I think I should probably stop insulting doctors for a while, because as fun as it is it’s not very positive, and in fact it doesn’t really fit with my own health at the moment and my current, sympathetic nutritionist. For about the past two and a half weeks I have been distinctly, eerily well. I had an odd little episode this morning but was fine again within about 10 minutes, so I don’t really count that.
The silly thing is of course that I don’t actually need to be perfectly healthy, I just need to be better than I was. As much as I hate that old phrase “You’ll just have to learn to live with it” that relatives and friends (and, yes, doctors – sorry, just can’t help myself) love to throw at us at every opportunity, it does make some sense. IBS is a long-term condition for many people, and most of us have to accept that and make some adjustments in our lives.
The only thing I really object to is the fact that so many IBS sufferers are told to “learn to live with it” approximately 3.2 seconds after they have been diagnosed with IBS. At this stage they’re probably suffering with terrible diarrhea or alarming stomach pains or intransigent constipation, and people all around them are telling them that that’s the best it’s gonna get? Nope, I don’t buy it.
Yes, we have to learn to adjust, but we also need to learn to educate ourselves about IBS and look hard for some sources of improvement. Because I don’t know about you, but when my IBS is at its absolute worst it’s unutterably depressing – and that’s not really living at all.
Wait – I’ve gone negative again. Sorry about that. But the main point of this entry is to say that I feel good right now, and the only reason I feel good is that I looked for some help and found it. God knows whether it will last, but at least I’m trying not to learn to live with.
