women suffering constipation page eight
The tale of...Andrea
I want to share my story because, frankly, I am so damn scared, and so damn lonely, that at times - like now - I feel paralyzed. I'm 25 now, and I've have IBS since I was about 14. I always used to wonder if I was imagining my symptoms, especially because they do get worse with nerves. I thought that perhaps I was inventing the pain, the weight gain, the cramps, the constipation and the other gory stuff - or at least that it originated in my head.
When I was about 23 I realized that I had to have something because this sort of thing couldn't have been completely my imagination. Shortly before I turned 25 I finally got up the courage to go to the doctor, and I was diagnosed - I'm a textbook case, apparently.
The doctor put me on Zelnorm, and it has been a miracle for me. What used to be a constant problem is now not nearly as common. However, I still have the old limitations because of the symptoms that inevitably crop up - I don't travel well, and I certainly can't travel with others. I can't stay at other people's houses and I don't like people staying at mine.
I quit university once, but am finally working my way through it again (looks like I'll have a BA before I'm 29, at least). It's hard though, and I miss many days when I go through difficult periods. I guess the crux of my anguish is that I can't lead a normal life because I don't know what the next day will be like. I've never had a boyfriend for long, and I can't stay the night at one's house when I do.
I'm afraid - afraid that he'll discover how unpleasant I am to be around in the mornings when the gas is the worst and when I'm noisy in the bathroom because of my inconsistency. I'm afraid that I'll spend the rest of my life alone because of this horrible disease. Is it really possible for someone to love you if you have such an unpleasant disease?
It's one thing when you develop a disease after being with someone, but I can't imagine someone wanting me knowing that I have this...I'm so lonely and this thing scares me so much because I have no control over it.
I also don't know how to deal with questions from professors, classmates and friends. What do I tell people that want to know why I missed class the other day? I don't want to lie, but I don't want to get into it either. Usually I just say that I have a gastrointestinal disease where I don't process food correctly sometimes and it makes me ill, but people want to know the name of the disease, and frankly, I'm not ready to say it yet. I'm so embarrassed by having such a repulsive, embarrassing disease.
The tale of...George
Hi, I'm 28 and I've suffered with IBS every day for 10 years. I suffer mainly from constipation but also have lots of bouts of diarrhea. Most of the time when I go to the loo it feels like the poo gets stuck in my bowels somewhere, and I am in constant pain and discomfort with a very swollen belly.
I have tried just about everything available, alternative and conventional, and have found that peppermint oil capsules and an anti-depressant help, but I am still suffering all day every day. Daily exercise also helps but no amount of changing my diet seems to.
I had surgery to repair an anterior rectocele (unusual as I am young and have not had children yet) also to no avail. I am unable to work or enjoy a social life, and I feel constantly tired and unwell with lots of dizzy spells and nausea. My whole life revolves around trying to "settle" my guts and is therefore extremely restricted.
I'm scared to leave my house a lot of the time as if I don't get to a toilet in time, meaning a few seconds, and have to hold it in, I become painfully constipated and nauseous. I can't just push it out, I have to wait for the urge to come and then I must go straight away or else...
All I can do is continue trying to find something that helps, and maybe try to get my government to recognise IBS as a serious problem.
E-mail George: georgina_madhatter[at]hotmail.com
The tale of...Jennifer
I am a 23-year-old woman just learning how to deal with the IBS with constipation I've experienced since about the age of 13. At that age, I was terrified of being fat like my mom had become and was very vulnerable to images of models with flat stomachs. My IBS with constipation was then characterized by daily gas and bloating, but I thought my problem was that I was getting fat, so I succumbed to unhealthy practices of starvation until my hip bones jutted out and my stomach burned, and later, bulimia.
I thought I had stomach aches as punishment for eating like a pig, though I was far from overweight. My stomach aches got so bad that I hesitated to go out with friends because of the pain and because of the fear they'd see my large stomach and think I was fat.
I put my body and emotions through a lot of torture, and by the time I was 17, I knew I needed to change. I became vegetarian and, at the wonderful suggestion of a physician's assistant from India, decided to try treating my stomach aches with yoga rather than all the harsh and useless medicines thrown my way by busy doctors. The yoga did wonders for me in so many ways, especially by relieving the gas and bloating I so loathed.
Now my IBS has the added problem of chronic constipation, and I am doing my best to continue my very healthy vegetarian diet despite the days that I wish I never had to eat again. I am also learning how to keep my stomach pains at bay as I am getting into running. My current mileage is between 25 and 30 miles per week, but I think if my stomach weren't so temperamental I would feel more confident running under many circumstances.
I just recently learned about Heather van Vorous' book Eating for IBS which explained the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber - what a difference that knowledge makes! I had always been told to eat more fiber for my constipation and to try a laxative. I have tried every laxative and enema ad, but nothing really works in the long run. I realized that eating probably 50+ grams of fiber per day as I have been for years could actually exacerbate my condition rather than cure it!
I hope others will read Eating for IBS and look into the types of fiber in their diet and benefit as I am beginning to. Most importantly, I hope others will continue reading and sharing stories to gain a sense of hope in controlling what can too often be such an embarrassing, confusing, and shameful set of experiences.
My mood has lifted by reading the stories on here and it has helped me to realize that I can find support if I am willing to look or ask. It is in fact a relief to know I am dealing with a digestive disorder and not an eating disorder anymore, and my self-image has improved as a result.
The tale of...Michaela
I was diagnosed with IBS some 12 years after I suffered severe stomach cramps. No other symptoms, just severe pain and sometimes a bit of bloating.
Every couple of months I feel it start - a severe pain two inches below my belly button. Oh no, here we go again. It is sheer agony. Another night spent rolling around in agony, another day off work.
It will usually start in the early evening or during the night and can go on for as long as 14 hours. The pain is so severe that I just have to lie still and it is so painful that my body seems like it is suffering from shock. I go cold, clammy and on occasions when it is really bad, I am sick.
There are times when it has been so severe that I have wanted to call an ambulance. Nothing helps. And when it's gone, my whole abdomen feels sore, painful and bruised for a few days and I am weak and shattered - but I am pleased it has passed - until next time.
After pleading with a doctor that if I was a dog suffering so much pain the owner would put me down, he prescribed some very strong painkillers that seem to take the edge off it...just.
I still don't know what causes it, don't think I ever will. It took me ages to be convinced I was suffering from IBS because I don't have any other symptoms. I've had tests that confirm 'there's nothing wrong with me'. It might only be IBS but not many people understand just how bad it can be.