Saying Goodbye, perhaps I'll be back...
#203268 - 08/06/05 10:05 PM
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Anthem
Reged: 10/01/04
Posts: 76
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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My partner in life Wes and I had a long chat on the couch tonight. He has been feeling neglected by me, since I sit here at a PC and focus so much on IBS related materials. I know that at some level I am obsessed with finding a cure, finding something that will help me like it did someone else. So far, the things that have in some cases "cured" (0r put symptoms into remission) like Paxil and tons of soluble fiber have made no difference. Changing my diet has made no real difference. As an IBS-A, NOTHING has really stopped the swing of the clock's pendulum back and forth.
Well, my partner said that he thinks this is all very unhealthy for me mentally, to be focusing on this all the time. Yes, my body does keep reminding me, but he also has chronic health issues (breathing problems that can be very serious like an asthma attack at times), but he does NOT obsess on it like I do IBS. He thinks my mental attitude and perhaps physical health might improve if I leave the internet alone for awhile.
So I promised him I would do that. Instead of reading about some stranger's poop consistency, I snuggled on the couch and we watched a classic old PBS program MAPP & LUCIA. Great old fashioned fun.
So I am saying Happy Trails to you from the proud South West, from the 4th largest city in the USA, Phoenix, with the highest temperatures in 50 states, coyotes running around my house after dark, and lots of saguaro cacti waving at me as I drive by.
God help us all to survive this scourge. God help someone brilliant in the medical field to find "the answer" that will make it all fall into place. Let someone rich and famous (like Jerry Lewis) start a nationwide telethon for IBS, to educate everyone about it, and get some money rolling since the Federal Government has BILLIONS for mass murder in Iraq, but pennies for this and stem cell research and other programs that would benefit countless generations after us.
Take care of each other - don't spread opinion as fact (regarding what foods are good or bad), and keep a sense of humor. Most humor comes from pain, so the IBS family should be quite a hilarious bunch!!!
Hey! I got a call today from my agency for a modeling job. Don't know who the client is yet, or where the pictures might show up, but if it is something beyond the local area, I'll let you all know where to see me. So far my big claim to international fame was being on a sign board on Bell Avenue in Phoenix holding a can of malt liquer while the text was in Spanish (that culture seems to adore blonde men!!).
Bye for now.
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I posted this originally on another IBS Board, but thought it was so wacky that some folks here might relate.
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Geez, I wish when I told someone I had IBS, they'd say "I have it too". I have yet to meet any of those 1 out of 5 people! Most people stare at me blankly, and I realize I have to tell them what IBS stands for, then they don't want to talk about it much because it makes them feel uncomfortable.
So I know no one in "real life" that has IBS but me, and the people on the internet. It sure would be nice to have a friend who has this, someone I could share a rice cake with over hot peppermint tea.
My pet theory is that everyone with IBS includes alien hybrid blood that makes us more intelligent (in some way) from other people. However, it has the unpleasant side effect of giving us IBS. So if the alien invasion starts, and the government wants to identify all the human-alien hybrids on earth, say "NO!" if asked if you have IBS, or it might be "up against the wall" time.
The preceding was intentionally silly, in case that wasn't obvious. Other times I want to just get really tough - get leather jackets and motorcycles and put pins through our noses and become the tough IBS Boys! Don't mess with their s**t, man! Think of the rap songs we could make up, but what rhymes with Donatel?
I can see it now, being forced up against a cop car being frisked and asked about that "white stuff" and answering "Hey, it's Heather's Acacia Tummy Food, man. It ain't mine. I don't know how it got there! And those Peppermint caps ain't mine either."
My mind just flashed on the old Michael Jackson video in the subway "I'm Bad". I can see a remake "I'm IBS-D" and the entire video would be shot in a subway rest room with the professional dancers hopping from toilet to toilet, slamming those cubicle doors in time to the beat.
Yeah, I better go to bed. You know what? I have never dreamed about IBS. I think that is a good sign. And remember, in heaven there are no toilets so this crap stops at death.
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Your Buddy might have a point. As for being thrown up against a cop car,Having been a cop in NY I would have to say they would be on our side. I never met a cop worth his salt that did not have a bad gut.
Good Luck and God Bless until and if you return. I think I will hang in awhile myself so we'll keep a light on for you.
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"Thru Him with Him and in Him".
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for me, eating non-trigger foods has become a way of life. I have eaten for my IBS before I even knew what it was as my stomach would be in pain when I ate the wrong things.
I do better when I am not thinking about it all the time...I rarely hang out on this board anymore, a former poster wore me out. I hang out in the living room as the stories are often funny...often sad and there are those darned cute pictures of people, their children...their pets.
When I first learned that my ailment had a name I became obsessed and my stomach got worse. I now eat properly and try not to freak when my stomach goes nuts and try to let the attack pass.
I wish you well...
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Have a blessed day!...Rachel
stable and sooooooo thankful!
I have IBS but it doesn't have me!
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I can certainly understand wanting to spend more time with your real life love. Good luck with everything and if you wander back this way again, stop in and say "Hi".
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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for some reason this post (Poochibelly's) is making me very uncomfortable. I don't think hanging out on the IBS Diet Board is a sign of obsession any more than hanging out on the Living Room Board is nor do I think that there's anything intrinsically wrong with hanging out in either place, both places, or neither place. Maybe I'm reading stuff into your post that isn't there, but I really don't see the point of coming here to post that you don't come here.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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Awwww - it is true sadness when a friend says goodbye. Especially one as entertaining as you. You are a strong presence on this board and we are all going to miss you. My husband began feeling the same way as your partner. Now, I really only go on the boards in the morning when the house is blissfully sleeping, or during the day when he is at work. I too obsess about IBS - it's hard not to. The pain and multiple bathroom trips (or lack there of) are with us 24/7. It takes a lot of energy and strength to NOT thik about it, to not obsess over it. Usually, in my obsessive moments I will just have a nice, quiet conversation with God.
Remember, it is still ok to come drop us a line once in awhile. Like you said, you don't meet people on the street with IBS - at least I don't. These folks are the only people in the world who will truely know what it is like to be in your shoes. That, in and of itself, brings comfort.
I wish you all the best and hey, if you ever come through the Houston area, maybe we can catch a show at the Lakewood Church. I hear it's FABULOUS!
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Dana
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I take anal retentive to another level than most and have OCD to a point as well. I cannot tell you how many times I check to see if I unplugged my hot rollers before leaving the house! 
Thank goodness for automatic shut off on irons and coffee makers.
My intent was to speak only for myself and no one else. I could understand what Anthem was saying as I could relate. I think worrying over IBS can make it worse as is certainly has for me.
Nothing "written between the lines"...
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Have a blessed day!...Rachel
stable and sooooooo thankful!
I have IBS but it doesn't have me!
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I did find that the last notch in my journey to stability was to make myself live as normal of a life as possible. There's a certain amount of healing that happens when you accept a chronic condition and learn to live with it, rather than focusing all your time and energy on eliminating something that can't be eliminated.
I wish you good luck (yay on the modeling job!), good health, and lots of good times with your sweetie. Your sense of humor will be GREATLY missed. Drop by anytime.
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You have to do what is right for you but I will miss your posts - your wonderful sense of humour and the way you always seem to be able to say the right thing.
I do not think it means we obssess because we spend time on these boards but your relationship should come first.
Hope you will decided to continue to visit the boards but maybe less often.
(does this mean we are losing you from the other site? - that was where you always had the right words to say especially to some of the posters who either didn't have ibs or were "idiots".)
All the best
Judith
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Hi Anthem,
Like the others said, it is sad to lose a poster BUT if you are leaving here to pursue more happiness in other aspects of your life then of course we will support you!
I think that people deal with chronic conditions in all kinds of different ways, and it certainly is easy to get obsessed with them.
I find, for myself personally, that one thing that makes me feel like I have control over the IBS is when I come here and help other people. I can see how some people might not feel the same way, though.
I really hope that your tummy treats you well, that your boyfriend treats you well and that life in general is very kind to you!
Good luck, Anthem!!!
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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I have OCD as well and, yes, I am often late for work because I have to go back and actually feel the outlet to make sure things are turned off!
I have become very obsessed with the diet "rules" and fear any food that people post they have a problem with. The inconsistencies also drive me crazy. For example, I find it nerve wracking when some people say bananas are their safe food while others say bananas give them severe cramps and pain. I need yes and no, black and white rules!  This increases my stress incredibly.
I think I probably spend too much time on the boards as well. And sometimes it interfers with my job, or I make mistakes at work as I try and finish fast so I can jump on the boards. Not good when something is interferring with other things in your life.
I think the obsessive personalities we have can be detrimental in combination with the board! Often I think that my obsession makes my stomach worse. And, unfortunately, I'm pretty sure it has. Yet, I still keep trying to find the answer by logging on...  I am addicted and urgently still trying to find the answer to what I am missing in my search to feel better. I don't know if that is wise or stupid! Is the board helping me or hurting me? I don't honestly know. What I do know for sure is I have met some awesome people who will be part of my life forever. 
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Beth...
#203471 - 08/08/05 05:25 AM
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focus on what works for you and don't worry about anyone else. If bananas work for you great...if not, remove them from your food list and move on to the next thing. That is what works best for me...
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Have a blessed day!...Rachel
stable and sooooooo thankful!
I have IBS but it doesn't have me!
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Good luck- just wanted to say that I am an A and have been suffering with IBS for years and started plain old psyllium husk powder from the health food shop over a month ago and its reallllly helping me...another potential help for you! Really, good luck with everything!
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Feel the fear and do it anyway!
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I fully understand why you need to go, but I wish you wouldn't! You're so neat to talk to.
I would like to some day get to the point where I don't think about my IBS all the time either. unfortunately, because I have been stable and loved it, I'm seeking that again and won't rest till I find it!
Good luck to you. You are a great man. 
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Keep on keepin' on...
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Goodbye for now, Anthem. We'll miss your humour! We wish you all the best - and for sure, post anything that you do for modeling! Wes is a lucky person you hunk you! I hope you do check in on us once in a while.
Hugs, Alicia.
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Formerly HanSolo. IBS, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD times 3.
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because I'm always having symptoms of pain, bloat, gas, and of course constipation. It's hard to tell if a particular food is a problem food for me when I always hurt.
That's why I keep trying to eliminate all the foods people list as problem foods.
I don't know what my problem is...am I this incompetent? I know I have a brain...but for some reason I can't get a handle on this. Too much overanalyzing?
Maybe coffee would work for me...who knows anymore!
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Well I'm definitely sad to see you go - as others have said, your sense of humour is such a welcome lift on the boards! But of course if you need to focus on more important things in your life then by all means do so! I too found that leading the most-normal-as-possible life with this chronic illness has been a really important factor in getting somewhat stable...
Anway good health and happiness to you sir! Hope you do at least stop by now and then 
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My husband said something very similar to me not long ago, and he also has a chronic lung problem! He said I was letting my IBS control me and I wasn't controlling it! I didn't come off the boards, but I did quit obsessing about everything I put into my mouth and whether or not it came out right! Helped tremendously!!! I also hang out more in the living room than on the diet board and find it much more fun! Hope you'll hang around!
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God is Faithful!
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its obvious that Stress is a big factor in IBS!
this got me thinking and it totally makes sense that when you obsess about everything you eat and worry about your diet so much you're probably more likely to give yourself stomach problems as a result.
I would bet that you're more successful now because you don't let it take over your life, causing you less stress. I know it sounds backwards but I think its true. I've kinda just kept going about my business the past year or two, and although I still get attacks, I don't let them get me down or obsess over them. If i'm in kmart.. I have an attack in kmart and thats that. I find that when I sit at home worrying about having an attack I have one. But more often than not when I just grab the proverbial bull by the horns and do what I want to do i'm less likely to have an attack (and I think a large part of it is because I'm not obsessing over when my next attack will occur).
good luck with everything anthem! I hope that the break will help your ibs.
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You have to just bite the bullet and TRY things, regardless of what anyone else has said about them. I've said it before, I'll say it again: as long as you keep stressing so much over everything that goes into your mouth, you're not going to see much of an improvement anyway - not because of the food, but because of the anxiety!
Honestly, other than the known trigger foods and the few foods you already know DO cause you a specific problem, I think you should treat EVERY food as something you should try and NOT something that's going to hurt you. Because chances are really good that that's the truth.
If I avoided everything that people say bothers them, I'd still be eating nothing but pasta and chicken. But I dove in and started trying new things. Now I eat salad, corn on the cob, dark meat chicken, fresh berries like CRAZY, and other things that a lot of IBS'ers can't. Why? Because I tried them, even though other people said they couldn't eat them, and they didn't make me hurt any worse than I already did, so... cool!
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Guess your finger's better...or you just bared the pain enough to knock some sense into me, once again. I know you guys are right, probably, but it is very, very difficult to accept that a food cannot be a problem when I read posts by other people saying they are...and I do believe food intolerances outside of the trigger foods do exist. If I were smart enough to figure them out!
And Casey, remind me...what are the few foods I already know cause specific problems? Did I actually figure some out by accident? Really, I can't remember them!
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Have a blessed day!...Rachel
stable and sooooooo thankful!
I have IBS but it doesn't have me!
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Stay away from dairy, fried food and red meat...those seem to be "common triggers". Try something and see how it works. I can eat avocado but Shannon cannot, that is why it is so individualized.
This is why I think Anthem has a point...IBS can own you instead of you owning it and as long as IBS owns you, it will win.
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Have a blessed day!...Rachel
stable and sooooooo thankful!
I have IBS but it doesn't have me!
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also
#203623 - 08/08/05 01:20 PM
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jaime g
Reged: 07/27/05
Posts: 961
Loc: new york city
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i think it's important to remember that this has nothing to do with being smart enough to fix your ibs. there is an element of listening to your body, but that's intuition, not deductive genius.
i'd suggest keeping a food diary. it's a good way to channel your obsessive tendencies productively - keep track of everything you eat and how you feel, and other factors that might affect your ibs (stress, sleep, weather, your period). patterns will emerge, but there will also be instances that have nothing to do with the patterns at all - the ibs fairy. i like to think of it not as fighting against your ibs, but learning to work through it. doing what you can to make your life the best it can possibly be.
i don't know when i got so sappy...
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jaime
ibs-a (mostly d) // vegetarian
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I apologize - I seem to be seeing things. Thanks for clarifying. (I love my automatic shut-off iron.)
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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We will miss you. I know I don't write very often when you have written something but I do enjoy reading everything that you have written.
But you do need to spend more time on other things rather than focus so much on this IBS crap. I try not to focus so much on it. I hate it along with everyone else but oh well we have to live with it.
I did read the one post you put on how this stops at death. That is true but for now we just have to live with it.
I do wish you and your partner the best. Good luck on your shoot and I do hope we get to hear back from you from time to time to just let us know how you are doing.
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Michelle
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That's what I've done too. Use Heather's list and suggestions as a guideline, and only a guideline. If I followed the list of SF she has listed, I wouldn't be able to eat a whole lot. The one true thing about IBS I think everyone seems to forget is that no one person has the cure for all of us. Not even our own doctors. This is something we have to do on our own and at times with "suggestions and advice" from others on places like these boards. I agree that stress really does make it much worse. Now that I am coming to terms with it and learning to live with it and not overanalyze every little thing, I am feeling much better. I hope that others may also find that same happiness.
Alyson
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Everything in life happens for a reason, patience will eventually tell us what that is......
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But you know I love ya and I had to post!
Well, I could go back through the emails and see, but I think you were pretty adamant that onions cause you problems. That's really the only one I can think of off the top of my head. Oh, didn't you say that you can't have soy? Or was that just because you were afraid to try it? Although... I wouldn't even rule those out completely, if I were you. There's a lot of things I couldn't eat when I was first starting to expand my diet that I can definitely eat now, so you never know - I mean, a year ago, I couldn't handle EGG WHITES, for cryin' out loud. I think my gut was just being stupid. 
Just remember, sweetie, that other people are not YOU. 
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Hi sweetie.... I really don't know what to say other then I'm gonna miss the heck out of ya, your humor...you just crack me up all the time.... we are here anytime you need us, just remember that... take care of you...give Wes hugs from me too. I will wait for your reply to the email I sent ya the other night.
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www.facebook.com/shell.marr
www.myspace.com/shellmarr
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I enjoyed reading your posts and I hope you will keep us up to date with your modelling gigs
You have a point, it is easy to become obssesed and paranoid about our food, and I definetely relate to it.
I have found that the guidelines in this board have helped a lot, but if I took everything too literally it just drove me crazy and my IBS too, - canīt eat potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, etc. After all food is one of lifes pleasures
Take care, you and your partner.
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I hope these wise women have helped allay your worries a bit about your IBS, Beth. You poor thing, you've been driving yourself nuts about every food! If you really want to know what your triggers are, go back to the WTEWYCEA diet for a while and build one food in per week from there. I bet you'd discover your triggers IMMEDIATELY that way. And then of course, there's the IBS fairy. And stress. That gets me too!
I wish you luck and peace of mind. This IBS is a work in progress-remember when I was soooo stable??Where's that??
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Keep on keepin' on...
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Shannon
#203858 - 08/09/05 09:36 AM
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atomic rose
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 7013
Loc: Maine (IBS-A stable since July '05!)
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Hang in there, hon. I know how frustrating it is when you're stable and then suddenly you AREN'T. I thought I was, and then I had a month straight where I could barely leave the house because of the D... for no reason at all. Now I'm back to being stable, and I swear, I haven't changed a thing. Tricky, this IBS thing is. But hang in there... you'll get there again!
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I know I will. Right now my poop is definitely no problem-I think it's a stress thing because I am just having constant pain again. It will get better. i just have to smarten up and stick to the diet.
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Keep on keepin' on...
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