Living with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can affect every part of daily life. In this patient story, Merle shares her experience with ulcerative colitis, how symptoms shaped her routine, and how biologic treatment helped her regain stability and flexibility.
Living With Ulcerative Colitis: Merle’s Story
“I realized that there is a time without abdominal pain.”
Navigating daily life with a chronic condition
Merle from Germany lives with ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the large intestine and requires long term management. At 23, she has spent many years navigating a condition that made her daily life unpredictable. She often had to plan around symptoms while searching for a treatment that could support her in the long run.
Finding a treatment and regimen that brings more flexibility
Starting on a biologic treatment marked a turning point for Merle. Today, her biologic is administered via a pen, rather than intravenously, as this fits more easily into her routine and supports her everyday life with greater flexibility. In this personal testimony, Merle describes what it means to live with ulcerative colitis and how treatment helped stabilize her symptoms and create space for personal goals, including staying active and completing her bachelor’s degree.
For people living with chronic conditions such as IBD, treatment must provide sustained efficacy and reliable disease control, not only symptoms management: It’s about creating the stability needed to live, plan and move forward.
