Right on Time: Dreaming of Regularity with IBS
If you have IBS, you likely dream of regularity. It must be nice to have a predictable schedule. I’m envious of those people who have a routine of going in the morning. IBS doesn’t have a schedule.
Will my IBS go away?
There was a period of time recently when I had something that loosely remembered a schedule, and it was pure bliss. It felt like a vacation–a vacation from IBS. For a brief moment, I thought maybe my IBS was going dormant.
Years ago I enjoyed an extended period of time with no symptoms at all, and I hoped for it to return to that state. Daily life would be so much simpler if I didn’t have the constant worry of an IBS flare looming over my head like a dark cloud.
IBS keeps me from making plans
Travel would be so much simpler. Making plans would be delightful. Being able to go out to dinner with family and friends would be fun. But, no. My dreams of regularity are just that: dreams.
While I must fast to keep from having an accident when I leave home, there are people out there that can set their clock by their bathroom schedule. Oh, how I envy that. Oh, how I wish I could be like that.
How can I predict an IBS flare?
Even during the brief periods of time when I have little or no symptoms, the constant worry of an IBS flare is still there. I worry about a sudden return of symptoms. The fear of having an accident is always there.
Have you ever been out in public after a few days or weeks with no symptoms and felt those tell-tale cramps? You know the cramps I am taking about. It means trouble. It screams out that you must locate a bathroom as soon as possible. You know time of the essence, and that fear makes everything worse.
IBS is affecting my social life
I have reconnected with people and met new people, and the go-to meeting is always going out to dinner or out for coffee. I don’t feel comfortable doing either, and I feel that has prevented me from being social.
Having a routine bathroom schedule would help my social calendar tremendously. I cannot imagine how nice it would be to be able to make plans with old and new friends. IBS is unpredictable, and it keeps me chained to my home and the safety of having a bathroom close by at all times.
Traveling and eating out with IBS
I have done some traveling recently, and the drive was filled with worry. I was grateful that I didn’t have terrible flares while on the road, but I did have some issues. Each time I have a flare while traveling, it makes it more stressful for me to leave home.
My husband, on the other hand, has a fairly regular schedule. Oh, how I wish I did. I wish I could kick IBS to the curb and enjoy dinner dates, long road trips, and leaving home without the fear of an IBS flare. Unfortunately, having a regular schedule isn’t possible with IBS.
Do you dream of regularity? How do you cope with the fear of flares? I would love to hear about your experience.
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