living w/ IBS

I wrote this in response to a google groups question from a writer who was curious to hear different peoples' stories of living with IBS.

Hello there,
Well, I am a teenager and have only been aware of my IBS-C for a a few months. It has been a very frustrating situation. I still do not understand it that well.

Before I was diagnosed I had missed almost two months of school due to unexplainable symptoms which had been bothering me for about 3 months. At first I thought it was a UTI, and after about 3 weeks and two rounds of antibiotics, my doctor ruled that out. Then I saw a urologist at Children's Hospital here in Seattle. She was a very nice lady, and explained to me that there were a few good possibilities of what it could be, and even though she didnt' know exactly what was wrong, she could help me out a bit now, and then she told me that we'll get it cleared up.

That was a very difficult time for me, being sick so often. I began to struggle with depression which had been well under control until that point. Friends that I would see often at school and church I began to not see as often because I was at home. I didn't feel good. With no definate answer, I wondered very often if it was "all in my head". Or perhaps it was some sort of dangerous and difficult to diagnose diseases. Knowing a bit more now about my condition, I think that it's no wonder that I was so sick at that time- with worrying and all of the anxiety that I felt, well, that couldn't have helped my bowels at all.

Finally, I saw a gastroenterologist. She looked over my file, asked me a few questions, and then diagnosed me with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I don't remember much after that. I remember being kind of shocked. I thought- "Irritable Bowel Syndrome? What is that? I've never heard of it before!" It was good for me that my mom was there, because she actually digested what the doctor was saying. I didn't hear much of it. I wasn't sure whether to be happy or relieved or upset or what. It wasn't what I expected. I had read of many different disorders, why hadn't I read of IBS?? (Actually, I hadn't heard of IBS because I hadn't been looking for information about bowel movements. I hadn't been paying attention to my bowel movements until I was diagnosed with the IBS.) What is this that it has to do with anxiety? I wondered. Was the doctor saying that my anxiety problem caused this? Did I not really have a problem?

Funny how statistics say that about 25% of the population has IBS. I wonder how many people who have it know that. What about people that don't have it? Because it is a disorder of the bowels that in order to discuss with others involves excretory matter, it is little discussed, because that is inapropriate and disgusting. Sure, whatever. I have come to view bowel movements as facts of life, and since people with other chronic disorders can talk about them, I don't have much of a problem telling people about my IBS if they ask.

IBS is difficult to live with for a few reasons. First of all, since it concerns bowels, it is a taboo subject. However, if it were socially acceptable to "open up" to those around us about our functional disorder, then we would most likely hear of many people who have it. People I've told usually say something like, "oh! My sister/uncle/aunt/cousin/friend has that!". Another reason is that there is no specific diagnostic test for IBS. It is diagnosed based a lot on bowel movements and what the patient reports of pain and other situations. As an IBS patient, you wonder how much your brain affects your stomach, and if it is really "all in your head", or if your bowels are really ,as they say, your second heart. It is difficult to figure out what foods set one off. It varies a large amount from case to case. For myself, there are symptoms I experience with my IBS that I don't udnerstand why I experience them.

IBS can have a severe impact on peoples' style of and pleasure in life. Its complications can impact emotions, and self-confidence. It can promote a feeling of loneliness. However, these are all my opinions, however, though I would assume that many feel similarly. Of course, I wouldn't know, because I haven't talked to many poeple about it. I guess that's because we don't mention it ot other people.
Wow, that's longer than I thoguht it would be!! Hope this helps!
~CJudo