Does anyone else feel like a hypochondriac around other people?
#3151 - 03/18/03 01:01 PM
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Nugget
Reged: 02/10/03
Posts: 2167
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I've been thinking how wonderful it would be to be "normal". I appreciate their concern...but I get tired of friends, relatives, etc. asking me "can you eat this (or that)?"....and then saying "why not?" And my mom saying "you used to be able to eat it." Sometimes I feel like some people don't believe me and that they think it's all in my head. My husband has even told me on occasion that I just need to "quit worrying so much about things...". Sometimes I get the impression that people think this is something I can just turn off and get over. That I say I can't eat something just because I don't like it. I look back on all the foods I used to eat and the foods I was raised on and can't believe I made it this far. My mom used to baste(sp?) fried eggs in bacon grease, deep fry home made doughnuts in lard....make homemade cookies with real butter....and so on and so on. Nothing against my moms cooking...it was great...but I can't eat it now and at times it hurts her feelings, I know.
Sorry for rambling, but just had to get it off my chest. I got my results back from the CT scan for my chest pains that I have been having during my menstral cycles and the doc left a message on our answering machine that everything was in the normal range....which is good other than I don't know what is causing the pains. My husband was in the room, too when we checked our messages and after hearing the results...he didn't say a word or even comment at all. So that made me feel like he thinks it's in my head. Maybe not, but that's how I feel.
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I thought I was the only person that feels this way! You're definately NOT the only one--cause I feel this way too. My mom even has ulcerative colitis and IBS but doesn't take care of it--and she thinks I'm going overboard trying to follow Heather's diet. As for friends, most of mine don't know yet. I've just kinda been laying low (and I used to be REALLY social). The ones that do not seem curious--and they seem to pitty me. I'm not quite sure how to deal with the pitty yet. It's just weird.
I'm glad everything is normal in your chest!!!! But that DOES NOT mean you're imagining the pain! Do you feel the pain when you're anxious? Maybe it's provoked by anxiety. I hope the pains go away soon!
In any case, good luck, and feel good! 
Ruchie
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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It funny you meantion this today, as I was having a hard time this morning and was thinking the same thing. My husband tells me all the time that I just need to relax- but he does not know really what we go through in a day. My family thinks it is crazy all the adjustments I have made and the fact that I prefer them to come here to eat-instead of having a possible attack elsewhere. Thank god this board understands the difficulties- both of IBS and the reaction of others to it. 
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AMEN!!!
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Thank you....
The pains just started back around November/December and I finally talked with my doc about them. He ordered a chest x-ray and an echocardiogram(sp?) which only showed very minor valve leakage which he says is so minor that it shouldn't cause any troubles. I'm still not sur I understand it fully, but he says it's not the Mitral Valve Prolapse...but something else that I was probably born with. He put me on Protonix for what he thought might be GERD...but it didn't seem to help after the 2 month dose. I kept track of when the pains were occuring and they happen just before, during, or just after my menstral cycle. I called my doc again and told him this and that's when he ordered the CT scan to rule out any deformaties or blockages, etc. He said I might want to schedule an appointment next month during my period if the pains occur so they can possibly do an upper GI scope while the pains are there. Not sure if I want to put out more money, though if it's not going to show anything....I have insurance, but it's still a chunk of money out of my pocket. You know what I mean?
Frustrating! Thanks for listening.
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Count me in this group also. My sister and uncle have Crohn's disease and both have had multiple surgeries to have sections of their intestines removed. They also sometimes look really bad. They will be puffy sometimes or skin-and-bones other times. Crohn's is a very serious disease.
So then along comes me with all of these big diet changes because of a few tummyaches and a little bloating and constipation. I feel like they think I'm being melodramatic.
And then my mother-in-law is always questioning my diet. She thinks it's bad that I don't eat whole wheat bread, that I don't have dairy for the calcium, and that I "skimp" on the veggies or cook them "to death".
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Nugget,
I sooooo understand where you are coming from. I have my own jewelry business and I do alot of home shows and craft shows. Today these ladies had made all this food for the vendors. I could not eat one thing! One of the ladies brought a plate of food over to me and I had to decline her. I could tell she was a little hurt. I explained that I get very sick if I eat certain foods. So, she started asking for details. "Like what happens?" And it was very weird to be telling a total stranger that I get diarehha and all of the other lovely details. So, I told her she really did not want to know. She continued to push (I do not think she believed me) So I told her. She said "OH" and walked away.
It was horrible, but she asked for it. I agree with you I wish I could be "normal"
Good Luck
biscrandi
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I can totally relate!I used to eat 3 tacos in one sitting, gulp down the mcdonalds food, drink soda by the liter and practically inhale bacon and eggs in the morning.now everytime i turn that down, my mom always asks me why and asks me why could i eat it b4 bu now now.:( like you, im amazed i have gotten this far.
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-Angela
Healed in Jesus' Name
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Oh yes, I feel like a hypochondriac...esp. since, as my significant other continually points out to me, how can I "cheat" so often and still claim to be ill? (He doesn't know how much time I spend in the bathroom, that's how!) Plus his mom has IBS and her symptoms are worse than mine are--but she doesn't know about the diet (though I've given him the URLs of the webpages to e-mail to her)--anyway, I'm more careful, I think, than he realizes.
I was filling out a job application for a residential school and it requests information about health conditions, medications, allergies, and I felt foolish trying to explain what IBS is and to sum up the diet in about three lines. <sigh> And this is the job I really, really want, too. Wish me luck!
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It's so hard for people to understand unless they're actually in our shoes. Plus, every case is different--so for him to compare you to his mom is pretty unfair--but pretty human too  And it is SO HARD not to cheat! Just because we know something isn't good for us, that doesn't mean it's easy to do the healthy/good thing (especially all the time).
Good luck with the job interview! What exactly are residential schools--is that medical school related? I'm sure that you'll get the job regardless of IBS stuff--no worries! Let us know how it goes! Do you have to interview for the position? Good luck with everything!! 
Ruchie
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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