My Support System

Every day my IBS makes me suffer. I’m on the toilet no less than six times a day, and most times, I’m on there no less than half an hour to forty-five minutes. I literally spend most of my time in the bathroom, whether I’m achieving something or not. I even try to bring my work in the bathroom with me just to feel and be somewhat productive, but the struggle to focus on anything but what I’m doing on the toilet is REAL. And I love when my wife checks up on me and asks if I need anything, like ginger-tea for example, because she knows what helps soothes the pain. Knowing that she’s genuinely supportive of what I suffer from gives me the motivation to keep fighting and to keep pushing through life no matter how it hard it gets.

Where would I be without my wife, my ride or die, my support system? Suffering from an invisible chronic illness can lead a patient down a lonely, dark road, but somehow my wife always manages to pull me out of my depression. She understands that I hate being unable to do certain things, like go to the gym with her as often as I would like, or take her out on dates more often without fearing any IBS attacks. She reassures me that she recognizes my struggles and wants me to stop comparing myself to other people who are able to do things that I can no longer do with ease anymore. However, I want to be outside more often, especially with my wife, and enjoy the world, but I have to accept that my IBS hinders me in so many ways.

Having irritable bowel syndrome has been a tremendous struggle on both my mental and physical health. I’m constantly having to get in the ring with my chronic condition and go through, what feels like, boxing rounds. Every morning, which can be considered the ‘round ones’, I get woken up by my natural alarm clock; gas pains and an urgent need to use the bathroom. And I always seem to wake up before the alarm clock that I set on my cell phone. It never fails. Rounds two through eleven are every time I have to use the bathroom because the more I go, the weaker and more fatigued I feel. After using the bathroom so many times a day, my energy diminishes and, therefore, I lack the motivation to want to do anything but stay home most of the time. And that’s what becomes my final rounds; those moments when I want to do more with life but can’t. Eventually, this train of thought leads to my depression and I begin to feel worthless and hopeless. However, because my wife is truly one of a kind, I have the support that I need to get out of the rabbit holes I create for myself.

I love my wife with every fiber in bones, and I could not imagine life without her. If any IBS sufferers are reading this, please understand that you cannot get through life on your own. And that also goes for those who suffer from another illness or not. You have to accept the fact that there are things that will prevent you from enjoying life sometimes, but with the right support system, you can and will get through it. My wife will hug and kiss me until I smile, and she’ll crack jokes no matter how corny just to make me laugh. So another thing you should accept are the people who are willing to show even a bit of understanding and support for what you suffer from. Not everyone will understand entirely what you deal with, but if they show any sign of care and compassion, then do whatever it takes to keep them near for they are going to be the backbone that keeps you grounded. They will do things for you that you can’t do for yourself and they will help motivate you to be happy with life no matter the circumstances. So whatever you do, never accept giving up.