Buying a Car With IBS

Now I realize this title is quite funny when you first read it. No, no, my car does not have IBS. Quite the opposite actually.

My lovely new car has zero digestive issues and is dependable, safe, and cute! I have named her Petunia and I can’t wait for us to bond more and more. For us to drive through winding roads together, going through life, enjoying the wind, rain, and sunshine while getting from point A to point B. Oh and she has great speakers too, so blasting music will be our way of bonding.

Oh but how spontaneous it was buying my sweet car, Petunia. And we all know spontaneity and high adrenaline in life can really cause our IBS symptoms to rear their ugly head. Yup, buying Petunia was quite the adventure. Here’s my story.

Buying a car

I had been on the market for a used car for a couple of months. I did my research and was set on a specific brand, model, color, and interior. To make things interesting I didn’t want to deal with a car dealer in order to avoid the extra fees and was trying to find my beloved car through a private seller.

One night at around 10 pm, I came across her. I knew she was to be mine. The ad online stated every single thing I wanted and more! Not to mention, a competitive price! I couldn’t believe my eyes, I had to contact the seller to see if this deal was still available. Immediately the seller responded to my online message and stated that the car was indeed still available.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is when I began to sweat and feel the adrenaline pump inside me. This was to be the first car I was ever to purchase all on my own. Holy moly! I have to negotiate with this person! I have to do my due diligence and run the VIN number, make sure I am making a good purchase, etc. My heart was racing.

To make a long story short, I did it! I negotiated. Got the car at a price I wanted and everything just magically fell together! I had arranged with the seller that I could be there the following day by 12 pm to take a look at the car, test drive it and hopefully purchase it. Whoa!

Needless to say, that night I didn’t sleep. I kept thinking: oh my goodness, I may be driving my brand new car in just a couple of hours. I hope there is nothing wrong with it when I see it in person. I hope everything goes smoothly. So many things going through my head and with that came the IBS symptoms.

Preparing my IBS for the day

I woke up at 6 am to prepare myself for the road trip as the car was located 4 hours away. My stomach was a disaster from the excitement and nerves. Thankfully I was able to have a bowel movement before I started the trip. And thankfully my cousin was driving.

I didn’t eat much at all. Just tiny nibbles of snacks in the car. I practically fasted so that the trip would go smoothly. Thank God and all his angels that I only had to make one pit stop and it was quick.

I met the seller, test drove the car, and inspected it. I made the purchase and within 45 minutes I had my car!  What an exciting moment! And then like a ton of bricks, it all hit me. My stomach was growling because I hadn’t eaten all day. I all of a sudden had an urgency to use the restroom and I felt faint.

The necessary pit stop

Thankfully we were next to a grocery store and I used the restroom. I was in there for 30 minutes. I had a stomach ache and even felt nauseous. The day was filled with so much adrenaline and the fact everything happened so fast was a lot to take in. I managed to eat a little afterward but wasn’t very hungry.

I ended up driving an hour to stay at a family member's house to rest and drove my new car home the following day. Let’s just say it was a relief I was able to make a pit stop to regroup before making the 4-hour trip back home. I wouldn’t have been able to do it otherwise.

My stomach wasn’t well. I had to sit in the bathroom multiple times and I just needed to calm down from all the excitement and nerves.

Has this happened to you ever? Does anything spontaneous trigger your IBS symptoms? Comment below!