Hi, my name is Kacy Holloway. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2012, which was my freshman year of high school. This was a year after my brother had been diagnosed with Crohn's disease. I was in denial for awhile and didn't want anyone to know that something was wrong with me. This disease was ruining me not only physically, but emotionally.

 

My dad said that I could let this disease control the rest of my life or I could own it and make it into a positive thing, which is what I decided to do. I started the blog thebadbuttdisease.com and also have an Instagram page for it. I want to inspire young adults like me and anyone else going through tough times. I have had a rough time with my colitis. I missed the second half of my sophomore year, was in and out of the hospital, have tried every medication on the market for UC, came home from my first year of college to do a clinical trial, and failed everything. I decided to have my colon removed and have a Jpouch constructed. I had my first surgery on May 12th of this year and the second on July 21st. I will be waiting to have my third surgery until next summer, so that I can attend college and finally act like a normal 19 year old again. I wouldn't wish this disease on anyone, but it has given me so many opportunities in life and so many ways to reach out to help and encourage people. I will continue to advocate for education and research for these diseases.