Ulcerative Colitis

When I Woke Up

I don’t remember much after arriving in the operating room. I remember falling into darkness, then faint light and voices.

Mar 10 • Martin Fernandez

1

Surgery Day

The decisions were made. All that was left was one final confirmation.

Mar 3 • Martin Fernandez

1

February 2026

Ready to Move On

There were no more decisions left to make.

Feb 24 • Martin Fernandez

1

No Turning Back

Once the decision was made, everything moved quickly — and slowly — at the same time.

Feb 17 • Martin Fernandez

2

When Hope Changed Shape

For a long time, I believed that if I just held on a little longer, something would work.

Feb 9 • Martin Fernandez

1

Two Paths, No Easy One

Understanding what surgery could actually look like.

Feb 3 • Martin Fernandez

2

January 2026

When Surgery Stopped Being Hypothetical

How an option I avoided for years quietly became unavoidable.

Jan 27 • Martin Fernandez

3

The Myth of Triggers

The illusion of control, and the limits of adjustment.

Jan 20 • Martin Fernandez

4

Life Under the Microscope

The monitoring, testing, and medical rituals that quietly shape your life.

Jan 13 • Martin Fernandez

1

When You Don’t Make It in Time

Accidents and the quiet logistics of survival. The stories we don’t tell enough — and the adjustments that shape life with UC.

Jan 6 • Martin Fernandez

3

2

December 2025

When a “Stomach Bug” Isn’t

The truth about living through a UC flare: The moment when a UC flare stops resembling anything familiar — and becomes something entirely different.

Dec 31, 2025 • Martin Fernandez

4

A Shrinking World

The long flares that narrowed my world and pushed me to the breaking point.

Dec 24, 2025 • Martin Fernandez

2