doctors, diagnosis and missing out :(
Hello, I'm Izzy and I just turned 18.
In march of this year I had my first doctors appointment after noticing a lot of irregularities with my health.
I've had pain and flare up episodes so bad I've ended up in a&e and on Codeine and it's all been really frightening to be honest.
So after so much testing and medication my doctor says that it is likely very severe IBS but the waiting list to see a specialist (even on emergency!) is months to a year long.
That really broke me to be honest, it's difficult being this age and suddenly being unable to leave the house.
I want to see my friends, go out clubbing, start working again - you know the usual teenager stuff.
Has anyone else been in this situation? Does it get better?
What do you guys do to stay sane being locked in the house for so long!?
thank you and I'm sorry for the weird formatting, I'm on mobile!
Hey Izzy!
Thanks for sharing your story. First of (as you said yourself) you need to find out what's triggering your IBS (if there is a certain trigger). Your case does sound severe (you said you can't leave the house - which symptoms prevent you from doing so exactly?)For me it's my stomach/intestines mostly after eating and for long stretches a FODMAP diet was my way to participate and live my normal life (if you don't count eating out with friends ... I'm always the "bland/boring" customer there 😉).
Best wishes!
That's my issue! I get very nervous around food so when I have a flareup I'm eating my safe foods only for a while and all it does is constipate me! A few of my safe foods are rice cakes, free from porrige pots, plain potatoes and that kind of stuff. Have you tried Zucchini/ cabbage turnip (it's not really a cabbage, don't let the name fool you)/ parsnip? What also works for me: Chicken (aka white meat) and a small portion of salmon (important: salmon needs no added fat! It's fatty enough, just put it in a pan).
It is one of the most embarrassing health issue to have, I have ibs c and sometimes get overflow diarrhea... And when you have to go to the bathroom there's always a friend who wants to come with you and I'm like I just want to be home alone to do this..
I'm sorry you're going through this but just don't feel aloneYou are right, even if it is a health condition with an embarrassing stigma it's a health condition no less. I'm working on being less ashamed about it and just telling people upfront "No, I cant eat that. It doesn't agree with me." and saying no to things I know will stress me out and start a flare up. It's all a learning curve. It is a learning curve, very true. Never give up. The symptoms are stressful enough, you don't need to feel ashamed as well, that's just too much to handle for any person 😉
I'm so sorry that you're experiencing these symptoms, that's so hard! I started having IBS flares in my early 20s and I lost so many friends because I always cancelled everything... It did get better for me after I figured out my triggers (using the Low FODMAP diet and a food diary: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/living/food-journal-download) and created an environment for myself that was less stressful on a daily basis. I now work from home, live in a smaller town, etc. Being honest about your condition helps a lot, too. Once I started opening up about why I couldn't do certain activities, people were not only more understanding, but I actually discovered that some of my friends also had IBS. I'm now 31 and feel okay most days, unless I'm stressed. I hope you'll get an appointment soon! Hugs, Karina (team member)
