IBS Story

Personal IBS Story

My name is Annie, and I have had IBS for over 15 years. For the first ten years I didn't really know what exactly was wrong with me. I have to admit that for a long time I was reluctant to discuss all my symptoms with anybody, including a doctor, because I simply found it embarrasing. And the symptoms I had didn't fit any digestive disorder I had heard about. I didn't suffer just from constipation or diarrhea as normally defined; however, I could have both in alteration, and both were accompanied by horrible, painful cramps. I was always bloated, and sometimes my belly seemed like a balloon. I couldn't eat, and I was afraid to eat as food would often trigger more symptoms. I often had heartburn and the feeling that although I had been to the toilet several times that day, I am still not done. The doctors call it incomplete evacuation, but I would call it the worst feeling in the world. I went on like that for a long time convinced that I am suffering from some weird disorder that nobody else in the world has. But things were getting worse and worse - I was losing weight; I was depressed and couldn't concentrate at work. I avoided meeting friends or going away on trips or even vacation. I felt safest at my home, with my own toilet. I was becoming really deperate and finally decided to see a specialist. In the waiting room, I came across a leaflet about IBS. As I was reading it, I became more and more amazed: there they were! All my symptoms! And there was even a name for it! It sounds really paradoxical, but, in a way, I was relieved. There is nothing worse than not knowing what is wrong with you; plus it always helps a little to know that you are not alone in your suffering. I was so excited when the gastroenterologist, after a series of tests he had ordered, confirmed my IBS, because I hoped that I woul finaly be OK. Unfortunately, I can't say that this visit was a breakthrough. It was not like the doctor prescribed a miraculous cure, and my symptoms disappeared. The last years were more of a learning experience for me. At the beginning I somehow refused to accept the fact that there is no real cure for IBS. I have tried almost every method possible: acupuncture, psychoterapy and hypnosis, homeotherapy, herbs - you name it! All of those temporarily relieved the symptoms, at least to some extent, but I have never been symptom free. Finally I understood IBS was something I had to live with. It was important for me to learn that IBS will not cause colon cancer (my grandpa died of it) and that it is not generally a life threatening disease. I also learnt about IBS diet and how individual it was. I learnt that it's really important to listen to your body in order to find out what foods trigger your symptoms. I have also included some medications to alleviate my symptoms. One of the most important things for me, however, was to recognize stress as a huge factor in my IBS and to understand that the more I feared my symptoms the stronger they would become. For example, when I had a very important day at work, and the day before I was thinking, "I only hope my IBS is not going to be too bad tomorrow," I was certain to suffer double. Finally, it was a huge consolation, selfish as it may sound, to find out that I was not alone, that I was not some kind of a freak suffering from imaginary disease. For years I found it hard to talk about my symptoms even to a doctor, not to mention other people. But I have discovered that the awareness that you are not actually alone in your suffering helped me a great deal, and so I decided to share my experience with others. I hope this site will help other people like me, struggling with IBS and trying to find their own way of dealing with it. Each IBS is different and individual; however, I am convinced that we can learn from one another by sharing our own experiences, both good and bad. So if you feel like sharing, please write about your IBS.

Please send your story to the following address annie @meamed.com
Annie.