Periodic Update: Just How am I Doing?
In between helpful :-) articles, I like to try to give an update regarding my successes and failures trying to manage my IBS. I think, like most of us, I have my good days and my bad, my good months and my bad, and I think going forward; my good years and my bad. It’s a very frustrating illness, it requires that you be on guard an awful lot. It requires stamina, resilience, self-belief and a variety of other positive human characteristics, just to make it through sometimes. That is not to say that IBS is not manageable; it is. It’s very much about knowing what your gameplan is, sticking to it and not feeling defeated when things don’t go as planned. This is where I am right now.
Picking yourself back up
Alright, so what do I have going for me at this point? I have my Fodmap diet, which is, I believe very helpful for the combat against IBS. I’ve discovered many things about my diet and just what keeps me healthy. I’ve accepted that I CAN’T have many of the foods I used to really enjoy. Olives, cheese, red meat, hot sauce, most peppers, fatty/tasty foods and even yogurt. I used to eat yogurt like it was going out of style, but I realized that my ‘healthy’ food was actually doing some damage when eaten as often as I was. I HAVE to eat during the daytime. My usual yogurt, granola bar, apples and bananas diet was really not cutting it. I need to fill my belly with good stuff. Lot’s of vegetables, agreeable fruits and soluble fiber. And chicken...lot's and lot's of chicken :-).
Well, great, I’ve got it all figured out...uh...no. As much as I try to follow my diet and exercise regiment (EXERCISE IS KEY), I find my mental health is suffering due to the stress of having to be so precise in order to not be ill. Anytime I have any unusual stress (a breakup, work problems, money problems, etc.), I generally fall off the wagon per se. I tend to forget about what is my goal and return to eating and drinking whatever the wind throws my way. Then...I get very sick again. I’m sure we all have our triggers and I suppose my Achilles Heel is is my own anxiety and stress. I always seem to find my way back, but it is a struggle that I would not wish on anyone.
Life gets in the way
My ‘updates’ aren’t usually overly positive, I’ve found, that conversely, my usual ‘self-help’ articles are quite the contrary. What does this mean? It means that intellectually I have found some peace and stability with this illness, but that life sometimes gets in the way of the understanding. Once again, we are brought back to the importance of mindfulness and the need to take difficulties one day at a time. I won’t give up, haven’t given up and honestly, won’t consider it. Why? Because my life and my wellbeing is too important to me. I hope you feel the same. Not about me, silly...about YOU... Until next time.
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