IBS On My Wedding Day

We all have moments when we want to run away from a scary situation for whatever reason. However, sometimes we choose not to because we know it’s better to face it head on and get it over with so that we can come out as a winner in the end (which is also known as the fight or flight response). My wedding day was certainly one of those moments when I wanted to run away, but not because I was scared to marry my soon-to-be wife, but because my IBS was telling me to get my butt to a toilet and stay on it until the end of time.

Nerves, anxiety, excitement and IBS

The morning of my wedding day, I had used the bathroom at least 6 times due to the combination of nerves, anxiety, and excitement all getting the best of me. So, safe to say, I had already attempted to empty out the tank before the ceremony. Nonetheless, my IBS knows how to keep the gas tank full (pun intended), leaving me feeling quite uncomfortable in my own skin. I even ate a small and safe breakfast to ensure that I wouldn’t have to suffer much more, but clearly on a day like this, that didn’t make a difference.

When it was time for my wife and I to be separated until the ceremony started, my anxiety decided to turn up a notch. My wife is my main supporter so the fact that I couldn’t see her until she walked down the aisle, of course, made me feel a little less at ease, which in turn made my IBS a little harder to deal with. Crazy how not having my wife when I need her can affect my anxiety and my symptoms. Am I really that co-dependent? Sheesh! Oh well, I love my other half so much and I know she feels the same.

There was a moment that day when I was alone in my car watching everyone arrive at the ceremony, and all I could think about was the pain and how much I wanted to go back to the hotel where we were staying at to be alone and on the toilet. Obviously, I knew that wasn’t a good idea, so I needed to figure something out. Since I knew I couldn’t see my wife until the ceremony, I decided to call her for comfort and support. Thankfully she answered my phone call and consoled me enough that I felt encouraged to suck up the pain and stick it through. In other words, she jokingly threatened that if I left, it would be the last time I saw her. Needless to say, a soon-to-be married man shall never disobey his queen-to-be, especially on your wedding day (marriage tip #1, my friends). Plus, I also didn’t want to be late to my own wedding nor make anyone else nervous about my whereabouts, so I knew the right thing to do was persevere through the pain.

So there I was at the altar, waiting for my bride-to-be, feeling so nervous and bloated that it was obvious to my family and friends. At one point, I remember wishing I could change into sweat pants because the suit and tie I was wearing was the last thing I needed to be in. Nonetheless, I kept a smile on my face because I knew that through it all, that day was going to be one of the most exciting days of my life since I was about to marry my one true best friend.

Best day of my life

When she made her entrance, it was like watching a glowing-luminescent angel walk down the aisle. Her beauty and presence took me by surprise and brought instant-happy tears to my eyes. All pain was forgotten, but the nerves were still there. At that moment, I kept saying to myself that I couldn’t believe I was about to marry this woman. In my opinion, I truly did marry the most beautiful woman in the world, and I was even happier that she was, and still is, my best friend.

Looking back, my wedding day was one of the best days of my life, despite my IBS being a nuisance, because we got to share the moment with the people we love. Everyone who attended said they felt the love in the air, a little too much in fact because by the end of the reception certain people began hooking up for the first time; people I never expected, which was funny but satisfying to see at the same time. The vibe was nothing but positive and loving, with a large selection of Bob Marley (our favorite musician) being played throughout the evening. What made it more special was that everyone couldn’t stop talking about the whole experience days and months after.

The day after my wedding was a day full of recovery, which was fine because I got to hang at the hotel pool and just simply relax with my new wife. Luckily I married a wife who was understanding and didn’t mind the tanning and relaxation anyway. Well there’s my experience suffering from IBS on my wedding day. Was there a major life event that was tough for any of you to get through due to your IBS, or any other condition? Please feel free to respond below in the comment section and thank you for taking the time to read my story.