IBS

Before we begin, I AM NOT A DOCTOR. I have done reserch, I have IBS but that does not quality this peice of writing to take the place of a doctor.

I have IBS type C, Irritable Bowel Syndrome alligned with Constipation, and I am writing this for a few reasons:

1) I want to help provide something that someone else can relate too. There are so many social media sites and facebook groups that have helped me and I want to put something out there that will help someone else.

2) I need to face what I have publically. I don't want to forever feel embarressed or weak because of a very common and often lonely cronic illness that just happens to have to do with bathroom activity. I will keep posting things about IBS until I am no longer hesitant to do so becase this idea that IBS has to be secretive because it's embarressing is mentally damaging. IBS is embarressing because it is secretive and I want to help fight that.

3) I am sitting her after a major flare up and feel passionately about how this has effected my, and many others, lives.

I will break this story? article? blog? (I don't really know what to call this) down into parts so it is more easily read and navigated. First I will tell you about IBS- facts, theories, things that have helped a large portion of those suffering with IBS (with comments from me sprinkled in like confetti). Secondly I will disccuss my specific diagnosis and what has and has not helped me and then I will leave you with parting thoughts.

WHAT IS IBS:

IBS is a syndrome, meaning that there is no physical evidence of change in the body. There is no test for IBS, currenty it is diagnoised by a range of shared symptoms by a doctor. There is also no cure for IBS, it is considered to be cronic and develope over time. IBS is managable but often requires a lot of diet, exercise and possibly medication changes to lessen symptoms and pain. (This is the hardest part for many people when diagnoised with IBS- accepting that this is forever, that the changes you make don't get to stop in a few months or that you may have to take medication every day depending on your severity.) IBS deals with the colon and digestive systems, related to consitpation, diareah or both in alteration. IBS can be extreamely painful when havinga flare up. A flare up may include extreme bloating, cramping, stomach pain, nausea and other symptoms.

WHAT CAUSES IBS AND WHAT ARE TRIGGERS?

Doctors do not know an exact cause for IBS- though have identified common triggers and have worked out theories on possible reasons IBS exists. A trigger is something that causes a flare up of IBS symptoms.One of the challenges of IBS is that it is specific to each person. (Example: Some people can eat cheese, others can't tolerate any dairy.) Theories as to what causes IBS ranges from hereditory reasons to Serotonin levels. (https://www.everydayhealth.com/ibs/causes-of-ibs.aspx for more information). Serotonin lines the walls of the Colon regulating bowel contraction, if your serotonin levels are askew, this could cause a fluxuation in contractions or in other words- IBS. Bacreria has also become a prominate theory for the cause of IBS; over growth of Bacteria or suffering from a bacterial infection can cause IBS.

Management is offered through medication, life style changes and diet. These things tend to be triggers for people with IBS, specific foods and stress seem to be well accepted triggers for flare ups. I have attached an image above of common 'bad' foods for people with IBS. However it is importiant to note that this is specific to the individual. Many doctors suggest removing all questionable foods and reintroducing them one at a time to discover which foods your body tolerates. Many IBS havers follow the FODMAPS diet (created for people with IBS and othe gastro disorders). This diet has helped 9 out of 10 sufferers of IBS lessen their symptoms but again it is not a one size fits all kind of diet, you still have to descover what triggers you and what doesn't. (This diet does help by lowering the amount of common triggers in recipes but it's up to you to perfect FODMAPS recipes for yourselves.)

Okay so now onto my story. I've always had trouble with constipation and had irregular bowel movements, pain and bleeding- even when I was a young kid I ended up in the hospital often for constipation related pain. I always assumed I was just weird and my mom thought I needed more fiber and prune juice like an old lady (no offense to old ladies). I grew up pretty normal- I ate everything and ctually had a litteral obsession with food. I was diagnoised with Binge Eating Disorder in my teens and was overweight, I spent three years in therepy and worked on finding a less excessive diet but it didn't change my bowel movements or pain. Recently, at age 20, I got very sick. I somehow got Salmonella and got worse and worse and then the pain started. Nausea, fatigue, incredible pain. I couldn't keep down food, stand on my own. I started passing out more often. I didn't think much of this though to be honest because I have a fainting disorder and have had problems with abdominal pain and constipation my whole life. I became worried when I -excuse my bluntness- started shitting blood. straight blood. It was terrifying. I layed in my mothers bed at 20 years old, holding her hand, unable to hold my head up most of the time. I decided to go to the hospital. She drove me there and stayed with me. I spent three days in the hospital with constant IV fluids and morphine every few hours. I was diagnoised with a case of Pancolitis- it developed for me from the samonella (which they had descovered caused it) so it was, thankfully, only a one time thing for me. They sent me home with meds and I seemed to get better.

Then the pain started- every week without fail I would be in so much pain I couldn't move or eat and I figured it was flare ups related to the recent pancolitis- I was under the impression it was normal so I just dealt with the pain. My boyfriend, Shahib, convinced me to go to the doctors ( well he wanted the hospital but we settled on a primary doctor visit). I was convinced that I was right because it was the same level pain as I felt in the hospital but it turns out I was completely wrong. The doctor I have has IBS himself and so I was luckly beleived and was understood by him. The diagnoisis was IBS type C. This, for me, was a releif. I was able to take steps to lower my pain and it was something I could manage. I started doing reserch, started by following a list the doctor gave me of IBS safe foods and reintroduced new things as I went. I was prescribed stool softeners and antispazmatics to take for the foreseeable future. I was really confident and determined- my doctor made me feel determined because he has IBS and he became a fricking doctor. I started to wonder if I could even attend classes with the pain I was in but he managed the symptoms and still became a doctor so I decided I could manage too, I could continue what I love too.

I keep a journal of everything I eat, every bowel movement, pain levels (I even made my own version of an IBS pain chart). I cut out food I couldn't handle and stopped indulging in soda, added sugars, burgers. In fact the only meat I can tolerate is chicken. I limited my diet a lot. I also started working out more. Every Monday I walk for a mile, every Wednesday I practice 30 minutes of Taekwondo (doesn't sound like a lot but I also take a Friday class thats 2 hours long) and every saturday I go kayaking. I wrote down my weight every morning to see the fluxuations that bloating gave me. I have struggled with my weight for four years. I've worked out, seen a dietition and different diets(healthy and unhealthy unfortunetely) but they never worked. Today I'm 212 lbs, yestersay I was 200lbs. My weight varies between 12 lbs by the day. The physical activity helps easy my symptoms and helps me better my body as a whole and the journal helps me remeber and see patterns in my condition, weight and diet.

Granted I don't always succeed, I don't always see the bright side and I don't always follow through. Today I was supposed to do Taekwondo but I have been down all day. I woke up early in so much agonizing pain I was dizzy and started panacking about how much pain I was in. I took a bath but it didn't help, I took my antispazmatic and laid on a heating pad, running back and forth to the unforgiving bathroom. I hurt, bad. I was nearly screaming in pain for 4 hours before I was able to stand up straight on my own for the first time today. It is after that 4 hour duration that I write this. Living with IBS is painful, it's hard and it's inescapable. But IBS isn't the end of the line, the world, your life. It becomes a part of you, maybe not the prettiest part but it doesn't have to be. IBS can be embarressing and isolating but there are a lot of people who have it, who understand it and who can help make IBS less scary.

Facebook support groups I suggest or am a part of:

https://www.facebook.com/IBSsupportservice/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/831075310304449/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/116255522303463/