ABSTRACT
About 30 years ago, when I was in my early twenties, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC). For about 11 years, my illness was what Williams (2000) describes as a “normal illness.” It was already part of my daily life and biography. Then the symptoms of my illness worsened, and I had to go through colectomy. This was a turning point in my life. The worsening of my physical condition and the months in the hospital, followed by the “dead end” of my colon’s removal, were experiences that shook me and served as a reminder of the fragility and vulnerability of my body and my life.
