Your typical IBS nightmare...while travelling!
#224839 - 11/14/05 11:27 AM
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professor
Reged: 07/19/05
Posts: 77
Loc: Winnipeg, Canada
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Hello everybody!
Well, after 6 month living with IBS and on Heather's diet. It's going pretty well, i'm fully stable most of the time, but I still have my IBS moments. I just had one at work! I tried a new herbal tea (rooibos masala chai) yesterday that probably started everything, I think it probably had too much spices in it. Plus, I ate salmon at supper, I sometimes forget to control the fat content and you know the rest... 
Anyway, I was in Bordeaux (France) two weeks ago and I had a revelation about my new life with IBS. I was there on business for a conference. Everything was going great. Was shopping, was eating good fish and good asian food following the IBS guidelines. But I had lots of trouble spleeping, the bed at the hotel they booked for me was very uncomfortable. Then the conference starts, all the meal where included, the were supposed to meet my special needs.
Well, they did not.
French cuisine has butter and cream in everything! They were trying their best, but I ate a few triggers without knowing it. Plus, try to explain to every place you go that you don't want a glass of superb Bordeaux red wine (when In your mind you really want one!). Was able to go through the first day without any problem, doing my conference and it was ok. At the end of the night, barely made it in time to my hotel room to have my biggest D-attack in months. The last 3 days were hell, had several attacks, was totally sleep deprived. On the last night before coming back, a couple in the next room were having very loud sex, the girl was a heavy moaner (and that's the funny part!).
Anyway, I Felt like [censored]... Sometimes it's tough to be an IBS'ser.
Got stable as soon as I got back home.
Well, anyway, I will never let anybody control my meals again...ever! 
The positive thing is that thanks to you guys and Heather's guidelines, I know how to get stable fast.
My problem is not with the diet anymore. I think it's more with the social side of it, it's sometimes depressing to not be able to got to cocktails parties. Plus, I think I need to work on my stress level a bit, especailly when I travel. 
Would love to hear your travelling with IBS stories, how do you do it, especially overseas?
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Hey Professor... I used to do a lot of travelling for my last job. I had many instances where I have had to run to the washroom at the airport. In fact, there was one trip to Florida where I remember I had an attack at the airport then I had to go again on the plane. Not fun. That was before I knew I had IBS for sure and did not have a modified diet. I had an attack once when I was in Itreland. God, that was bad. I guess you just have to deal with it, eat right, and have plenty of Imodium available! 
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Not sure if you are "D" or "C" but for me, I eat as much asian food as possible, it seems to be the safest for me and always have "safe' snack food tucked away somewhere.
When I travel the "C" always seems to get pretty bad so I have to make a point of eating right no matter what. I would rather pass up an nice meal than ending up in constant pain.
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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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Ughhhhh when we went to Disney in Florida last April lo and behold the day before we left I got my period  Which we all know causes D (well us women at least  ). I'm thinking as we are in the airport OMG please let me get on that plane and be ok! Well, I wasn't! #1 I hadn't flown in 20years and my anxiety level was a bit high and #2 my D kicked in and I must have went 3 times on the plane! Not fun. Ya know what though, I didn't care cause in my mind I kept thinking, at least there are several bathrooms on this plane and I'll be fine! It was kinda embarassing passing the same people to go back to the potty but I figured, hey I'll never see these people again
Then in Disney, I had a couple attacks. I tried not to let it ruin our vacation but it was darn hard!!!! I can look back on it now and say awww it wasn't that bad but I think at the time it kinda was. Thank goodness there were millions of bathrooms throughout each park in Disney!!!!
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~~~Lisa~~~
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Aw, so sorry to hear you couldn't fully enjoy your trip. Traveling overseas is tough, especially when the main ingredient in their food is a trigger. I just went to California for the weekend which isn't nearly as bad, but I was sharing two adjoining hotel rooms with a bunch of my classmates (who do not know my condition!). I shared a room with another girl but the boys' room was adjoining and we basically left it open the whole time. It was tough. I packed my instant oatmeal packets and was very glad I had. The continental breakfast at the hotel was kind of gross. I could have picked some safe things but I was thrilled to have my oatmeal and Heather's peppermint tea bags! I started each day with that and I think it really helped. I did cheat a lot though. I had a TON of beer, which made me pretty gassy, but I only had one mild D attack. I took a bunch of pepto chewables and I used them as needed. Immodium is too strong for me (I'm an A and it makes me C) but pepto does the trick every time. Watch out for the tar-black stools though! Haha. There were a couple instances when I wished I had normal GI tract -- everyone ordered pizza and I didn't have the nerve to speak up and say I couldn't have it, so I just told them all I was really not feeling well and I just went to bed without dinner. The other time we went out for mexican food and I ordered the one item that did not list cheese as an ingredient -- the crab enchilladas. Well there was cheese all over the top and all mixed inside. I hate special ordering stuff (no cheese please, etc) and much prefer to just find the safest thing I can and make do with that, so I was really annoyed that it didn't work out. I have to admit I did pout a little about it but eventually I just shut up and slurped down my strawberry margaritas! For some reason, alcohol doesn't bother me nearly as much as other triggers. I can have several drinks with just mild consequences, but one teaspoon of greasy cheese will send me to the can for days. Red wine though -- that gives even "NORMAL" people D, so I think you were wise to avoid it!
Sorry for the rambling -- I came in on the redeye this morning and haven't slept in about 30 hours. Time for bed!
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Amanda
I live in the Big Apple, but I don't eat the skin
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This sounds too familiar! Just to make you laugh--A few years ago my family was flying to Florida to go on a cruise... I ate a bagel at the airport and started feeling kinda crummy...then the cramps and horrible diarrea started. I was running back and forth to the bathroom and finally my brother yelled in the women's restroom "aly--we gotta get on the plane!"...so I RAN onto the plane and right back in the bathroom... when the plane was about to take off, I was still crmaping and going and the flight attendants asked me to go to my seat...I said NO WAY! I was throwing up at this point as well... so I was on the toilet when we took off! now that was an odd feeling! haha. we laugh about it now, but then I really felt like it was the end of my life!
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IBS-A
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A Few Suggestions
#225077 - 11/15/05 09:01 AM
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Bevvy
Reged: 11/04/03
Posts: 5918
Loc: Northwest Washington State
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I don't know what everyone else has recommended, but I just want to congratulate you on surviving the trip. I never travel anywhere anymore; I haven't been on a plane in over 5 years, and I never will again.
Unfortunately, you're always gonna be faced with that incredible glass of Bordeaux. With me, it's hot fudge cake. What I have found to work is The Taste Test. I take the glass of wine -- or, in my case, the dish of hot fudge cake -- and just hold onto it, "being social," but I don't eat it. If anyone is watching me, I take only ONE bite, then whenever I can, I put the plate down and walk away. It's damn difficult, but believe me, it's called "self-preservation."
I had the exact problem yesterday. I told my friend, who insisted on dessert, not to return with a plate of hot fudge cake. Of course, she did the exact opposite of what I requested, and when I refused to eat it, she almost had a hissy fit. I took the plate, thanked her, and took ONE bite, raved about how wonderful it was, then put the plate down and had no more. It worked. She was satisfied that I had at least TRIED it, and the one bite did not bother my tummy.
Why do we feel we must please everyone? Well, I've learned it's just so much easier this way than to fight it. Besides, that hot fudge cake was PHENOMENAL; I really enjoyed that one little bite.
By the way, I discovered I can have ONE Jack Daniels, provided I have a soluble fiber beforehand and one after. The Jack calms down my nervous colon. I can do the same with one glass of wine, but not as well. Try a half glass of Bordeaux, preceded, of course, by a cracker hors-d'oeuvre; I'll bet you'll be surprised. The trick is to set that half-full glass down and walk away....
Bev
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<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
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