Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Hiya,
I'm sorry you are having a bad attack right now! I can really sympathise with you since I am _living_ with my partner's parents right now and they are NOT good about healthy cooking. We live in England and they like to make only four dishes: Creamy Tomato pasta with shellfish/chicken, pizza and chips, curry, and fish and chips. I can't eat any of it! In the beginning, I was too embarassed to tell them and just kept saying, "I'm not feeling too well, I think I will just make myself some rice".
Eventually, though, I realised that I might feel a lot less stress (and guilt over refusing their offers of dinner) if I just explained it. I didn't go into all the gory details, I just told them I have a stomach disorder that makes it hard for me to digest a lot of foods. I said that when I get a bad flare up of it, I will usually just to stick to rice and plain pasta and potatoes.
Life has been so much easier since I told them! Sometimes they'll still offer me food, but it's when they think it's something I can have. Most of the time, they just let my boyfriend and I make our own dinners (or we offer to cook for everyone) and there is no awkwardness or discomfort.
I know it seems scary to say, "No, I can't eat what you're eating because if I do, I will end up on the toilet all night." They'll probably understand if you say that certain foods just make you really ill, and you have to be very careful.
Good luck, love! I hope you figure out a non-embarassing way to handle it, I'm sure you'll do fine!
--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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