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The Article in Brief
You Will Have a New Life
Adi Finkelstein
Background For a young woman with ulcerative colitis, a total colectomy (removal of the colon) marks the end of an illness and the beginning of a journey of personal discovery.
What This Study Found The author describes her physical illness and the decision to undergo a colectomy after which, her surgeon promised her, she would have a new life. Over time, she did indeed build a new life, although perhaps not the one her surgeon envisioned. Her journey included letting go of her desire to be an exemplary patient and embracing the liberation that came with accepting her disability, as well as a career researching and teaching medical and nursing students about chronic illness. Living with her own disability while helping others better understand chronic illness is, she writes, "a paradox that sustains me."
