Moments When IBS Attacks!

Every time I attempt to step foot outside the door, IBS kicks me in the gut and says, “Dude, you know you gotta use the bathroom again. Get your behind back in the house.”

Or how about when I feel the urge to use the bathroom, but when I actually get to the toilet, nothing comes out. What a waste of time.

Times when I’ve been at the gym and as soon as I do anything weight-lifting related, I end up getting crazy abdominal pain. And don’t let me get into the ab workouts-no need to say more.

How about as soon as you take a sip of coffee? …And then you find yourself alone in an elevator…. Then that familiar gas pain starts to kick in…. You have no choice but to let one go…. All of a sudden, the elevator stops at a floor that is NOT yours. Someone walks in. You have repeated one of the greatest moments of embarrassment in all of history.

When I’m at the bar with my friends and the first and only beer decides what the rest of my night is going to be like; tons of burping… from both ends.

[The more I think about it, the more I realize why people don’t like to talk about this chronic condition. But hey, someone’s got to make light of it.]

How about when you go on a first date and your anxiety decides to pull the IBS-trigger? You want to show more interest to the person, but you can’t help but make uncomfortable faces that makes your date think you find him/her unattractive, and there goes your second chance.

How about when you tell your friends you plan to go out with them one night, but then that night comes and your IBS decides you should hang out with your new friends; the toilet and Preparation H.

I remember a time when I was at the supermarket and midway through shopping, I had to leave my cart almost full of groceries because I had to rush home before I had an accident on myself. Otherwise, “Clean up on aisle 9, please!”

Not all moments are bad when IBS attacks. I appreciate the moments when I have no choice but to study my body and be aware of my habits, because at least when IBS attacks, I’ll know how to be ready. For example:

If you’re an expert IBS sufferer, then you know toilet wipes are life-savers. Hands down. I mean, the smooth… moist… cloth-like material wiping against your... (Sorry, too much?)

Mac and cheese is one of my weaknesses; I just have to have it. However, I know that whenever I eat it, I get an intense pain in my stomach that lasts for at least a week or more. So what do I do? I spoil myself at least twice a year. Maybe three times, if I’ve been a good boy. (Willpower baby!)

Whenever I feel down about having to deal with an invisible illness, I play music that lifts me up, like Bob Marley’s for example, to keep me optimistic and hopeful. It’s all about the positivity. I believe it’s a medicine for us IBS sufferers.

It’s important that we find our own way to relax, and it’s also important to not feel restricted with life. I know what foods trigger my IBS symptoms, but I sacrifice the pain so that I can live a little. I’ll be lying if I said eating certain foods doesn’t make me happy. When I go back home to visit my parents, I indulge in my Dominican-food because I don’t have it as often as I used to, simply because of my IBS. Doing this allows me to hold on to a part of my sanity, because if I restrict myself too much from the joys of life, then I start to feel caged with anxiety. And anxiety triggers my symptoms. (Almost sounds like there’s no winning with IBS. But yet, I only speak from my own experience.)

It takes a lot for me to open up about this condition, but I’m happy to have found an online community that is understanding, and that can hopefully relate to some of my experiences. My way of coping is making light of situations and trying to find the funny in them.

With all of that being said, what are some of your most embarrassing moments with IBS?