how one woman got her freedom back after a difficult inflammatory bowel disease diagnosis 

when wanni zhang started feeling unwell during a trip to europe at age 20, she assumed she had food poisoning, or the kind of stomach bug people can get when travelling abroad. but her symptoms didn’t just persist long after she returned home — they grew progressively worse as she started her second year of university.   

“i always felt sick, i had no energy, and i couldn’t leave the bathroom,” recalls zhang, who now lives in pickering, ont. finally, nearly four months after she first started feeling ill, a diagnostic procedure by a specialist revealed what was wrong. “the gastroenterologist told me, ‘you have ulcerative colitis,’” zhang recalls.  

while it was a relief to get an answer, with next to no guidance from the diagnosing physician, it was years before zhang truly understood the nature of the disease, which can be managed, but not cured. “i didn’t realize how serious it was,” she says.   

ulcerative colitis, which affects an estimated 104,000 canadians, is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (ibd). when someone has ibd, their immune system attacks the lining of the lower digestive tract. over time, this can lead to weight loss, anemia, and an increased risk of colon cancer. despite the enormous impact uc symptoms have on someone’s quality of life, typically friends and family can’t tell, since, as zhang says, “you look fine on the outside.”   

fortunately, with current treatments, “we’re able to get the majority of patients into remission,” says dr. yvette leung, a gastroenterologist with the ibd centre of bc in vancouver.   

until she was diagnosed and started treatment, zhang, who is a very private person, kept her illness from most people close to her. “it’s one of those things people don’t talk about, so i didn’t tell anyone but my parents,” she says. she didn’t even share her condition with her boyfriend at the time. “i didn’t tell any of my friends — i didn’t want them to think that i was different. i was loving life at the time and didn’t want to have that kind of negativity associated with me.”  

once zhang’s disease went into remission, keeping her secret became much easier. but about a year into remission, the symptoms returned with a vengeance. according to dr. leung, for reasons not currently understood, a minority of patients will experience a relapse.   

in zhang’s case, her relapse occurred just three weeks into an internship with her “dream employer.” she became so ill she had to be admitted to hospital. “i was worried about my future because it took me so long to get into this company, and i was hoping to stay there,” zhang recalls. “fortunately, my manager at the time is one of the kindest people i’ve ever met, so i felt comfortable talking to her, even though i’d worked with her less than a month.”   

zhang says she’s at her best when she feels informed about how to manage her uc: “this helps me work towards — and achieve — my best life.” photo: cole burston

zhang spent a month in hospital as her medical team worked on getting the disease back under control. even after being released from hospital, it took time to achieve full remission. “the flare-up lasted four or five months,” she says. fortunately, zhang returned to her job as soon as she was well enough. “i was thankful i was reporting to this woman who was so understanding.”  

determined to try and prevent another relapse, in addition to carefully following her prescribed treatment regimen, zhang took steps to lead a healthier lifestyle. “i’d been pulling all-nighters, and probably drinking a bit too much,” she says. “so, i really prioritized having a good sleep schedule, drinking less, and eating an even better diet.”   

dr. leung says she advises patients to follow a healthy lifestyle, which, along with the right medication, can help them manage their ulcerative colitis. “the good news is,” she says, “once they get on the right treatment, a majority of our patients won’t get any flare-ups.”  

dr. leung says finding that sweet spot involves weighing the types and severity of a patient’s symptoms, as well as their values and goals. what’s more, response to treatment is highly individual — what works for one person may not for another. “i want to hear from my patients what concerns they have about the disease, and what they want to accomplish in life,” leung says. although uc still requires life-long treatment, thanks to a continuing understanding of the disease and the range of therapies available, dr. leung says most patients can go back to doing the things they need and want to do in life.   

over the next few years following her hospitalization, zhang became more established in her career and began dating the man she’d eventually marry. in 2018, when the couple was about to embark on their first out-of-country trip together, zhang began experiencing familiar symptoms. “i came so close to cancelling, because sharing a bathroom is already embarrassing without a flare-up — i like to maintain my privacy,” she says. ultimately, she decided to go ahead with the holiday. “it’s a good thing i didn’t cancel, because it kind of opened up that dialogue,” she says.   

with a change in treatments, the disease again went into remission, and zhang became even more diligent about diet and exercise along with adherence to her medication. today, the couple continues to travel, planning to make bali their next big trip.   

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how one woman got her freedom back after a difficult inflammatory bowel disease diagnosis 

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