Laura Kiesel

Stress and anxiety, as well as depression, can all play contributing roles to IBS or even at times be directly responsible for a flare. As such, I find it very...

Early on in my IBS journey, I learned to quickly find those few foods that never really triggered me and for the most part, was relatively benign. Even before I...

In my late teens, when I first began visiting a gynecologist; receiving pelvic exams and pap smears, I was informed of an interesting little tidbit about my body: I have...

Lately, I have been experiencing some pretty intense abdominal cramps that have been waking me up in the middle of the night. This is not a complete anomaly for me:...

When I first developed and was diagnosed with IBS, I was in major denial. I clung to my coffee (even having multiple cups a day), despite that it definitely did...

I am a city girl, having been born and bred in Brooklyn, New York. I never laid eyes on a tent the first two decades of my life much less...

When I first developed IBS I was living the life of a chaotic college student. My schedule fluctuated dramatically from day to day. Sometimes I pulled several all-nighters in a...

When I first started having severe symptoms that were eventually explained by a diagnosis of IBS, I was half-way through college. I remember visiting the campus medical office to discuss...

I first was diagnosed with IBS in college, which is usually a peak time in one's life for social opportunities. Though I am mostly an introvert, I was very social...

The doctor squinted at the computer and then returned her glance to me. "It looks like you have an infection," she said. "We should try you on a round of...

When I first developed IBS it was the late 90s and I was in my late teens. The internet was still in its infancy and I didn't have a lot...

I've already discussed the fragile aspect of navigating romantic and intimate relationships when one has IBS. But that's to say nothing of the actual act of intercourse, which can also...

One of the frustrating responses many of us with IBS have been on the receiving end of when we first started becoming symptomatic, was that the disorder was all in...

One of the other uncomfortable realities of living with IBS and GERD is how often I tend to get bloated, as though my belly is a balloon that's been filled...

As I've written about here on this site, I suffer from both Endometriosis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I am convinced they are intimately intertwined as my IBS was diagnosed shortly...

In addition to many of the physical ailments I have, of which IBS is one, I also have a couple of mental health conditions. Namely, when I was 14, I...

I've always been very wary of chiropractors despite my general embrace of alternative and holistic medicine. I've been a patron of acupuncture, yoga, Reiki and massage since I was in/right...

Recently, I explored what exercises are best for IBS on this blog. Not surprisingly (as confirmed by my personal experience), intense, prolonged and high impact exercises tended to aggravate IBS...

As I posted not too long ago, sleep is often an essential tool in managing IBS. However, the bitter irony is that IBS in and of itself can often interfere...

In recent years, science has become more clear that experiencing trauma--especially as a child--plays a prominent role in one developing health issues as an adult. One of the first major...