May 2007 Archives

I have just completed a complete redesign of the main IBS Tales site, and it's now online in all its fancy-pants glory (well, it's all online anyway). You can have a look by going to the usual address.

Now, the main look of the site is the same - same colours, same photo of the strangely-blue trees at the top, same two column layout, but I have changed a number of things in order to (hopefully) make the site more user-friendly and give you a better holistic IBS Tales experience, as someone pretentious might put it.

I am quite proud to say that the entire site has been coded by me, by hand (well, apart from a few tiny bits of code to do advanced things like sign people up for the mailing list). It's taken me about four months, and a whole lot of evenings staring at the screen trying to figure out why various bits have unexpectedly turned purple, but I did it. The site may not actually look too different from the outside, but the code has drastrically changed.

The question now of course is whether you guys like it and find it easy to use. If you do have any feedback please do leave a comment on this entry or email me directly. I'm happy to consider all suggestions and comments, and things can still be changed if you hate them!

I'll just expain a few of the things that I've changed, and the reasons why:

1) I have made the site into what's called a "fixed width" design, which means that the website stays the same width whatever the size of your browser window, rather than the old "liquid" design, which used to stretch to whatever size browser window you had open at the time.

The liquid design was OK most of the time, but people these days often have 17", 19" or even bigger monitors, and on a large screen I think that sites with a lot of text and therefore huge long lines, like IBS Tales, can be hard to read.

So I went for the fixed width instead, which will hopefully suit all shapes and sizes of monitor, and be easier on the eyes.

2) Printing arrangements. I know that some of you like to print out pages of the site, to keep a story you particularly identify with, or show something to a disbelieving loved one. Until now the design of the site meant that you got a printout which often cut off words on the right-hand side of the page.

This is completely fixed now, and you can print out any page of the site cleanly. Plus, I've set it up so that you won't waste printer ink on things like the logo and picture at the top of every page - you'll just get the important part, ie: the text.

3) Changing navigation (in other words, the bits you click on). The main navigation bar at the top remains basically the same, but I have changed the links on the left-hand side which take you to each individual page within the sections for men, women, and teenagers.

The old site used to have a link for every single page within a section, and these links would run down right down the left-hand side of the page. The trouble with this was that for some sections, such as the women's sad tales section, there were at least 45 individual pages...which just left you with a huge long list of links taking up screen space.

There are now drop-down boxes so that you can just choose a particular page and go, or alternatively you can still just read through the stories in order by using the "Next page" or "Previous page" links at the bottom of each page.

4) Story removal. I have transferred almost all stories from the old site across to the new one. However, when I was going through the pages I came across two fairly old stories which began with something like "I have self-diagnosed IBS, although I have never seen a doctor".

I have removed those two stories - the last thing I want to do is give people the impression that it is OK to self-diagnose IBS, it is categorically NOT a good idea to do this, and self-diagnosis of any condition is more likely to be wrong than right.

Like I say, this only applies to those two stories. There were a few more where people said that they had not had a definite diagnosis of IBS but had been through lots of tests or seen specialists etc, and it was more a case of their docs saying "Yeah, probably IBS" rather than someone solely diagnosing IBS by themselves - and I have left these stories on the site.

I think that's the best way to do it, and I hope the thinking behind this makes sense.

5) Adding a "Support This Site" page. I do sometimes get messages from people who would like to know what they can do to help IBS Tales because the site has been useful to them, so I have added a short page of possible suggestions - just simple things like linking to the site, telling me about any spelling mistakes you find, and using a particular Amazon link for any purchase, because IBS Tales then gets a small commission for each item.

OK - that's all I can think of for now! Like I say, if there are any comments, then please do get in touch. I'd particularly like to hear from anyone who finds that the site looks a bit weird on your computer - I've tested the site in as many browsers and different set-ups as possible, but there might be a few I've missed.

First of all, I just want to remind you that if you want to make a complaint about the withdrawal of Zelnorm you should write to the FDA (addresses are below in the entry titled "Fight for Your Right to Zelnorm"). I've had quite a few comments on that entry saying things like "Please reconsider" and "Please bring Zelnorm" back, which is fine if you're just expecting me to read them, but not fine if you're thinking that the FDA will hear these pleas. So make your voice heard - write to the FDA today!

For those of you who are really struggling without Zelnorm, it may be worth asking your doctor about the so-called "Emergency" program, where doctors in the US can request the use of medications which have been recalled (or which are still going through clinical trials) if they believe it is in the best interests of the patients.

I'm afraid I really don't know how restrictive this program is, and how many of these requests are accepted. However, if Zelnorm was the right drug for you, and you are aware of the possible side effects, this might be a route to consider.

Carolyn is an IBS sufferer who is currently trying to get hold of Zelnorm through the Emergency program, and this is what she says:

"So here is the deal with the Zelnorm. I just heard back from my GI guy. The physician has to call the FDA. Then the office has to fill out some papers to get it approved by the FDA, and you can then get it on a month-to-month basis, but you have to have the physician apply for it each month.

Fortunately, my GI guy is willing to do this. I don't know how long it takes for this to actually get to the patient and I assume you have to pay out of pocket."

I've fired off an email to the PR people at Novartis to see if they can verify the phone number for the FDA that your doctor would need - I believe it is this one:

FDA: 1-301-827-4570 or toll free at 1-888-463-6332.

Please remember that this number is for your doctor to call, and of course you'll need your doc's approval to get the medicine anyway as it is still prescription-only. If anyone does succeed in getting Zelnorm under this program please do leave a comment to let us know, or email me direct. Good luck!