Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Niki:

I suffered with terrible painful attacks for 45 years of my life without knowing or understanding that I had IBS. A couple of doctors along the way (in my 30s) told me I had IBS, but they didn't explain what it was or what to do for it. Consequently I continued to go through life thinking I had a unique, mystery illness.

Adding insult to injury, my friends nicknamed me "allergy girl" because I was forever avoiding different foods in an effort to try and figure out what food it was that was putting me in pain and "bothering my stomach." I used to tell people I had food allergies since I had no better explanation for the attacks.

I remember once 25 years ago (when I was 20) driving home after work doubled over in total agony due to yet another attack. I remember praying to God that if he would only let me know what I had, I would do anything -- absolutely anything -- to avoid the attacks.

Over the years I became so sick that at times I subsisted on miserable, limited diets.

At one point I was so sick that for an entire year I ate nothing but soup made with boiled chicken, carrots and parsley. I ate this for breakfast, lunch and dinner and I dropped to a scary 74 pounds -- and I was still getting the attacks.

It wasn't until May 2003 that I happened to stumble onto Heather's IBS website. I was totally shocked! The website described exactly what I had (in fact I was a textbook case). Even more miraculous is that Heather's website offered a diet to help control IBS!

Do I have emotional problems dealing with the fact I have IBS? No. Not at all. I don't care at all about the foods I can't eat.

I am just eternally grateful that I now know exactly what I have (a gastro-intestinal specialist has recently confirmed the IBS diagnosis) and that I have found a diet that keeps me attack-free and pain-free and that has enabled me to add variety into my diet and to now be a healthy 85 pounds.

My friends no longer call me "allergy girl." I now have some self-esteem because I have a name for what I have. Most importantly, I now possess the precious knowledge of how to control it.

For me, the rest is easy.

Belinda

Print Remind Me Notify Moderator