I am an IBS sufferer for almost a year already. IBS stands for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. According to the definition given by Wikipedia, it is a “functional bowel disorder characterized by abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits which are not associated with any abnormalities seen on routine clinical testing.” There are three types of IBS: IBS-D (diarrhea predominant), IBS-C (constipation predominant) and IBS-A (alternating diarrhea and constipation). I belong to the type IBS-D and let me tell you how much this disorder affects my daily life.
First of all, I can no longer eat the same foods that I used to love eating
According to my gastroentorologist, as much as possible I should avoid eating food with dairy contents (e.g. milk, cheese, butter, etc) and drinking citric juices (e.g. lemonade, pineapple, calamansi, etc) and carbonated drinks. Those foods and drinks can easily trigger my stomach to switch into diarrhea mode. So I have two choices, it’s either I will eat my favorite carbonara and chocolate ice cream and later suffer from EXTREME diarrhea or I will just ignore eating my forbidden foods and have a happy stomach the whole day. Finally, I developed a fear of traveling in far places especially if public toilets are rare. I also developed a fear of getting stuck in a traffic jam because if my diarrhea suddenly attacks, then it would not be possible for me to get out of the vehicle to find the nearest toilet. In other words, because of IBS I become so obsess to toilets!
For the first few months that I’ve been suffering from IBS, I really had a difficult time adjusting to my recommended diet and to my modified lifestyle. Every time I get a diarrhea attack I can’t help but to cry because of the pain I’m experiencing. As time passes by, I already learn how to overcome my IBS. As the doctor said, IBS can’t be treated but you can do something to control the symptoms. In my case, I just avoid all the forbidden foods and my stomach will be perfectly fine. There are still some time when I suddenly have diarrhea regardless of all precautions I take, in those cases, I just take my prescribed emergency medicines (Duspatalin, Spasmo Canulase, Estomax) and after a while my stomach is back to normal. It is also good to know that my family and most especially my boyfriend understand my situation, for without their utmost care I can’t possibly survive the emotional stress caused by having IBS.
First of all, I can no longer eat the same foods that I used to love eating
According to my gastroentorologist, as much as possible I should avoid eating food with dairy contents (e.g. milk, cheese, butter, etc) and drinking citric juices (e.g. lemonade, pineapple, calamansi, etc) and carbonated drinks. Those foods and drinks can easily trigger my stomach to switch into diarrhea mode. So I have two choices, it’s either I will eat my favorite carbonara and chocolate ice cream and later suffer from EXTREME diarrhea or I will just ignore eating my forbidden foods and have a happy stomach the whole day. Finally, I developed a fear of traveling in far places especially if public toilets are rare. I also developed a fear of getting stuck in a traffic jam because if my diarrhea suddenly attacks, then it would not be possible for me to get out of the vehicle to find the nearest toilet. In other words, because of IBS I become so obsess to toilets!For the first few months that I’ve been suffering from IBS, I really had a difficult time adjusting to my recommended diet and to my modified lifestyle. Every time I get a diarrhea attack I can’t help but to cry because of the pain I’m experiencing. As time passes by, I already learn how to overcome my IBS. As the doctor said, IBS can’t be treated but you can do something to control the symptoms. In my case, I just avoid all the forbidden foods and my stomach will be perfectly fine. There are still some time when I suddenly have diarrhea regardless of all precautions I take, in those cases, I just take my prescribed emergency medicines (Duspatalin, Spasmo Canulase, Estomax) and after a while my stomach is back to normal. It is also good to know that my family and most especially my boyfriend understand my situation, for without their utmost care I can’t possibly survive the emotional stress caused by having IBS.
