Former professional soccer player Rosie White shares her journey with Ulcerative Colitis

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) -A two-time Olympian and professional soccer player in the National Women’s Soccer League, Rosie White, shares a challenge that extends beyond the field. Rosie White, a three-time Women’s World Cup player and commentator at this year’s WC, bravely shared her experience with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) in the hopes of helping others.

White was diagnosed with UC when she was just 19 years old. This disease causes inflammation and ulcers in the large intestine, presenting a significant challenge for anyone to manage, let alone a professional athlete.

Gastroenterologist, Dr. Bincy Abraham, shed light on the disease’s common age range, stated,

“Ulcerative Colitis can unfortunately affect people of all age groups. However, it more commonly impacts young adults between the ages of 15 and 30. This chronic disease tends to be diagnosed early in someone’s lifetime.”

Both White and Dr. Abraham are actively engaged in a campaign titled ‘Supporting You with UC’. The campaign’s objective is to provide patients with a comprehensive set of resources and to encourage open discussions about symptoms. This aims to empower individuals to advocate for themselves and better manage the disease.

Rosie emphasized that discussing UC symptoms with a doctor is no easy task. She mentioned,

“It is very difficult to talk about; it’s super embarrassing. It adds a lot of stress and anxiety to an already stressful disease. Learning to engage in conversations with your support network, in my case, my coaches, as well as your healthcare professionals, is crucial to developing a treatment plan and achieving remission. This way, you can avoid dealing with day-to-day symptoms.”

For more information about UC, click here.

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