Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Pretty awful, but it's better now

Unmedicated, I had between 9 and 20 episodes of explosive D a day. About every day, since I was 8. I'm 35 now.

Before I found out how to control my IBS through diet and managing external stressors, then finally through medication, to stop the painful attacks I would just not eat. I spent a number of years just not eating as a result. Sounds horrible, but it's the only way I knew how to get through it and in the end, it was how I was able to graduate from school.

Thankfully, I manage my IBS MUCH better now!

I have the tools to deal with the day to day life of an IBS-er and my attacks are a handful a month now rather than a handful a day! I'm at the point where I don't fear having to go pee (because every time I did in the past, I'd run the risk of having a full-on 100 mph evacuation).

I'll never get the 2 years back when I was bedridden, or when I had no social life and missed out on a lot of stuff a child/teenager/twenty-something/young professional could have had... But my life is pretty great now, and I can enjoy the things that make me me, instead of spending my time isolated by the fear, pain and anxiety that comes with IBS!!

Man, that was a lot of baggage there.

Hope I at least touched on your question.

~nelly~

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