The Beginning is not easy to pinpoint.
I remember the symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis rearing their ugly heads as early as the age of eleven.
I hid these symptoms from my parents for almost two full years. The cramping, the bloating, the diarrhea, the bleeding. Sure my parents were not happy that I was "in the shower" for 30 or more minutes each morning. But I hid my disease, which was always more active in the morning, with running water and a locked door.
The weight loss, or rather my inability to gain weight, was also easy to hide. My family is tall and thin. Therefore I was tall and thin. And I loved sports, especially playing basketball. So I hid my gaunt figure behind some baggy t-shirts, mesh shorts and a pair of high tops.
The pain and emotional turmoil? That was the easiest to hide.
Q: "Are you feeling okay?"
A: "I feel fine."
A convincing smile. A convincing lie.
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